The wedding rehearsal dinner is generally the last of the pre-wedding parties. In a way it serves to start the celebrations in earnest. However, it not only serves this purpose. This event gives the bride and the groom the opportunity to thank those closest to them for all their hard word, help and support throughout the wedding planning process.
First and foremost when planning the dinner you will need to decide how many people to invite. Generally rehearsal dinners tend to be small events with only the bridal party and close friends in attendance. This should give you a good opportunity to spend valuable time with each of your guests. However, you may wish to extend your guest list. Partners and spouses of members of your wedding party are often invited to attend, as they will generally be present at the wedding as well. If there is someone outside of your wedding party or your immediate family that contributed a lot during wedding planning it may also be a good idea to invite him or her to come along.
Traditionally the rehearsal dinner is held the night prior to the wedding itself. While this may not always be possible, as a rule of thumb the dinner should be after your ceremony rehearsal, which is usually, but not always, the day before the wedding. You may even find that holding the event a couple of days before the wedding gives you a little more time to relax and wind down, or run around in a last minute panic, before the big day itself.
The dinner is generally less formal than the reception so you may wish to let the venue you choose and the general atmosphere reflect that. A popular choice is to hold the event in a local restaurant. However, if you are really feeling adventurous then you may wish to host it yourself in your own home. Most brides and grooms find that they are just too busy in the immediate run up to the wedding to host the dinner themselves which is why a restaurant is often the norm. The final decision is ultimately up to you, but you should not make the rehearsal dinner so elaborate and fancy that it upstages the wedding day itself.