Rehearsal dinner vs welcome party

We had a rehearsal dinner at an Italian restaurant. Guests could order whatever they wanted from the menu. It was a really nice way for our families and wedding party to come together at one time and to discuss the next day. We had a "meet and greet" in the hotel breakfast area after dinner. We had some snacks and wine, which was perfect. People had just gotten in and we were more concerned about saying hi to each other and catching up than with drinking. Meet and greets or welcome parties aren't common in our circle, but a lot of people showed up and it was fun.

We're having a DW in Puerto Rico so we're doing the welcome party separate from the rehearsal dinner. We figured a welcome party would be nice since people are traveling so far. Haven't gotten all the details down yet, though.

We didn’t do a rehearsal at our destination wedding, so we just did a welcome dinner instead. We had it at restaurant that was known for local cuisine, but we were in the courtyard, so it was more casual. All guest were invited and could just order off the regular menu (instead of having a set, limited menu), and could order alcoholic beverages from our waitresses. The restaurant was informed prior to just bill me for everything. We then treated everyone to a haunted walking tour through the streets of New Orleans. It was a great way for everyone to meet and mingle since we had people from 4 different states and 1 other country present. It ended up being one of my favorite parts of the weekend!

Most of our guests are from out of state, so we are having a combined welcome party/rehearsal dinner. The rehearsal will be early in afternoon so the bridal party and all involved will have time to check into hotels/relax and then we rented a room at a brewery with a bartender/heavy appetizers and ample space. We opened it to everyone so those who want to come stay for the night can, and those who just want to pop in and say hello are welcome to do that too!

We don’t have many out of town guests, and most of them are in the wedding party, so we’re just doing one.