The rehearsal and dinner kicks off the wedding events. Often it’s the first time we encounter the family of our adult “child’s” significant other, especially when they meet at college. Some already have a relationship with the other’s family (which may or may not be a good thing). In our case, we had not had the pleasure of meeting our soon to be son’s family until the rehearsal.
Venue
A Christmas time wedding in Estes Park is full of surprises, the main one being the weather. It is virtually impossible to anticipate, especially enough in advance to book rehearsal dinner reservations. Alas, my goal was to find a few options for the groom’s mother to choose from close to the church as well as the hotel. I started my search during my first meeting with the wedding planner from the Stanley and decided to have lunch at one of the potential restaurants — Mama Rose’s, a local Italian restaurant close to both the church and hotel. The pasta was homemade and delicious, the menu looked great, and their prices were very reasonable.
The Call
My initial contact with my future son’s mother was with a phone call. She had already started checking out restaurants online, and was disappointed with what she found both in expense and ultimately location. We had a delightful conversation where I shared what I found, and then forwarded her the relevant information. She took it from there, and chose Mama Rose’s.
The Rehearsal Dinner
The groom’s parents arranged the perfect rehearsal dinner with great food and drink where we had the opportunity to sit together and get acquainted. Getting to Estes Park was a whirlwind, especially for those flying in from around the country. In light of the extensive travel, the groom’s parents not only invited the bridal party to the rehearsal dinner, but also those relatives who came from afar (just about the entire guest list). It was a great time of fun and creating new relationships!
What was your favorite rehearsal dinner experience?
(c) 2018, Karen Van Den Heuvel
