Dear Queenie,
My son is getting married to a girl from a wealthy family and they expect us to pay for the rehearsal dinner for the wedding party, their spouses and the guests from other places. It will cost a lost more than we can afford.
Queenie, is this right?—Father of the groom
Dear Father,
While it is traditional for the groom’s parents to pay for the rehearsal dinner – for the members of the wedding party, their spouses or partners, close relatives, the clergyperson and spouse, and maybe a few other special guests – out-of-town guests are not usually included. And nowadays it is not necessarily the groom’s family that hosts and pays for it.
The out-of-towners should be given a list of restaurants where they can fend for themselves.
If money is a problem, tell the bride’s family how much you can afford and ask them to keep within that budget or pay the difference themselves.
And remember, these days, with all the travel restrictions, and with all the local restrictions on social events, there probably will not be as many guests – local and/or out-of-town – as you might otherwise expect.
