Your rehearsal dinner allows you the time to relax, spend time with guests and start your wedding festivities with delight.

The rehearsal dinner kicks off the traditional wedding events. While the actual rehearsal event itself remains a staple of any wedding celebration, the details continue to evolve with the times, allowing couples to customize the night before their wedding to suit their personal style.

Traditionally, the groom’s parents host the rehearsal dinner at a location of their choosing, but these days anything goes and often his parents will defer to the two of you for preferences on where to go the night before your wedding. You and your groom may decide to host the dinner yourselves, or your parents may team up with his parents to host the event ­jointly, as a celebration of your union.

Like your wedding ceremony, your rehearsal dinner should be unique to you, your fiance and your families. The rehearsal dinner is often the only way the groom’s family can entertain and host an event in honor of the couple, especially if they live out of town. Brides and grooms frequently collaborate with the groom’s family by assisting them in selecting the venue and facilitating some of the details, but then allowing them to take it from there and direct the sequence of events.

The rehearsal dinner provides an ideal opportunity for the two of you to bring together your extended families and friends in an intimate setting, not only availing an appropriate time for you to thank them, but giving them an opportunity to show their support and love through toasts to you, which the mood of the next day’s reception may not allow.

The inherently casual, more laidback atmosphere associated with a rehearsal dinner allows a little more freedom to be playful with your themes and selections. You may choose to have a formal rehearsal dinner at a banquet hall or at one of the area’s finer restaurants. Other popular options are to hold these dinners at a friend’s home or at a local nightclub. Often the rehearsal dinner turns into a party and selecting an informal gathering place may allow you to more comfortably mingle with your guests and spend some quality time with them before the whirlwind of festivities begins the next day. Also, having your rehearsal dinner on a Thursday evening is becoming more popular to avoid being tired the day of your wedding.

Modern couples find use for themes at rehearsal dinners. Consider incorporating your honeymoon into the dinner. For instance, if you are traveling to Hawaii, have a luau instead of a traditional dinner. Welcome guest with leis, serve mai tais and hire a band to play Jimmy Buffet tunes. Consider throwing a Mexican fiesta, serve a tex-mex menu, rent a margarita machine and allow the night to turn into a party. Or throw an Ohio-themed rehearsal dinner catered by a popular local chef. Serve Ohio beers and wine and complete the evening with entertainment showcasing your favorite local musicians.

Regardless of the rehearsal dinner style, make sure to welcome your guests and provide your families with the opportunity to do the same. If you have a sit-down dinner, situate your families beside you and seat your guests so that they feel comfortable, and so you can mingle with all of them.

The tradition that calls for rehearsal dinner invitations has not altered mostly due to the fact that you need a head count in order to reserve space at a restaurant or to plan the food you will serve at a friend’s home. In addition to this, you will find that most guests will only come if invited because they would not want to intrude on what is typically an intimate gathering.

This intimacy is evolving though, due to the fact that a large number of guests come from out-of-town. Your rehearsal dinner may include your wedding party only or you may decide you want to spend as much time as possible with those who have traveled the farthest and include the out-of-town guests as well. Another option is to keep the dinner party small, but invite guests to join you afterwards.

Keep in mind that you should not feel obligated to invite everyone. Budget constraints and space limitations will often interfere with plans to invite every person on your guest list. Consider catering, staffing and decoration expenses before you create the list.

Another reason to narrow the guest list to honored wedding attendants is that this dinner affords an ideal chance for brides and grooms to give their own toasts and present their families and wedding party with gifts of appreciation and love.

Your rehearsal dinner will build the excitement of the wedding celebration, providing the guests with two nights to enjoy each other’s com­pany. Rehearsal dinners reunite old friends, as well as allow introductions between your friends and family members who have never met.

This wonderful occasion also gives you and your husband-to-be time to take a breath and enjoy the results of the months of planning and delight in and appreciate all that encompasses a wedding celebration – friends, family, tradition and love.