The rehearsal dinner is a wonderful opportunity for the family of the bride and groom to come together the day before the wedding. A relaxed atmosphere is often best, as it allows everyone a chance to mix and mingle before the big day. Take a look at these great ideas for casual chic rehearsal dinners.

Informal does not have to mean unstylish. A party can be casual, but still have style and a hint of elegance. That is the perfect blend for a rehearsal dinner. The venue can be almost anything, including a scenic park, private room in a restaurant, or even the beach. What will give your relaxed dinner style is the details: great food, pretty decorations, and of course a great looking outfit for the bride-to-be.

Flowers make nice rehearsal dinner decorations, but they do not need to be as extravagant as what you might choose for the wedding reception itself. Some people might, but there is truly no need to plan a rehearsal dinner which costs almost as much as the wedding. Choose beautiful seasonal blossoms, and then display them simply in a way that allows the inherent grace of the flowers to shine. For a spring rehearsal dinner, a really cute decoration would be small white ceramic flower pots with handpainted polka dots in lime, pink, yellow, and lilac. Any combination of the colors would work, or select one favorite to use throughout the room. Fill the diminutive pots with flowering bulbs like mini daffodils or hyacinth. Very sweet, but not too formal, perfect for a casual chic rehearsal dinner.

In the summertime, decoration options abound. For a rehearsal dinner at the beach, why not skip flowers and place hurricane lanterns in piles of sand with a few shells on each table? As a bonus, the same hurricanes can do double duty as vases for floral displays at the wedding the next day. Another idea is to place a bunch of freshly snipped flowers in a casual vessel, such as peonies in a pitcher or hydrangeas in a galvanized tin pail. The elegant flowers and the informal vases will help to create the desired atmosphere of relaxed elegance. Serve great food, like a crab or lobster boil on the beach, along with fresh ears of corn. The food is not fancy, but it is festive, which is ideal. Another idea is to place a bunch of freshly snipped flowers in a casual vessel, such as peonies in a pitcher or hydrangeas in a galvanized tin pail. The elegant flowers and the informal vases will help to create the desired atmosphere of relaxed elegance. Don't forget the lobster bibs!

In the autumn, create a casual chic rehearsal dinner with colorful mums in wicker baskets. Hearty comfort foods prepared well will be crowd favorites. Things like homemade mac-n-cheese and apple pie would be big hits for the dinner menu. In the winter months, create a casual chic party with white branches instead of flowers for the table decorations. Hot cocoa with fresh marshmallows would be a terrific after dinner drink to serve.

Finally, always remember that the bride and groom set the tone for the rehearsal dinner. The bride should definitely wear a cute dress, even if the location is very casual. A white knee length sundress with a simple pair of pearl earrings would be lovely for a warm weather party. In the cooler months, if a dress felt like too much, the bride could choose to wear a beautiful cashmere sweater with a pencil skirt and stylish boots, along with her pearl earrings and a few charm bracelets. As for the groom, he can skip the tie if he wants, but it would look nice to wear a jacket for at least the beginning of the party. With the bride and groom looking so stylish, it will surely be a casual chic rehearsal dinner to remember!