Non alcoholic wedding reception

kkidd28 · April 2010

So we have decided to have a non alcoholic wedding. Should this be reflected somewhere on the invitations? Our parents dont drink, but some of our relatives do, and we're wondering if we should warn them ahead of time?

Thanks ladies!

katanne9 · April 2010

This shouldn't be included on your wedding invitation.

If you feel the need, you can always spread it word of mouth.

iamjoesgurl · April 2010

Your family and friends probably know you and your family enough to know that it would not be likely to have alcohol at your reception. I'm not sure about your FI's family/friends but I agree with kat that it should not be included in the invitation. Both of my sisters had dry receptions (even though some family members and friends drink) and they didn't say anything in advance. I know that some people have an expectation that alcohol be served but I certainly don't expect that when I go to a reception. If your guests normally drink and there isn't alcohol, they may not stay as long, but I think it is fine for you not to say anything unless people ask.

felkels · April 2010

don't include it. First of all you can ask your church or reception venue what their policy is...may churches don't allow it on site anyway...That way if anyone does ask, you can just say the hall does not allow it...or you can go into the explanation as to why you will not be including it...but totally spread word of mouth and not on the invation.

My aunt just asked me this last week...if we would be serving alcohol or not (this is the aunt that would not come to my 21st b-day because I told her there would be no drinking allowed and showed up at my 5 year old cousin's party pretty smashed). I told here that not only were we opting out of alcohol at our reception because we don't drink, but for the most part for ease I told her our venu was dry so that was not even a decision that we had to make. I think my aunt learned her lesson recentally in that at the point of her wedding reception that I actually got there, the bar she held it at was closing everthing down...they had been kicked out because some of her guests started a fight outside. For mine, she told me that a dry reception was probably a smart idea.

kkidd28 · April 2010

Thanks for the advice. I guess it will be by word of mouth. Our reception is at a hotel where alcohol is def. served. And it wasn't my choice to have a dry wedding - it was for my father. He refused to be involved if there was alchohol at the reception. So most people won't know unless they're told!

missrekaeagle · April 2010

I'm having a dry reception because my parents won't have anything to do with alcohol either. So we're just telling people by word of mouth.

wheatney22 · April 2010

We're doing beer and wine and our package includes alcohol during the cocktail hour.
My folks don't drink and FI and I are not big drinkers but we are having a lot of people coming from MD and we wanted to at least cater to their needs to some extent. Hopefully, guests will drink wisely.

iamjoesgurl · April 2010

Wheatney - People from Maryland need alcohol (or does MD mean something else)? I'm just curious what you mean...

wheatney22 · April 2010

No. My future in-laws are wine drinkers and they'll be traveling from MD to MA for our wedding so I wanted to cater to this since they are going out of their way for our wedding especially since we're having 2 ceremonies which will require most of them to stay an extra day.

NO...Most of my friends in MD don't drink so its certainly not for my friends. Its more for FI's family :-)

desi2002 · April 2010

Im doing this too... no "dranks" at my wedding! I'm not going to say anything actually... it will give them more to complain about.

bfroesch · April 2010

Doing the same here! It'll totally save a lot of money for the reception.
I wouldn't put it on the invitations though. Maybe consider providing a variety of vintage bottled sodas so when people ask you could let them know "No, we're not going to have alcohol, but we are providing a lot of fun vintage sodas instead!"
That way they won't get stuck focusing on the lack of something and you can give them something to look forward to.

[Deleted User] · April 2010

we aren't having alcohol either, and we're spreading the news via word of mouth. most of our guests are not drinkers, but a couple of the drinkers have asked and we told them that all of the sodas, juices, lemonade, coffee and water would be hosted by us, but if they would like to purchase an alcoholic beverage there is a bar they can do so at. so far nobody has complained, at least not that we've heard of.

FutureMrsMcDaniel · April 2010

That's a good question! FI and I were pretty indifferent about whether we served alcohol or not at the reception. We both drink however.

We ultimately decided against having alcohol because the 'bar' fee at our reception site was about as much as we were paying for the food. So not worth it to us. People don't need alcohol to have a good time, I don't care if anyone says otherwise.

We wanted a special toasting champagne though, but that also included a fee because of the alcohol, so we nixed that idea. The site director came up with a non-alcoholic punch to be served. I couldn't tell a difference.

We're not putting anything in the invitations noting that no alcohol will be served and nothing will be said during the reception. The punch is just sparkling grape and will be called that. No biggie.

ashley.lybrink · April 2010

We're having a dry reception. My fiance and I will occasionally drink wine, but some of our family members are strongly against drinking and others I know who drink too much so that is why we have decided to not have any alcohol at our reception. I don't think it is necessary to tell anyone you won't be having alcohol, but you could if they asked about it. I don't plan on telling anyone, but I don't really think anyone that we are inviting would really expect it, especially since our reception is in the church. For drinks we will have coffee and pink lemonade in a punch bowl with frozen lemonade rings that will have raspberries in it. We might also have some sparkling juice for our wedding party. I have heard of having a coffee bar instead of alcohol, where you serve specialty type coffee drinks, or put out flavored syrups which I think is a brilliant idea and would do myself if the budget wasn't so tight (I am a self proclaimed coffee addict!).

KMB611 · April 2010

My FI and I don't drink. Our conclusion: why pay for something we don't do? We told our guests word of mouth and they are fine with it. People fail to realize that alcohol is expensive.

SuMmErKuTiE · May 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_christian-weddings_non-alcoholic-wedding-reception?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:464687ae-7bc1-4360-9aea-999e11f1e1adDiscussion:870683e4-5ea4-4783-8fae-12f0e2600313Post:ab47b9d7-e2c1-438e-9bc2-acee9ac49889">Re: Non alcoholic wedding reception</a>:
[QUOTE]This shouldn't be included on your wedding invitation. If you feel the need, you can always spread it word of mouth.
Posted by katanne9[/QUOTE]

<div>Ditto this.. you shouldn't put it anywhere on the invitations, but you can always spread the word via word of mouth through family members and friends if you think some of you guests will want to know ahead of time.</div>

CourtneyBC · May 2010

We're having a non-alcoholic reception, too, and we did not put it anywhere on the invitations. The only reason I think anyone would need to know ahead of time is if they're planning on bringing their own alcohol. And I'm guessing you don't really want that?

Non alcoholic wedding reception

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