I'm not quite sure how to handle the alcohol at our reception. I don't want to have it dry, I want our guests to have the option of drinking if they like. What are your opinions on drink tickets being alloted for each person to use throughout the reception, or, if instead we have an open bar cocktail hour, how do we (tastefully) let guests know that no more alcohol will be paid for afterward??
Re: Alcohol at our reception... please help!!
You don't have to have a full open bar or any alcohol at all. But whatever alcohol you do provide must be available throughout the entire event for free. No cash bars, no drink tickets, no limits on availability. If you don't want to pay for it, don't serve it. There are no other polite options.
Drink tickets and cash bars are tacky and are a breach of etiquette. If you don't want a dry wedding, you will need to come up with a way to properly host your guests all evening. Consider having beer and wine only, or beer, wine and a signature drink. That should help reduce your bar costs significantly.
There is no tasteful way to ask your guests to subsidize a portion of your wedding expenses. And by asking them to pay for their own drinks at a party you are supposed to be hosting, that's exactly what you would be doing.
Websites/blogs where our wedding has been featured:
http://www.dapperq.com/2013/11/a-very-dapper-wedding/
http://www.onabicyclebuiltfortwo.com/2013/10/wedding-christina-g.html
http://4realequalityweddings.com/2014/05/16/g-christina/
Websites/blogs where our wedding has been featured:
http://www.dapperq.com/2013/11/a-very-dapper-wedding/
http://www.onabicyclebuiltfortwo.com/2013/10/wedding-christina-g.html
http://4realequalityweddings.com/2014/05/16/g-christina/
And sorry, but "doing what's best for you" but not the guests is not okay and DOES make you a "bridezilla." The guests are entitled to expect not to have to pay for whatever is served. You want to serve alcohol? Fine. YOU pay for it-not the guests. No cash bars, no drink tickets, no "closed at specified times" restrictions. And that goes for every other cost of the wedding-those are YOUR responsibilities, not your guests'. If you're not going to pay for it, DON"T OFFER IT. Dry weddings are not a violation of etiquette-and if someone gets pissed off about it-THEY are the ones being rude.
Websites/blogs where our wedding has been featured:
http://www.dapperq.com/2013/11/a-very-dapper-wedding/
http://www.onabicyclebuiltfortwo.com/2013/10/wedding-christina-g.html
http://4realequalityweddings.com/2014/05/16/g-christina/
I haven't. And if it were to happen, I wouldn't. Even if it meant drinking water all night.
If you offer it, you host it. Period.
Fatty Blog
Websites/blogs where our wedding has been featured:
http://www.dapperq.com/2013/11/a-very-dapper-wedding/
http://www.onabicyclebuiltfortwo.com/2013/10/wedding-christina-g.html
http://4realequalityweddings.com/2014/05/16/g-christina/
Your guests ARE entitled to free food and drinks by accepting your invitation. If you can't or won't provide it, then DON'T INVITE THEM.
Their wedding was at 5pm on a Friday night. I had to leave work at 3:45 to get home, feed my dogs and change clothes in order to get there at 5pm. They started 30 minutes late, and had about 75 guests. They had MAYBE enough food to feed 20 people, and it was a cash bar. They didn't even supply soft drinks for free.
And I'm the tacky one for leaving? uh, no.
Websites/blogs where our wedding has been featured:
http://www.dapperq.com/2013/11/a-very-dapper-wedding/
http://www.onabicyclebuiltfortwo.com/2013/10/wedding-christina-g.html
http://4realequalityweddings.com/2014/05/16/g-christina/
Fatty Blog