Drinking at reception, what to do?

Ashley0

Some of the grooms family (parents, one set of grandparents, aunt and uncle) do NOT drink, everyone else does, including the bride and groom? How do we have alcohol at the reception without offending the in-laws?

monkeysip

A lot of people don't drink but aren't necessarily offended by alcohol.

Are these people that are truly so anti-alcohol that they would be offended by its presence?

If so, one way to try and mitigate it would be to start serving alcohol after dinner and the cake-cutting.  That way, those family members could enjoy the first dances, the dinner, and cake-cutting, then leave if they wanted to.  Everyone else can stay, drink, and party the rest of the night.

Of course, there's nothing really wrong with a dry wedding, but if you both really want alcohol there, then I wouldn't compromise just for some offended family members.  They should understand that this is your wedding, and you can't completely get rid of alcohol just to please them.  I'm pretty sure most vegetarians aren't upset when they go to a wedding with meat being served.

willywally5

I think nixing alcohol when you'd really like to have it because six people don't drink is way over the top. If you and your FI didn't care or wanted a dry wedding regardless, then that'd be a different story. 

Two questions:

1) Do they just 'not drink' or are the opposed to alcohol in general and anyone drinking?

2) Are any of these people contributing financailly to the reception?

Maggie0829

Just because they do not partake does not mean that they will be offended by the presence of alcohol.

I understand taking people's feelings into account when planning a wedding but to nix the alcohol because of six people is a bit much.  If you and your FI really want alcohol at your wedding then have it.

UberBiz

I agree with the PP's, if the bride and groom drink, and the majority of guests drink or don't mind alcohol being there, then there's no reason to nix it all together just for 6 people. We are having a dry wedding because WE are sober, and so are my MOH (sister) and her FI. With that said, even though we don't drink, I wouldn't care if I went to a wedding with an open bar. It may be a little awkward when everyone around you is getting drunk, but those are normal things one has to deal with when choosing to stay sober.

LiLe422

I guess I just have the same question as everyone else.  Do they just simply not drink or are they seriously opposed to alcohol?

I rarely ever drink, but I couldn't really give 2 flucks if someone does.  Just because I choose not to doesn't mean anyone else cant.

alithebride

you can't ever please everyone. do what's good for the  marjority, have options for the minority, and deal with it.

lyndausvi

I would not let 6 people (even if they are the parents) dictate whether you had alcohol or not.

RamonaFlowers

If you and the majority of your guests drink (Or don't take issue with other people drinking even if they don't), then just serve alcohol. It's not like the people who don't drink are going to have a gun to their head and forced to do keg stands all night or something if booze is present for the people who take no issue with it.

The only reason I would say "Don't serve it" would be if the people so strongly opposed to it are the ones paying for the reception, because it is their money and they shouldn't pay for alcohol if they have some sort of moral/religious objection to it ... but even then, I think I'd be advising that you just pay for your own reception at that point if alcohol isn't an issue with you and your FI.

kmmssg

Even if it is moral/religious reasons for not drinking alcohol, my first question is this:  do they eat at places like Applebees, Ruby Tuesdays, Chilis, etc?  ALL of those places serve alcohol and if these guests can eat dinner there when others are drinking alcohol, they can do it at a wedding reception too.

When last DD got married her biomom was NOT happy that alcohol would be served.  Biomom and stepdad and their ginormous families are Pentecostal.  I have no issue with that.  I do, however, happen to know that every one of them will eat at establishments that serve alcohol.  As far as I was concerned, that argument was dead in the water with them.

We had a venue where we brought everything in.  To make them all more comfortable, we had the bar/bartender set up on one side of the room and then we went to some extra effort to set up a very nice area for coffee, tea, iced water, and strawberry lemonade.  We used very nice glass beverage jars, draped the table, really made it nice and pleasant.  None of them had to go to the bar unless they wanted a soda.  Sorry, we can only do so much, but we did show a good effort to make everyone as comfortable as we could and still serve alcohol. 

MoxieMickie

If

OwningAHome1981

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_drinking-at-reception-what-to-do?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:5Discussion:1741b4f3-3fcd-45b2-a7a4-032873393358Post:3775a96b-dcf7-4152-b692-d3d0fd78730f">Drinking at reception, what to do?</a>:
[QUOTE]Some of the grooms family (parents, one set of grandparents, aunt and uncle) do NOT drink, everyone else does, including the bride and groom? How do we have alcohol at the reception without offending the in-laws?
Posted by Ashley0[/QUOTE]

Why would anyone be offended by that? No one is forcing those people to drink. If they don't want to, they don't have to. No one is going to care who is drinking and who isn't.