No alcohol

Re: No alcohol

• banana468 member

  

  June 2018

  2019bride said:

  Hi all,
  
  my fiancé and I both do not drink so we aren’t having it at our wedding - our wedding is also at our church so that’s another reason why. On the other hand we are considering wine or champagnes, sangrias and a signature drink. We are guessing people like wine more then champagne? How would you guys figure out which one to buy? We are also expecting about 110 guest so how do we figure out how much to buy?
  
  Thanks.
  
  
  

  OK a few things:
  
  1) Whether or not you two drink is IMO not what tells you whether or not to host alcohol.   There are a lot of faiths that consume alcohol however if your reception venue doesn't allow it, that's fine.    If you're not planning to host then don't  - but I think that's a decision far more highly nuanced then whether or not the two of you consume it.   I don't eat salmon and had it at my wedding because I knew our guests would appreciate the option.   DH doesn't eat pasta primavera but it was an option for our guests.   What we served to our guests wasn't about us - it was about having food to be served to those who witnessed our union that would best please those who attended the wedding ceremony.
  
  2) I think you need to look at your guest list to figure out what they consume.  Example - on not one day in my life can I recall my dad drinking wine.   At a wedding he MIGHT drink a sip of champagne but it's basically lost on him.  However the dude has enjoyed his share of Heineken and Miller light.  My mom on the other hand has had maybe 6 beers in her 66 years.   It's not her thing.   So when I have them over I'm making sure that I have BOTH options.
  
  Think of your guest list this way.  What do they drink?  What are you serving?   How long is your reception?   A medium bodied red (pinot noir) and a dryer white (sauv. blanc) plus maybe a sweeter white wine (chardonnay) are often decent suggestions.   Depending on what you serve you can always modify that.  If you're going w/ wine I'd add a few beers as well to suit tastes.
  
  From there determine how many adults you have, how long the reception is and then use a drink calculator available in a variety of websites.   A good bar tender may also help to calculate what you'd need.  

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• ei34 member

  

  July 2018

  Your wording is unclear- does your venue (church) allow alcohol to be served?  If it doesn’t that’s your answer, no alcohol.  
  
  Ditto Banana that when deciding what to serve, the bride and groom’s personal likes and dislikes don’t trump the majority of the guests’.  What entree selections/beverages/dessert etc will appeal to the greatest number of people?
  
  If you feel the majority of your guests would enjoy alcohol but you also want to keep it simple, I’d go with a selection of beer (could be as straightforward as one light beer and one darker beer), for wine maybe a Cabernet Sauvignon or Montepulciano for red and Sauv Blanc or Pinot Grigio for white, and 1-2 signature drinks.  I wouldn’t bother with champagne if you’re looking to keep it simple.  (Although again you know your crowd better than me.)

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• [Deleted User] member

  

  July 2018

  If your church allows alcohol then I would get alcohol. Ask your bartender what they recommend and in what quantities. If you want to keep it simple choose one red and one white. I would put the feelers out to see what everyone prefers. 

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• ahoywedding member

  

  July 2018

  Is your religion one that doesn't allow alcohol (ie. Mormon)? If so, no one will expect alcohol. Does your venue not allow alcohol? If, so there's your answer. If your guests typically do imbibe, you may want to mention that alcohol won't be served due to venue restrictions.
  
  If neither of the above apply, I would suggest at least offering wine & beer. You could work with you caterer to choose an appropriate mix of the two & they could also advise on the quantity of each. My H is a recovering alcoholic, but we served wine & beer at our reception. I've been vegetarian for years, but we had a carving station along with a vegetarian option. 

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• MesmrEwe member

  

  July 2018

  I'm a teetotaler and yes, did have alcohol at our wedding even though I'd have been happy to have a "Dry" reception because I didn't want our wedding turning into a slosh-fest (I spent 6mo in a neck brace because of a drunk driver and most of my family doesn't drink and if they do it's extended family and even then maybe a couple beers or expensive wine, OTOH, the IL's employees that were invited along with his side of the family it's an event)..  So really, if you do offer alcohol, consider what people actually consume in your families and social circles then appropriately limiting the amount you purchase because what are you going to do with it after is something to think about.  
  
  OTOH, nothing says you HAVE to offer alcohol if you don't want to, and given your reception is in a church hall, I can't imagine too many would find it "off" to do so.  You could do an all-out mocktail bar with TONS of options with a specialty type NA drink, some of the NA wines aren't bad, it's really all up to you.  More options than water, coffee, and milk are always appreciated! 

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• ernursej member

  

  July 2018

  MesmrEwe said:

  I'm a teetotaler and yes, did have alcohol at our wedding even though I'd have been happy to have a "Dry" reception because I didn't want our wedding turning into a slosh-fest (I spent 6mo in a neck brace because of a drunk driver and most of my family doesn't drink and if they do it's extended family and even then maybe a couple beers or expensive wine, OTOH, the IL's employees that were invited along with his side of the family it's an event)..  So really, if you do offer alcohol, consider what people actually consume in your families and social circles then appropriately limiting the amount you purchase because what are you going to do with it after is something to think about.  
  
  OTOH, nothing says you HAVE to offer alcohol if you don't want to, and given your reception is in a church hall, I can't imagine too many would find it "off" to do so.  You could do an all-out mocktail bar with TONS of options with a specialty type NA drink, some of the NA wines aren't bad, it's really all up to you.  More options than water, coffee, and milk are always appreciated! 

  As someone who enjoys a lot of wine, the nonalcoholic options for beer and wine are gross. I would rather some well thought out mock-tails than NA wine if you are only good no to offer one or the other. I wouldn’t necessarily mind a NA wedding reception but unless it was due to religion, I might find it odd.  

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