A rehearsal dinner is a pre-wedding

Wedding

A wedding is the ceremony in which two people are united in marriage or a similar institution. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes...

 ceremony in North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

n tradition, usually held after the wedding rehearsal and the night before the wedding ceremony.

The guests generally include the couple to be married and others who form the wedding party, but may also include extended family and out-of-town guests. The rehearsal dinner costs are traditionally incurred by the parents of the groom. However, modern traditions allow for either the parents of the bride or the parents of the groom to incur these costs.

The purpose of the rehearsal dinner is for the relatives and friends of the bride and groom to meet and have a good time. The couple generally takes this opportunity to thank everyone who has put work into helping them with the wedding preparations. Activities generally include toasting (or roasting

Roast (comedy)

A roast is an event in which an individual is subjected to a public presentation of comedic insults, praise, outlandish true and untrue stories, and heartwarming tributes, the implication being that the roastee is able to take the jokes in good humor and not as serious criticism or insult, and...

) and the presentation of small gifts for those who have helped plan the wedding.