Non-Alcoholic Wedding: Is it a Do or a Don’t?
For most people, a few glasses of good cheer play a central role in celebrating a festive occasion. At a wedding, this often involves a cocktail hour, Champagne toasts, and wine or beer with dinner, at the minimum. But not everyone is so keen on the idea of having a booze-laden wedding, which leads to the question: is a non-alcoholic wedding a do or a don’t?
There can be many reasons to have a “dry” wedding. They may be social, religious, or financial, and they all have validity. On the other hand, there is generally an expectation among wedding guests that the reception will feature a bar (never a cash bar!), unless the bride and groom are known to be from a religion which forbids alcohol. The question for couples can be how to balance out all of the various factors to have the best reception possible.
Some brides and grooms come from religions which either forbid or frown upon drinking to some degree. Obviously, the newlyweds will abstain from alcohol, but does that mean that Tadacip they should not offer it to their guests? The first thing to weigh is whether or not serving others drinks is forbidden. For instance, some Baptists may choose to avoid consuming alcohol, but that does not necessarily mean that they condemn others for sipping a glass of Champagne at a wedding. In that case, go ahead and offer your guests at least a limited drinks menu. Certainly if your religion regards all alcohol as sinful, do not serve it. When most of the guests come from
the same traditions, they will not expect it anyway. It would be nice if the bride or groom could casually mention to friends who may be unaware that your religious beliefs mean that your reception will be dry.
When money is a concern, some couples see the alcohol budget as a potential place to trim expenses. Tread lightly here, because most guests will expect to find a bar at a wedding, and will be mighty disappointed to find that there is no alcohol. Something else to keep in mind is the type propecia low price of party you hope to have. The reality is that a few drinks tend to loosen up shy guests and get them out on the dance floor, so if the dancing part of your reception is important to you, keep this in mind before deciding not to serve alcohol. For a late afternoon or evening wedding, a good compromise can be to serve a limited menu of a signature cocktail, beer, and wine. This keeps the guests from getting grumpy and keeps your costs reasonable. If you decide that you just cannot swing a bar budget, opt for a morning ceremony followed by a brunch where liquor will be less expected.
Another concern that some people have about serving alcohol is the social aspects. If the groom is a recovering alcoholic, should Brand Levitra all alcohol be banned from the wedding? What about the milder concern about guests having a few too many and getting rowdy? Take the specifics into consideration. Unless the recovering alcoholic in the family simply cannot be in the same room with liquor, serve it at the reception, just don’t make it a focus (no signature cocktails, Champagne fountains, or vodka luges, in other words). If your concern is Aunt Matilda in her fancy dress and wedding jewelry getting intoxicated and spoiling your wedding, you are better off assigning someone to keep an eye on her at the reception than canceling the bartender altogether. Keep in mind also that more formal locations will tend to inspire more restrained behavior in most guests than casual ones. To keep everyone on their best behavior, have them wear their finest jewelry and attire for a formal wedding in an elegant venue. This way, everyone can enjoy the wedding, including you.
Author Bio: Bridget Mora writes about wedding planning, etiquette, and style. For the best selection of wedding jewelry for the bride and bridesmaids, visit http://silverlandjewelry.com/. All jewelry orders over $99 receive free shipping.
Category: Marriage
Keywords: wedding jewelry, wedding alcohol, non-alcoholic wedding, signature cocktail