FablePrivate Dining Studio
    A long table set with candles and plated courses for a rehearsal dinner

    Rehearsal dinners · Nashville & Middle Tennessee

    The night before, done properly.

    Both families in one room, a menu that means something, courses paced around the toasts, and nobody from the wedding party in the kitchen. I cook it on site and clean it down before the night ends.

    Check My Date Plan a Custom Event

    Seated & plated

    Up to 30 guests · $100 – $185 per guest, all-in

    Larger dinners

    31 – 250 guests via Event Catering, from $42 per guest

    Timing

    Service run to your toast schedule

    Lead time

    2 – 6 months for wedding weekends

    Two formats, depending on the headcount

    Up to 30 guests — plated private dining. A seated, coursed dinner cooked in the home, rental or venue kitchen and served to the table. This is the format for the immediate families and wedding party, where the point is that everyone is seated together and the toasts land between courses.

    31 to 250 guests — chef-driven catering. Same sourcing, same cooking, executed as a buffet with staffing. Event Catering starts at $42 per guest for drop-off and scales through hosted buffet and full-service with a captain and bar staffing. Catering is Nashville and Middle Tennessee only.

    Menus that suit a rehearsal dinner

    • The Southern Table — $125 per guest. Four courses of modern Southern cooking. The obvious answer when half the guest list has flown into Nashville for the first time.
    • FABLE · Wild South — $175 per guest. The flagship five-course tasting menu for a formal, dressed-up night.
    • The Butcher's Table — $145 per guest. Prime beef carved for the room with classic steakhouse sides. Warm, generous, and the easiest menu to feed a mixed-age family table with.
    • A custom menu. Built around the couple — a family recipe, the dish from the first date, a regional theme. $100 reservation holds the date while we design it, against a $75-per-guest floor.

    How the timeline works

    Before the night we agree a written service timeline: when guests arrive, when the first course goes out, where the toasts sit, and when dessert clears. I arrive about two hours ahead to set up and prep, service runs roughly three hours, and cleanup takes about 45 minutes after the last plate. The wedding party never touches a dish.

    Destination wedding weekends

    For private dining outside Middle Tennessee — a cabin in the Smoky Mountains, a house in North Georgia, bourbon country or Birmingham — a $350 travel fee and a $1,500 event minimum apply. Event catering does not travel outside Middle Tennessee.

    Booking

    Wedding weekends book early. Availability is live, and the date is only held once a deposit clears — 25% for dates 46+ days out, 50% inside 45 days, full payment inside 14 days, with the balance charged automatically seven days before the event. Check your date.

    Straight answers

    Rehearsal dinner questions, answered straight.

    How much does a rehearsal dinner cost with a private chef in Nashville?
    Seated, plated rehearsal dinners run $100–$185 per guest, fully inclusive of food, plates, silverware, service and cleanup, with a 20% gratuity added for parties of 8 or more. Larger rehearsal dinners served buffet-style through Event Catering start at $42 per guest.
    How many people can you seat for a rehearsal dinner?
    Up to 30 guests for a plated, coursed dinner. Between 30 and 250 guests it becomes Event Catering — the same cooking, executed as a chef-driven buffet with staffing.
    Where do rehearsal dinners happen?
    Private homes, the wedding party's rental house, farm and barn venues, and event spaces across Nashville and Middle Tennessee. If the venue has a caterer's kitchen it's easy; if it has a residential kitchen, that's still fine — that's what I cook in most nights.
    Can you keep the dinner on a schedule so toasts land on time?
    Yes. We build a service timeline before the night: guest arrival, first course, the window for toasts, entrée, dessert and clear. Courses are paced to that document, not improvised.
    Do you handle the toasts, seating and tableware?
    Plates, silverware and course service are included, and I pace service around your toast schedule. Florals, rentals of linens and specialty furniture, and formal event coordination are handled by your planner or venue.
    Can you accommodate the family's dietary restrictions?
    Yes — gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, pescatarian and common allergies are standard. Send the list when you confirm the headcount and every plate gets built to match.
    How far in advance should we book a rehearsal dinner?
    Two to six months for a wedding weekend, especially in April, May, September and October. Availability is live online and the date locks when the deposit is paid.
    Do you travel outside Nashville for a wedding weekend?
    Yes for private dining — a $350 travel fee and a $1,500 event minimum apply to destination markets like the Smoky Mountains, North Georgia, Kentucky bourbon country and Birmingham. Event Catering is Nashville and Middle Tennessee only.

    One chef, one collection

    Choose a menu. Make it a night.

    Every experience is cooked and served by me, in your space. Pick the one that fits the evening — or ask for something built from scratch.

    Sliced venison loin with potato pavé, maitake, charred carrots and blackberry–black pepper reduction
    No. 01

    Flagship · Five courses

    FABLE · Wild South

    Modern American cooking shaped by the South. Coast, field, wild game and fire — without nostalgia.

    $175 per guest

    $900 event minimum

    View the menu
    Fire-finished tomahawk steak sliced and carved for the table
    No. 02

    Steakhouse · For the table

    The Butcher's Table

    A proper steakhouse dinner built around exceptional beef, classic sides, and the kind of table everyone talks about the next day.

    $145 per guest

    $750 event minimum

    View the menu
    Grilled bread with burrata, cherry tomatoes, basil and balsamic glaze
    No. 03

    Modern Southern · Four courses

    The Southern Table

    Smoke, fire and modern Southern cooking. Four plated courses built for a proper night at home.

    $125 per guest

    $750 event minimum

    View the menu
    Red wine braised short rib with whipped potatoes and crispy shallots
    No. 04

    American tavern · For the table

    The Tavern Table

    Elevated American tavern food — braises, steak frites, chicken parm, killer apps and serious sides.

    $110 per guest

    $750 event minimum

    View the menu
    Bubbling crab dip in a cast iron pan with grilled bread, from the After Hours menu
    No. 05

    Served in waves · Late night

    After Hours

    The buttoned-down private dinner's night off. Fire burgers, Bone & Brine stacks, chef pizza, wings and late-night desserts.

    $95 per guest

    $750 event minimum

    View the menu

    What clients say

    "The event I attended tonight was absolutely splendid! From beginning to the end of service everything thing was immaculate! If you would like to have a night of splendid food and a phenomenal dining experience I highly recommend them. YOU. WILL. NOT. BE. DISAPPOINTED!"

    — Christopher Corbin

    More client stories coming soon. Booked a chef and want to share yours? Send a note.

    Keep exploring

    More ways I cook in Nashville.

    Event Catering

    Chef-driven buffet catering for Nashville events from 31 to 250 guests, from $42 per guest.

    Read more

    Cooking in a rental

    Most wedding-weekend dinners happen in the house you rented. Here's how that runs.

    Read more

    Destination Private Dining

    Smoky Mountains, North Georgia, bourbon country and Birmingham — $350 travel, $1,500 minimum.

    Read more

    Ready when you are

    Let's plan the night before the wedding.

    Check My Date Plan a Custom Event