Tahoe Bound - A Festive Backyard Rehearsal Dinner

Our rehearsal dinner was just as special as our wedding day for so many reasons. It was so exciting and emotional to see our closest family and friends in one place. We wanted the night before our wedding to feel casual and relaxed, so we chose to host everyone in the backyard of our Airbnb, a trendy mountain home that backs up to acres of forest. Brett’s family cooked all of our favorite taco fixings and colorful papel picado banners hung from the trees.

Two of the BEST decisions we made were hiring a photographer (shout out to Kay Kroshus) and someone to sling delicious cocktails.

Hiring a photographer for your rehearsal dinner may seem like overkill, but I love how Kay snapped candids of our friends and family, capture a quick sunset session of just the two of us, and even documented the moment where a giant bear decided to join the party! We chose to give our thank you speech at the rehearsal instead of the wedding, and having that emotion caught on camera is special to us.

But about those cocktails — if you’re getting married in Tahoe and want one of the coolest bartending experiences, you have got to check out Petite Street. Not only did they made the tastiest drinks for our rehearsal dinner, they made friends with just about all of our guests. We’d recommend them again and again to all our Tahoe couples!

Here are my essential tips for anyone planning their rehearsal dinner:

Keep it casual. A backyard BBQ for us meant no assigned seating and lots of mingling! We got to talk to every single guest, introduce friends to each other, play yard games, and allow our families to contribute by cooking an incredible meal!
Hire a photographer. Even if it’s an amateur! Sometimes your wedding photographer will offer a rehearsal dinner add-on. Definitely ask!
Focus on what’s important. For us, this was good drinks, fresh air, and lots of time to socialize. For you, it may be great food, beautiful floral arrangements, or a pajama party! Try not to end up planning a second wedding day by doing it all. Of course, if it’s all important to you then you go girl! Hire a band, get some uplighting and a tower of cupcakes!! The sky is the limit and it is your time to celebrate.

Thank you to everyone who made this incredible day possible.