Monday, October 26, 2009

A Little Help for the Rehearsal Dinner

Today's bride takes much of the responsibility on herself when planning her dream day; choosing a groom, a ring, a dress, a photographer, attendants...and the list goes on. And although traditionally the groom's responsibility, choosing a venue for the rehearsal dinner may require the bride's planning and input as well.

Endless Web searches and flipping through thumbnail-sized photos in directories may not do rehearsal dinner locales justice, and an in-person evaluation is usually in order. A great way to visit a ton of possible venues and contribute to a good cause is to participate in the latest craze social dining, a local "Grub Crawl," which is a walking tour of participating restaurants where you receive small plates, or tastes of specialty menu items, desserts, and wine or spirits. I recently attended "The Big Nosh" in Sacramento's midtown, benefiting Jewish Family Services and several community partners. My husband and I visited 25 different Sacramento area eateries and munched on tasty fare for an entire afternoon. Crawls take you on a culinary tour of some of the best eateries in town, and normally last 3-5 hours.

For brides and grooms, the variation of casual to fine dining accommodates any rehearsal dinner budget, and you're able to try a variety of different foods. The best thing about joining one of these tours is, of course, the food, but also being able to see numerous venues in one day. And brides, don't fret about eating at every stop and still fitting into your wedding gown, all of the walking between locations balances out the calories...I hope! It's also a great activity to do as a couple. So much of planning falls on the bride's already-burdened shoulders, these Grub Crawls gives you as a couple the opportunity to spend a day together and share some wedding planning responsibilities. So, spend an afternoon with your love, eating and drinking, contribute to a worthy cause and mark some items off of your wedding planning checklist!

For information on local crawls, visit crawltix.com or grubcrawlusa.com.

Blog post by Jenn Talley, Managing Editor