• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Blog
  • Value This Life
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
Value This Life

Value This Life

Helping you find more joy & beauty in everyday life

  • Be Happy
    • Help for a Good Attitude
    • Handling Stress
    • Perspective for Moms
    • Self-Care
      • Adrenal Fatigue
  • Manage Your Time & Life
    • How to Get Stuff Done
    • Manage Your Home
    • Paper & Digital Planning
  • Easy Family Recipes
    • Beverages
    • Cookies
    • Desserts
    • Main Dishes
    • Snacks
    • Candy/Goodies
  • Home & Family
    • Life @Our House
    • Family Celebrations
    • Homeschooling

Casual Italian Themed Rehearsal Dinner

italian-themed-rehearsal-dinner

Scrolling through photos on my phone, I came upon pictures from our son’s wedding two years ago. As mother of the groom, I was responsible for providing a rehearsal dinner. That was no easy feat when traveling 2,000 miles across the country from Oklahoma to Washington. The happy couple were outdoorsy types, so a formal dinner wouldn’t suit them. We found a casual pizzeria near the outdoor wedding site, and it ended up being the perfect setting for a casual, Italian-themed rehearsal dinner.

Preparations

The morning of the rehearsal, we made our way to the flower market in downtown Seattle:

market

Where we found bunches of inexpensive brilliant flowers:

market flowers

By early afternoon we braved Seattle traffic and made our way to the pizzeria in a neighboring town (Brooklyn Brothers Pizzeria in Everett, Washington):

restaurant

Earlier in the day we went to a Michael’s craft store and bought lightweight frames, black paper and chalk for signs:

eatdrink

ball light

After leaving the craft store, we went to a grocery store and purchased cans of tomato sauce, which were emptied and rinsed to create containers for the flowers:

flower can

can two

The Rehearsal

Then we headed to the wedding rehearsal at the bride’s grandparents’ beautiful farm with a view of Mt. Ranier in the distance. I cried when my son walked me down the aisle to the tune of Ashokan Farewell (the theme from the Ken Burns PBS Civil War series). I cried when the music changed to the theme from the Disney animated film Up. I pretty much cried through the whole happy thing:

rehearsal

After the rehearsal, guests received an invitation with directions to the location:

invitation

Rehearsal Dinner

And a good time was had by all! We pre-ordered pizzas and had an open tab on soft drinks:

people

The dessert cannoli’s were so huge we cut them in half and they were perfect!

cannoli

We ate, we drank, and the next day….they were married:

couple

Happy 2nd Anniversary, Ben and Melinda!

Hope you enjoyed this little walk down memory lane. Maybe there are some ideas you can use from our casual Italian-themed rehearsal dinner!

You Might Also Like:

  • Backyard Rehearsal DinnerBackyard Rehearsal Dinner
  • A Warning From My Scary Health EpisodeA Warning From My Scary Health Episode
  • Getting Ready for HouseguestsGetting Ready for Houseguests
  • Best Homemade Vanilla Ice CreamBest Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

About Charlotte

I'm a grateful wife & mom of 12 amazing persons. I love to inspire & teach busy women to find beauty in everyday life by caring for themselves, creating comfortable homes with their families and living out ordinary days with grace and gratitude. I'd love to encourage YOU!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jill M Riter says

    July 14, 2016 at 11:23 am

    Wonderful post, Charlotte! Delightful, creative-themed rehearsal dinner. “Happy Anniversary” to your son and daughter-in-law! Nice photos. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  2. Theresa Wagar says

    July 15, 2016 at 9:57 am

    Charlotte, I’m the mom of two boys and my husband comes from Seattle (we live in Virginia), I loved your ideas! Knowing how crazy the traffic is from downtown Seattle to Everett, I’m glad your flowers didn’t wilt! LOL. Looking forward to gaining some precious daughters-in-law in the years to come! Thank you for sharing!!

    Reply
  3. Kathy says

    August 27, 2016 at 7:41 pm

    Your ideas for the Italian-themed rehearsal dinner is exactly what I’ve been looking for. Thank you!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.

Primary Sidebar

Hello & Welcome!

I'm a grateful wife & mom of 12 amazing persons. I love to inspire & teach busy women to find beauty in everyday life by caring for themselves, creating comfortable homes with their families and living out ordinary days with grace and gratitude. I'd love to encourage YOU! Read More…

Looking for Something?

Looking For Your Tribe?

Find Me on Facebook

valuethislife

valuethislife
Have you ever procrastinated about doing something Have you ever procrastinated about doing something, with thoughts of dread and overwhelm?😬And then done the thing,  finding that it was easier and faster to get done than you thought it would be?🥴Yeah, me too. Note to self: The dreading and putting off costs a whole lot more emotional energy than just doing the thing. 😊
In our busy ordinary lives there is a tendency to In our busy ordinary lives there is a tendency to get by with the barebones of running the household—but we skip the joy, comfort and encouragement part.   We trade an artful arrangement of beautiful things on the coffee table for a stack of newspapers and mail. The TV takes the place of a board game. Irritation with our family flavors our speech.   Sometimes this happens so slowly that we barely notice it, and then one day we realize that our home life is out of sorts.  With that realization comes the choice to fix those little things. Tidy up the clutter, get the laundry caught up, read aloud to children, and set a pretty table for an ordinary supper.  Look around your home with fresh eyes to see if it needs a reset. Even 20 minutes of tidying can make an amazing difference.❤️
Unexpected October ice storm in Oklahoma. Power ha Unexpected October ice storm in Oklahoma. Power has been out for 2+ days, grateful for a generator and hot water. I figured out that complaining doesn’t make electricity come back on. 😊
Always wanted a “mother’s ring” with birthst Always wanted a “mother’s ring” with birthstones of our children but we never found a design with 12 stones. 💍 It was a forgotten wish until I received this bracelet as a sweet gift. I can rattle off their birthdates like a boss but sometimes the size of our family still surprises me. It grew one baby at a time and I grew along with them, like all mothers do. There’s no rewind button, and we can’t go back and have a do-over. But we can be grateful during EVERY season for what we have, and I am!❤️
“They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.” Not “they that complaineth much” or “they that talk about their issues all day long.” I’m guessing that “not waiting” means sucking the life out of strength instead of renewing it. But waiting can begin in this very moment. 
•
(pic from my kitchen window)😊
Sometimes it’s a struggle getting started on a t Sometimes it’s a struggle getting started on a task, but we all love how it feels when the task is done. Maybe it would help to think about how good the result will feel before we start!
Yeah, I had to run to the store to get eggs before Yeah, I had to run to the store to get eggs before 14yo could mix up cookie dough. 
👉🏻Note to self:
Don’t wait until it’s time to do a task to check whether you have what you need to do it. Realizing you’re short on supplies or information at the last minute costs time and causes stress! Knowing that you’re prepared eases the pain of getting started. Put “check for ingredients” on your to-do list!
How much life do we waste worrying and fretting an How much life do we waste worrying and fretting and dreading....when the thing we’re upset about IS GOING TO GET DONE?! It’s going to happen, it’s all going to work out, and we probably won’t even remember it by next week. Sometimes it helps to remember that!💕
We bought a house built in the 80’s and have bee We bought a house built in the 80’s and have been doing that fixer upper thing. Sorry for the blurry “before” but just think “black hole” and you’ll get the idea.😂 Amazing what paint and decor can do for a space. Sold the old mantel on FB Marketplace for $60 and bought the unfinished new one for $45. Found the print in my garage, lol. Mirror from Hobby Lobby. Sorta reminds me of my life pre-Jesus. Dark to light. Old to new. Same basic human, transformed with light and love.❤️
Follow on Instagram

More From the Blog

  • Yummy Coffee Slush Recipe
  • Perspective for Moms: The Last Time
  • How to Have a Good Day

Looking For Something?

valuethislife

valuethislife
Have you ever procrastinated about doing something Have you ever procrastinated about doing something, with thoughts of dread and overwhelm?😬And then done the thing,  finding that it was easier and faster to get done than you thought it would be?🥴Yeah, me too. Note to self: The dreading and putting off costs a whole lot more emotional energy than just doing the thing. 😊
In our busy ordinary lives there is a tendency to In our busy ordinary lives there is a tendency to get by with the barebones of running the household—but we skip the joy, comfort and encouragement part.   We trade an artful arrangement of beautiful things on the coffee table for a stack of newspapers and mail. The TV takes the place of a board game. Irritation with our family flavors our speech.   Sometimes this happens so slowly that we barely notice it, and then one day we realize that our home life is out of sorts.  With that realization comes the choice to fix those little things. Tidy up the clutter, get the laundry caught up, read aloud to children, and set a pretty table for an ordinary supper.  Look around your home with fresh eyes to see if it needs a reset. Even 20 minutes of tidying can make an amazing difference.❤️
Unexpected October ice storm in Oklahoma. Power ha Unexpected October ice storm in Oklahoma. Power has been out for 2+ days, grateful for a generator and hot water. I figured out that complaining doesn’t make electricity come back on. 😊
Always wanted a “mother’s ring” with birthst Always wanted a “mother’s ring” with birthstones of our children but we never found a design with 12 stones. 💍 It was a forgotten wish until I received this bracelet as a sweet gift. I can rattle off their birthdates like a boss but sometimes the size of our family still surprises me. It grew one baby at a time and I grew along with them, like all mothers do. There’s no rewind button, and we can’t go back and have a do-over. But we can be grateful during EVERY season for what we have, and I am!❤️
“They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.” Not “they that complaineth much” or “they that talk about their issues all day long.” I’m guessing that “not waiting” means sucking the life out of strength instead of renewing it. But waiting can begin in this very moment. 
•
(pic from my kitchen window)😊
Sometimes it’s a struggle getting started on a t Sometimes it’s a struggle getting started on a task, but we all love how it feels when the task is done. Maybe it would help to think about how good the result will feel before we start!
Yeah, I had to run to the store to get eggs before Yeah, I had to run to the store to get eggs before 14yo could mix up cookie dough. 
👉🏻Note to self:
Don’t wait until it’s time to do a task to check whether you have what you need to do it. Realizing you’re short on supplies or information at the last minute costs time and causes stress! Knowing that you’re prepared eases the pain of getting started. Put “check for ingredients” on your to-do list!
How much life do we waste worrying and fretting an How much life do we waste worrying and fretting and dreading....when the thing we’re upset about IS GOING TO GET DONE?! It’s going to happen, it’s all going to work out, and we probably won’t even remember it by next week. Sometimes it helps to remember that!💕
We bought a house built in the 80’s and have bee We bought a house built in the 80’s and have been doing that fixer upper thing. Sorry for the blurry “before” but just think “black hole” and you’ll get the idea.😂 Amazing what paint and decor can do for a space. Sold the old mantel on FB Marketplace for $60 and bought the unfinished new one for $45. Found the print in my garage, lol. Mirror from Hobby Lobby. Sorta reminds me of my life pre-Jesus. Dark to light. Old to new. Same basic human, transformed with light and love.❤️
Follow on Instagram
Value This Life
Value This Life | Charlotte Siems © 2021