Weddings · Welcome dinner
Rehearsal and welcome dinner, with a private chef
The night before the wedding, guests arrive from different cities and countries, and many barely know each other. The rehearsal or welcome dinner is the moment the two families sit at the same table for the first time.
We cook it in the villa where you are staying, with a menu more relaxed than the next day's but cared for in the same way.
More relaxed than the wedding day
A welcome dinner has a different tone: long tables, sharing plates, a grill lit in the garden, pizza from the wood oven if the villa has one. It is the evening for talking, toasting and letting go of the stress of the preparations.
We build the menu so it does not overlap with the wedding's: if fish is on the next day, the night before we lean on Tuscany's land, and the other way round.
From rehearsal dinner to next-day brunch
Often the welcome dinner is only the beginning. We can also cater the light lunch on the wedding day for those getting ready, the next-day brunch and the private dinners of the week, with one direction and one quote.
The team speaks six languages, so foreign guests can ask the cook directly what is on the plate.
A sample welcome dinner
Every dinner is tailored: this is just a convivial example.
- Aperitivo: Tuscan crostini, cured meats and pecorino, sparkling wine
- To share: grilled vegetables, panzanella or ribollita by season
- First course: pici with ragu or fresh pasta to share
- From the grill: sliced beef or fish of the day
- Dessert: cantucci and vin santo, homemade gelato
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a rehearsal dinner and a welcome dinner?
In the Anglo-American tradition the rehearsal dinner follows the ceremony rehearsal and is for family and wedding party; the welcome dinner is wider and hosts all guests. We can organise both.
For how many guests?
From a dinner for the two families to tables with most of the wedding guests, with dedicated floor staff.
Can you cook in the same villa as the wedding?
Yes. We coordinate with the venue and the other suppliers so we don't get in the way of the next day's set-up.
Do you also cater the brunch after the wedding?
Yes, with a light menu and relaxed timing, in the same place or another villa.
How much does it cost?
It depends on guests, menu and service. We send you a clear quote before confirming.
Plan your welcome dinner
Tell us the date, the villa and the guests: we build the evening together.
Request a quote