What to do when you don’t want alcohol at your wedding?
Trisha Miller • February 22, 2017
When you think of a wedding, do you see champagne bubbles? Toasts with wine glasses in the air? Or maybe you think your family would prefer a keg of beer? If you said “no” to any of the above questions, then you’re in the right place.
It may seem unheard of, but heaps of weddings choose not to serve alcohol. It could be because you’ve made a personal choice not to drink, maybe you don’t want the party to get too rowdy, or you just don’t want to spend the extra cash it costs to load up the venue with spirits. No matter the case, there are multiple solutions to your dry wedding conundrum.
If You Decide Not to Serve Alcohol
Distract from the fact that it’s a dry wedding. Having a dry wedding is nothing to be ashamed of, but traditionally people are used to having alcohol served at these types of functions. So, having a lot of activities planned is always a good idea. This way, you won’t receive too many questions about where the booze is. This option doesn’t even have to require much additional planning. Just create a strict schedule with lots of interaction and stick to it. Keeping everyone moving and entertained is always a good idea anyway.
In addition, you have the option to not be shy about the fact that you’re having a dry wedding. Add it to the invite and/or create a sign or plaque that is clearly posted at the entry of the ceremony or reception. This lets your guests know what to expect and they can plan accordingly ahead of time. As such, If you have guests that insist on drinking they are clear about the fact that they will need to do so before or after the wedding.
Lastly, you can ask that folks bring their own beverages of choice and make it clear that their alcohol will go home with them so they shouldn’t bring too much. You could even limit guests to bringing a certain amount of alcohol. This will cut down on the amount of mess and overall waste leftover after everything’s said and done.
If You Decide to Serve Alcohol
Don’t overspend on alcohol. It’s always a good idea to check with your venue to see if they offer a package that includes it. Some may have the cost included, but others may require you to purchase a certain amount of alcohol if you are planning on going through that particular venue. You might want to go with a different venue if this is the case. Otherwise, you could be left with heaps of alcohol you don’t know what to do with.
Luckily, there is a calculation that you can use in order to make sure you don’t overspend on alcohol. Each guest should be allowed 1 serving of alcohol per hour they attend your event. For example, if you have a 3 hour event and 10 people attend, plan on having 30 servings of alcohol. What is a serving? Basically, 1 glass of wine or beer, or 1 shot of liquor. Essentially, each drinking guest should be allowed one drink per hour. This allows you to monitor alcohol intake, if you’re afraid of the party getting out of hand and you won’t have to worry about spending too much on alcohol.
In my opinion, there is no better choice than to be up-front about the fact that you don’t drink. No matter the reason for your sobriety, openness about your wants and needs for your wedding day will help everything move much more smoothly. It is your big day after all and people will respect your wishes. The fact of the matter is, this is a monumental day for you and your partner, it should be spent exactly the way you imagined it.