We Hold a Rehearsal Dinner

Going over final details with our day-of-coordinator Devon after the rehearsl meant that J and I were fashionably late for our rehearsal dinner. After the intense rehearsal, it was a relief to arrive at our local Vietnamese restaurant and see 27 of our favourite people! We spent the evening chatting over delicious food with our parents, wedding party, ushers, family and significant others.

The restaurant prepared a set menu for our large group that included appetizers of shrimp and chicken salad rolls, steamed crepes and vietnamese spring rolls. Dinner was grilled lemongrass chicken, pork and chicken brochettes, steamed rice, vietnamese fried noodles, green salads and rice vermicelli. Deep fried bananas with ice cream were a great finish to the meal!

The rehearsal dinner is traditionally when the couple presents their wedding party with gifts. J took all responsibility for the guy's gifts and did a great job choosing engraved beer mugs for our groomsmen and MC.


My bridesmaids were also my sisters, so I wanted to spoil them after all of their help throughout my engagement. Bridesmaid J received a spa gift card, cute flip flops to wear at the reception, Westham Island local fruit wine and an essentials kit with items she might need on the wedding day or on one of her many trips.

Maid of Honor K received gift cards for the same spa and for MAC cosmetics, a travel kit, comfy flip flops and a cute tote bag.

To maximize the fun and add a personal touch, J and I held a trivia contest with friends and family guessing which of us hates sushi, is a morning person, failed their drivers test, is afraid of spiders, only reads non-fiction and who has more piercings. The game was a big hit, and competition was fierce for the Purdy's chocolates we gave out as the prize!

I felt a lot of pressure to have a traditional rehearsal dinner, ie formal, expensive and organized and paid for by the groom's parents. I'm so glad that we chose a more casual and relaxed atmosphere in a place we've been going to since the start of our relationship.