Should I ask our guests to come early on the invite so they can have a welcome drink?

Re: Should I ask our guests to come early on the invite so they can have a welcome drink?

• GoodLuckBear14 member

  

  March 2013

  Put the time of the ceremony start on the invitation.  If you put it earlier, people will be ticked.

  Proud to be an old married hag!!

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• Jen4948 member

  

  March 2013

  I've never seen "welcome drinks" at wedding ceremonies and wouldn't do this with alcohol myself as I wouldn't want to risk guests drinking too much before the ceremony.
  
  A while back there was a thread on someone offering hot drinks like coffee, tea, and hot chocolate before a daytime ceremony in the winter to warm people up, which I wouldn't have a problem with.
  
  I've also never seen guests get to the wedding that early.  The start time is the start time.

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• tiny speck member

  

  March 2013

  I agree, just put the start time of the ceremony on the invitation. If you want, you could include an insert saying that welcome drinks will be served before the ceremony, and that should give people an idea of what to expect. Then they can choose to come early for a drink, or not.

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• alisonwatson

  

  March 2013

  Thanks everyone.  I wasn't trying to trick people into coming early.  The start time is 3 PM, hence the question about letting our guests know they are welcome to a glass of champagne, or the array of non-alcoholic drinks we are also offering (Mexican Coke, 6 flavors of Jarritos soda), if they arrive a little before the ceremony.  I'm sure our very competent caterer and her waitstaff/barender will keep an eye on consumption.  That is not my concern.  
  
  Our wedding is quite small and more than half of the people attending the ceremony and reception (all at the same venue) will be at the rehersal dinner.  Perhaps I'll just go by word of mouth. 

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• Ophelia0326 member

  

  March 2013

  I would just put something like "Pre-ceremony cocktails will be served at 2:30" (or even just 'cocktails served at x') if you want people to show up then. Then everybody's happy.

  

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• JoanE2012 member

  

  March 2013 edited March 2013

  Honestly, pre ceremony soda doesn't sound too enticing.  And I wouldn't have champagne (or any alcoholic beverages) before the ceremony.   Our venue handed out champagne to everyone as they left the ceremony and moved into cocktail hour.  It also seemed more appropriate to serve the champagne after the celebratory occasion happened.   Save the drinks for the cocktail hour!

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• alisonwatson

  

  March 2013

  Thanks for your input, but we are serving welcome drinks.  In our minds the whole event is a celebration.  We aim to be good hosts, and the first thing I ask a guest in my home is if they'd like a drink!  Our ceremony and reception will be at the same location, so I am going to trust my 40 cloest friends and family members not to get hammered before our ceremony!  And thank you for your insight B2Z728 and your suggestion Ophelia0326. 
  
  We're getting married at a venue that was built on a Spanish land grant in the 1800's.  My fiance is Mexican and we're having a mariachi band play until we sit down for dinner.  I'm serving imported Mexican soda that comes in a glass bottle (something we love - and somethinig that is pretty de rigueur if you're eating at a taqueria) and a California sparkling wine.  It's all keeping with theme.  We are happy with our choice.  We know our guests well enough to know they will be happy to have a drink, alcoholic or not, before the ceremony.     

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• banana468 member

  

  March 2013

  I like the idea of putting the the start time on the invitation but include an enclosure card indicating that welcome cocktails begin at X time.
  
  Friends of ours did this and it went VERY well.   The  venue opened about a half hour before the ceremony and I was able to watch the event while sipping my wine.    I was a happy girl.

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• alisonwatson

  

  March 2013

  Thanks banana468!  That's what I'm hoping for.  

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• HobokensFury member

  

  March 2013

  We had welcome drinks as well. We put the real ceremony time on the invite and people got there early enough to enjoy a beverage.  No one got drunk before the ceremony.

   
   

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• alisonwatson

  

  March 2013

  Fabulous!  Now all I have to do is not get nervous and drink too much myself.  ;-)

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• bearslayerwife member

  

  March 2013

  We are having half of our cocktail hour before the ceremony and the other half after the ceremony.  I, too, have faith in my guests' ability to control themselves.  We are all over 40.  I attended a wedding with pre-ceremony drinks and light snacks.  All I can say is that it was the best wedding ceremony I ever attended.  It was so nice to sip my wine and watch "the show".
  Everyone was respectful.  There had to be over 80 people.  I plan on having a timeline card in my invitation the will inform the guests how the event will proceed. Cocktails at ____, followed by ceremony at _____, etc. (everything is all at one venue)  People are so used to a certain format at a wedding that we figured we would just put it on paper so there isn't any confusion.  I'm sure your guests will be thrilled with the set up!  Enjoy YOUR day!

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