Alcohol at Rehearsal Dinner

My and my FH friends are drinkers and we are not paying for the alcohol at the rehearsal dinner (well my FMIL isn't). They all understand! They are willing to buy it themselves. The weddings that I have been in we have always bought ours too not the couple!

Every rehearsal dinner I've attended has included alcohol. Perhaps not a full bar, but at least wine and beer. I think if you are inviting people to dinner it is assumed you will pay for their full dinner, including drinks.

We're doing a BBQ, and rather than buy alcohol ourselves, we're doing it BYOB style. that way, if someone wants a particular drink, they can have it also, my girls said they're thinking of a "stock the bar" for that night, so if that's what they do, then they'll all BYOB, but we'll be the ones who keep it...which is kind of neat, because any time we drink out of that bottle, we'll remember the night

Stock the bar parties are so fun!!! Me and FH live together already and the BM is having one for us!!! They are super fun! sorry off the topic!

We are paying for dinner and soda/tea, if they want alcohol, they can pay

What we did was to get a couple of bottles of wine for the table so folks could have 1-2 glasses with dinner. If they wanted another kind of alcohol then they paid for it.

We are paying for the alcohol at the rehearsal dinner. I think that because it is more of a Thank You dinner I am not going to make people pay for anything.

I guess I am a fickle bride lol because I don't even want to HAVE a rehearsal dinner. :o) Our wedding party is small (siblings only) so we may do something informal but as far as a formal dinner, we won't be doing one. FH was in full agreement.

My feeling is that if you invite guests to a dinner/party that you should pay for everything. That's just me. But I would not be offended if I attended one that the guests paid for their own. I know finances are tight for everyone. I am hoping to have a rehearsal dinner at my house to save on costs and be able to afford to offer my guests drinks (beer and wine.)

I've been to a good number of rehearsal dinners and there doesn't seem to be a standard. At the most recent dinner, the MOB made a special batch of her homemade Sangria and there was a cooler of beer, but they asked the wedding party to set up the reception site after we ate. Most of the RDs I've been to don't have alcohol. I can imagine it has a lot to do with the type of food you're serving too.

I'm with LadyLee. We aren't doing one either. (As far as I know.) The more I get excited about planning the more ideas the FH seems to have. haha. Last night I went to try on dresses and after he came to pick me up, he was spewing out ideas like an over filled pop corn maker! It was AWESOME! Haha.

But, I'm all for BYOB. But, that stock the bar thing seems pretty sweet.

We will be having our rehearsal dinner to include food and non-alcoholic drinks. If someone wants to drink alcohol they will pay for that themselves. We are however having an open bar (limited with beer, wine and margaritas) for the wedding so that will be on our dime.

I am really digging the idea of having a stock the bar party. I'm going to mention it to my MOH and maybe we'll do a co-ed shower or something. FH likes to do a lot of entertaining so that will definitely be a benefit to us!

My rehearsal dinner is costing enough per person. I am not providing alcohol. They can do that themselves. If I provide anything it will be wine but only a few botle and that's it. As it was I had to negotiate to get soft drinks thrown in.

Each guest got one ticket, which was for 1 free drink. If they wanted more than that then they had to pay for it.

Potters that is not a bad compromise

That is a good idea!

Just ask the restaurant, a lot of them have their own system of doing this.

It is difficult for me because I do feel that since I am inviting them we should pay but at the same time there is no telling how much people can drink. I do love the idea of a ticket for one drink and if they want any more they can pay themselves. That seems like a win win situation whereby we can pay for at least one drink but then if they want any more they can pay themselves. Thanks everyone for your input, you ladies are great!!

I think the bride & groom should pay for everything at the rehearsal dinner. That said, doesn't mean that I like the idea, but it just seems like its bad hosting if "invited" guest have to pay for anything. You could always jokingly say "we would pay for your alcoholic beverages, but the wedding has put us in a recession" (hey, it may actually work:-) Good luck!