Your wedding is an opportunity to spend a whole weekend with friends and family you love! The wedding party is usually made up of your closest friends, so why not do something really fun for the rehearsal dinner? There are no rules that say you have to do a traditional meal at a fancy restaurant. Remember, this evening is also known as the “Groom’s Dinner”, so make sure his family has a say in your ideas.
First of all, location, location, location!
Are you looking for party rooms or banquet rooms in Brookings for your rehearsal dinner? Hitch put together a list of our favorite locations in town:
- Old Market Veranda (holds 30+)
- Wooden Legs party room (holds 50+)
- City Parks in Brookings (pg. 18 of this PDF)
- The Summit room at the Ram (holds 45)
- Hotel meeting rooms in Brookings, like the Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn Express, etc.
- Days Inn hotel has a pool (section off rooms to hold as many as needed)
- Old Fire Hall
- Old Sanctuary (holds 250)
- McCrory Garden Center (holds 200)
- 1429 Roadhouse
- 1481 Grille near Brookings (Arlington)
- OWLL (Oakwood Lakes Lodge) near Volga/Bruce (holds 150+)
- Whiskey Creek (holds 30)
- 9 Bar, downtown Brookings until 9 p.m. (then it opens to the public)
- Oakwood State Park (book a shelter or a tent of any size)
- Pheasant Restaurant & Lounge Side Room (holds 20+)
- Brookings Country Club (holds 150)
Pick one of these creative themes and Hitch Design Studio can design rehearsal dinner invitations and decorate for the event. Here are four favorite ideas for spring or summertime rehearsal dinners:
A BBQ Rehearsal Dinner
Ask a friend to BBQ for your dinner or cater a BBQ-inspired menu. In Brookings, we love the Backyard Grill Restaurant. You could host this event at your home or at a local Brookings park (Pioneer Park, Hillcrest Park). Decorating is a blast for a BBQ. We recommend going totally traditional with bandanas, a few mason jars, rustic tin pails and fresh flowers!
A Picnic Rehearsal Dinner
Imagine a picnic with old-fashioned menu items like salads, sandwiches, sliced ham and lemonade or tea. Doesn’t this sound like fun? Bring along the backyard games like bean bags, ladder golf and horseshoes. This can be a low-key, fun event that will help everyone in your wedding party meet. We’ll decorate with quilts, baskets, pretty platters of desserts and soft floral colors. Maybe a bonfire if you’re party is at a private residence.
For both of the above outdoor options, here is a Brookings park guideline:
Park shelters A, B, C and E at Hillcrest Park and the Park Shelter at Pioneer Park can be reserved for 1⁄2 day and full day rentals. (1⁄2 day rentals times are either 10:00 a.m. to 4:00pm or 5:00pm to 11:00pm. Full Day rentals are from 10:00am to 11:00pm.) All remaining park shelters are not reserved and are free for the community to use on a first come first use basis. To reserve a park shelter at Hillcrest or Pioneer Park please contact the Brookings Parks and Recreation Department, 520 3rd Street, Suite 130 or call (605) 692-2708 or see the recreation guide.
• Hillcrest Park Shelters A (112 capacity) and E (112 capacity) rent for $15 per half day or $25 per day.
• Hillcrest Park Shelters B (72 capacity) and C (56 capacity) rent for $10 per half day or $15 per day
• Pioneer Park Shelter (75 capacity) rent for $10 per half day or $15 per day
For more information about outdoor locations in Brookings, check out this blog!
A Pool Party or Lake House Rehearsal Dinner
Spend a hot afternoon by the water with your friends and family. The meals from the BBQ or picnic event above would both go well with this theme, too! Decorate with a “Lazy Days at the Lake” theme. Be sure to have plenty of rafts, floats and life jackets for everyone. Ask your guests to bring their swimsuits and towels. Plan enough time for people to get ready for the actual rehearsal at the church or venue, too!
Bowling Rehearsal Dinner
Brookings, Sioux Falls and Arlington all have bowling alleys. Why not rent a few lanes after your rehearsal dinner? This is the perfect way to introduce new friends and family who might not know each other well – there’s plenty of opportunity to be up and talking. There’s snacks, beer, family and fun. What’s not to love? Be sure to give out a few fun awards, like “most gutter balls” or “closest to 300”.
Wine or Beer Pairing Rehearsal Dinner
Why not visit the Schade winery or Calico Skies winery just outside of Brookings and Sioux Falls? Or the Wooden Legs Brewery downtown? Contact the venue in advance to make a tasting reservation. You could also invite a wine or beer expert to any venue to help teach you and your friends how to pair wines and food, like cheese, or an entire meal. Try to keep the program short, leaving plenty of time for visiting. Decorate with vintage beer bottles and flowers and vintage beer advertisements. For a wine tasting, let wine, cheese and pretty wine bottles provide your decorations. The food can be the centerpiece! Wooden Legs Brewery even has a side room that you can reserve just for events like these.
A Dessert Buffet Rehearsal Dinner
Host this type of event later in the evening, so your wedding party has time for a full meal prior. This is a good option if some of your guest will be arriving late in the day. Host this at a restaurant or in your own home. Offer sweet treats like cupcakes, chocolates, ice cream and candy. To balance the sweetness, consider adding a few salty items as well, like nuts or crackers.
Are you in need of a fun rehearsal dinner invite or decorations? Hitch Design Studio can design rehearsal dinner invitations and decorate for your event. Contact us today to set up a consultation, we would love to help you have a blast at your rehearsal dinner.