Short answer
Florida destination weddings usually nail Saturday and improvise Friday. The welcome or rehearsal dinner often lands at 25-60 people, which is too large for most restaurants to seat casually and too small to justify a second full venue contract. Groups renting a large house or villa for the wedding party frequently do it on site — a chef or two cooking at the house costs a fraction of a venue minimum and sets a much more relaxed tone than a second formal dinner.
Why Friday gets improvised
Wedding planning attention is finite and it all goes to Saturday. The venue, the catering, the flowers, the photographer, the timeline — all Saturday.
Friday shows up on the list about six weeks out, when someone realizes that 40 out-of-town guests are arriving the day before and will need to eat.
By then the restaurants near the venue that can seat 40 are booked, and the venue itself wants a second contract with a second food-and-beverage minimum to use the space on Friday.
The size problem
Welcome dinners sit in an awkward band. Twenty-five to sixty people is too many for a restaurant to absorb casually, and not enough to justify a full second venue buyout.
What that means practically: you either pay venue pricing for a casual meal, split everyone across multiple restaurants, or do it where the wedding party is already staying.
The third option is what most Florida couples land on, because destination weddings almost always involve a large rental — a beach house, a villa, or a block of units with a shared deck.
Second venue contract
Simplest to arrange, most expensive. Expect a food-and-beverage minimum and formal service you did not need on Friday.
Restaurant buyout
Works at the right place. Requires booking months out and usually a minimum spend.
At the rental, catered trays
Cheapest. Someone in the wedding party ends up running the buffet, which is not what you want the day before.
At the rental, chefs on site
Cooking becomes the entertainment. No formal service, no seating chart, and it sets a relaxed tone before the formal day.
Why hibachi works for a welcome dinner specifically
The tonal problem with a welcome dinner is that it should not feel like a second wedding. Guests do not want two formal seated dinners in two days, and neither do you.
A chef cooking in front of the group solves that. It is inherently informal, people stand and move around, and there is no seating chart or toast schedule. It is the opposite of Saturday, which is exactly what Friday should be.
It also handles the mixing problem. Welcome dinners are where the two families meet, and a shared spectacle gives people something to react to instead of standing in family clusters making small talk.
For 40 or more guests we run multiple chefs and griddles so the serve window stays tight.
Practical planning
Headcount and staffing. Above roughly 25 guests we run two chefs, and above about 50 we run three. Give us the real number early — welcome dinner headcounts drift upward as the date approaches, so build in some margin.
Timing. Rehearsal first, dinner after. A 7pm serve time works for most rehearsal schedules. Cooking runs about 90 minutes per station.
Space. About 10 by 10 feet of flat outdoor space per station, with overhead clearance. A large pool deck, lawn, or driveway handles multiple stations easily.
Rain plan. Florida in summer means afternoon storms. Covered lanais, garages, and tented areas all work. Confirm the backup spot when you book rather than the morning of.
What it costs versus a venue
Welcome dinner for 40 people: 1,400 dollars buffet style, 2,000 for two proteins, 2,400 for three. That includes chefs, all food, plates, utensils, and cleanup.
A venue-catered Friday dinner for 40 in most Florida wedding markets starts around 75-125 dollars per person plus service charge, so 3,500 to 6,000 dollars before bar.
The gap is usually large enough to fund a meaningful upgrade on Saturday, which is where the money should be going anyway.
Common questions
Can you cater a welcome dinner for 40 or 60 people?
Yes. Above roughly 25 guests we run two chefs and griddles, and above about 50 we run three, so the serve window stays tight and everyone eats together. Give us the real headcount early.
What does a welcome dinner for 40 cost?
1,400 dollars buffet style, 2,000 for two proteins, or 2,400 for three proteins, all inclusive. Venue-catered Friday dinners in Florida typically start at 75-125 per person plus service charge.
Is this suitable as a rehearsal dinner?
It works well for a relaxed rehearsal dinner or welcome dinner. It is deliberately informal — no seating chart, people move around — which is usually the right tone the night before a formal wedding day.
What is the rain plan?
Covered lanais, open garages, and tented areas all work. We confirm a backup location when you book rather than deciding the morning of. Severe weather means we reschedule at no charge.
How far ahead should a wedding weekend book?
Six to eight weeks minimum, and earlier for peak wedding season in spring and fall. Book it when you book the rental for the wedding party.
Written by Chef Kenji, head teppanyaki chef at Fork Yeah Hibachi — 2026-08-15