The short answer
A rehearsal dinner costs what its contract adds up to: the menu price per person times the guest count, the bar, any room fee or unmet food and beverage minimum, plus the service charge and tax. There is no single figure to rely on, so confirm each line, the guest count deadline, the deposit and cancellation terms, and who signs and pays before you sign.
What should a rehearsal dinner contract include?
A restaurant or venue may call the document an event order, a banquet event order or a private dining agreement. Whatever the name, it should state the room by name, the date, the start and end of your time in the room, the expected guest count and the menu with a price per person or per item. If the document describes the room as semi-private, ask what separates it from other diners and how much noise carries.
Then read the money lines: a food and beverage minimum or a flat room fee, the service charge and what it applies to, tax, the deposit, when the balance is due and how the final bill is settled on the night. Ask whether the price is locked or can change before the date.
- Room name, date and time block
- Menu and price per person
- Minimum spend or room fee
- Service charge, its base, and tax
- Guest count deadline
- Bar billing method
- Deposit, balance and cancellation terms
- Name of the signer and payer
How much is a rehearsal dinner for 30 people? A worked example
A rehearsal dinner for 30 people has no set price; the menu, the bar and any minimum decide it. A minimum is the amount you agree to spend on food and beverage to use the room. For example, a hypothetical contract sets a $3,000 minimum before tax and service charge. Thirty guests at $68 each is 30 x $68 = $2,040, and the bar on consumption comes to $600, for $2,640. The shortfall is $3,000 - $2,640 = $360, which the contract may bill as a room fee or as "unmet minimum".
Then check what the service charge applies to. At a hypothetical 20%, applied to the full $3,000 minimum it is $600; applied only to the $2,640 actually ordered it is $528, a difference of $72. Add tax on top, at whatever rate the contract states for your location. The food and beverage minimum guide covers what counts toward a minimum in more depth.
How is the bar charged at a rehearsal dinner?
The contract may bill drinks on consumption (by the drink or bottle opened), as a per-person package for a set number of hours, or by a host tab with a cap. Each counts toward the minimum differently, so ask. With a capped tab, ask what happens when the cap is reached: whether the bar switches to guests paying, and who the staff will ask before extending it.
Name one person who may approve more drinks or a later last call, and tell the restaurant their name in writing. Check whether wine you bring is allowed and whether a corkage fee applies per bottle.
Who signs the rehearsal dinner contract when someone else is hosting?
The person who signs the contract is the one the restaurant holds responsible for the minimum, the final bill and any damage. If a parent or relative is hosting, decide together who signs and whose card is on file, and make sure that person has read the minimum and cancellation terms.
Ask whether the deposit and the final bill can go on different cards, whether the restaurant can split the bill between hosts, and to whom any refund would be issued. Keep one copy of the signed contract with each host so the details are not held by only one person.
How long is a rehearsal dinner, and what do toasts and desserts add?
How long a rehearsal dinner lasts is set by the time block in the contract, so check it and any charge for staying past it. The dinner starts after the rehearsal ends, so leave time for travel between the two, and tell the restaurant if the start could slip. Ask whether a microphone or speaker is available for toasts, and whether a screen can be used for a slideshow.
Read the decor rules, including candles, confetti and anything taped to walls. If you plan to bring a cake or dessert, look for a cake-cutting or plating fee per guest. For flowers or favors delivered ahead, ask who will receive them and where they will be stored.
Rehearsal dinner contract review
Use one row for a decision or deliverable. Keep unanswered items visible. Download the blank worksheet to open in Excel, Numbers or Google Sheets.
On a small screen, swipe the worksheet sideways to see the remaining columns.
| Term | What the contract says | Amount or date | Question to ask |
|---|---|---|---|
| Room and time block | — | — | — |
| Minimum spend or room fee | — | — | — |
| Menu and price per person | — | — | — |
| Bar billing and any cap | — | — | — |
| Service charge and tax | — | — | — |
| Final count due | — | — | — |
| Deposit and balance | — | — | — |
| Cancellation terms | — | — | — |
| Signer and card on file | — | — | — |
A message you can make your own
Change the wording to suit you, fill in anything in brackets and keep the questions that apply. You decide what to send and send it yourself.
Thank you for sending the rehearsal dinner proposal. Before we sign, could you confirm a few details in writing? If our food and beverage total falls below the minimum, how is the difference charged, and does the service charge apply to it? When is the final guest count due, and are we charged for that count if fewer guests attend? How will the bar be billed, and what happens if a tab cap is reached? Finally, could you confirm the end of our time in the room and any charge for staying later?
Common questions
Who pays for the wedding rehearsal dinner?
Who pays for the wedding rehearsal dinner is something families decide in different ways, and no rule settles it. For the contract, what matters is who signs and whose card is on file, because that person is responsible for the minimum and the final bill. Agree on it, and on any split between hosts, before signing.
Does the rehearsal dinner have to be at the wedding venue?
A rehearsal dinner does not have to be at the wedding venue; it can be at a restaurant, a private room, a home or elsewhere. If it is at the wedding venue, check whether it is a separate contract with its own minimum. If it is elsewhere, allow travel time from the rehearsal site and share the address with guests.
Does the rehearsal dinner minimum include tax and service charge?
A rehearsal dinner minimum may or may not include tax and service charge, so check the wording. A minimum stated before tax and service charge means the bill can be well above the minimum itself. Ask the restaurant to confirm in writing what counts toward the minimum and what is added after it.
Do rehearsal dinners include plus-ones?
Whether a rehearsal dinner includes plus-ones is your choice as hosts, not a contract term. The contract comes in afterward: each added guest raises the per-person food cost and may change the room you need. Decide the list before you send the final count, and check the room capacity on the event order.
Can you invite more people after sending the final count?
Inviting more people after sending the final count depends on the restaurant. It may accept additions up to the room capacity at the same price, charge a different rate, or decline because it lacks food or seats. Ask before you invite, and get any change confirmed in writing so the final bill matches.
Do you need a contract for a rehearsal dinner at a restaurant?
A contract for a rehearsal dinner at a restaurant is worth asking for whenever the restaurant reserves a room, holds a menu or takes a deposit. The document may be called an event order or private dining agreement. It is what you check the final bill against on the night, so keep a copy with the host who pays.
When should you book the rehearsal dinner?
The rehearsal dinner can be booked once the rehearsal time and place are set with the ceremony venue and officiant, since the dinner follows them. Work back from the date the invitations or messages go out. Ask the restaurant how far ahead it takes private bookings and when its menu and count deadlines fall.
Can you leave the restaurant tip off if there is a service charge?
Leaving the tip off when a restaurant adds a service charge is your decision, and the answer depends on what the charge covers. Ask the restaurant whether any of it is paid to the staff who serve you. The service charge vs gratuity guide explains the difference between the two.