In years past I have had quite a few big out door parties. My back yard alone is about 1/2 an acre....and ringed with bushes and trees and gardens. The best solution I found was something called "skeeter beater"...granular stuff you sprinkle around a few hours before the party. It worked fairly in combo with yard guard....but every flower it got on became discolored in a day or 2...some leaves too...spotted. New growth and flowers covered it up but.... If I were doing sometning like that now, I would start now being vigilant about any water. I would have a dunk in every birdbath and pool and ask my neighbors to do the same. And I would start soon with spraying every few days to reduce the population. I know...I hate to put that much poision into the air but.... Then the day of....I would do lots of Yard guard....fans aw far as I could string them. Not blowing from the shrubbery into the crowd but from the crowd to the shrubs. and I would have a table with every type of repellant I could think of. No citronella candles...gag! I don't know what your time frame is, but skeeters become most active at dusk, It won't be too bad before that time and once it gets good and dark they sort of go to sleep. So perhaps a second run around the perimeter of the yard about 7:00 would further knock them back. Good luck....sounds lovely! Linda C

monablair, I know that you know how to word invitations, so I suspect that there is more to your question than that -- especially because we know a bit of the story behind this dinner! I think the question you need to answer first is whether you want to highlight or obscure that they are hosting. If the issue is that they aren't paying 100% or something, I think you can ignore that -- it's none of the invitees' business. (Whether the other people paying care is an entirely separate issue!) If you want to sort of obscure the fact that the groom's parents are hosting, the invitation could be something like this: Rehearsal dinner Date time place RSVP info [which might give a clue, if you include a name or an e-mail address] But if you want to show that they are hosting, you could either do it as lindac suggested, or, if you want it informal, something like this: Please join us for dinner [or "cocktails and dinner," or whatever] date time [or "immediately following the rehearsal," if appropriate] place - Mary and John Groomsparents RSVP

I think a restaurant is a good idea for this size group, though, especially if you can rent a separate room (or the whole place). It makes it even more different from the wedding reception. And I agree that using a restaurant means that the decorations are already in place; you can add simple centerpieces if you wish, but you don't have to decorate the room. Maybe you can find one that specializes in the local cuisine or music, or is in a fun district.

Sweeby, I hate "dressy casual"! To me, that translates to, "Casual, but we don't trust you not to show up in ripped jeans and a filthy T-shirt." sweet pea says that that is indeed what some people do. Well, maybe so -- but (especially given that those people probably would dress that way no matter WHAT you put on the invitation) I wouldn't insult the other guests by indicating that assumption. Personally, I don't think I'd write anything other than "black tie," "dressy," or "casual," on an invitation, and and I really hate "original" things like "festive casual" or "celebratory attire" -- they are just plain confusing, and they sound like the hosts are trying too hard. We recently went to a wedding the invitation to which said, "No neckties!" I know the couple wanted it casual, and they probably thought the wording was cute, but I felt that was just plain bossy and controlling. Some of the older male guests (including the groom's father) feel very uncomfortable NOT wearing a tie to even a casual event (not a picnic or softball game, but you know what I mean). They could just have written "casual" and everyone would have dressed appropriately, and if some men wore ties, so what? Beats antagonizing your guests before the wedding even starts. You can dress your bridal party to match (and, ironically, they DIDN'T), but not your guests! In fact, I am more and more not writing anything at all. The style of the invitation and the time, type, and location of the event really give anyone who cares all the information they need. Suppose you got an invitation with paper and font that are pretty but dignified, a (readable) script font, and fairly formal wording: Please join us for Rehearsal dinner Saturday, June 31 7:30 pm La Palma Ristorante / at our home 123 Main Street AnyTown Muriel and Waldo Quilter RSVP: (000) 555-1212 or this one, on day-glo paper with a border of balloons and a goofy font: WOW!!! With just 24 hours to go, let's pull out all the stops and have a bash in honor of Petunia and Cuthbert! Clambake -n- kegger Saturday, June 31 Party Beach 7:30 p.m.-??? Wouldn't you know how to dress for each of these parties, without being given a dress code? For your party, quilter, I would either write nothing regarding dress, or, if you feel that it is still ambiguous (like if it's at a home), then I would write "casual." If the invitation is anything but ultra-casual, people will know to dress decently. No one is going to wear dressy party clothes. If someone wears nice jeans and a nice top, and someone else is in a suit, it isn't a disaster -- after all, you might very well see both at a good restaurant. The guests don't have to match each other exactly, and you don't want to risk casting a pall on your party by appearing overly controlling of the guests' clothes.