Dry Reception/Afterparty

Are all of your guests LDS?

Are you LDS as well? If so, then it is okay. If the majority of your guests and yourself are not LDS then I would suggest finding another venue.

I don't know the etiquette, but if I were you I would do an earlier ceremony with a cake/punch reception at the church and then throw the after party at like happy hour time (like 3pm-6pm) with drinks and heavy apps.

This would be a deal breaker for me. I'm doing a wet wedding (does that exist?!) with no real plans for an after party.

Outside of finding another venue.

Have your reception and ceremony, cut it off early like around 9pm and then host your afterparty elsewhere and pick up the tab for the drinks.

Your invite can technically say that your reception is from 6pm-9pm (church) and then afterparty is 9pm-1am (other location)

Wouldn't work for my group. ....but I'm Unitarian; we would replace coffee hour with cocktail hour if we could.

What time is your ceremony/ reception? I went to an afternoon dry wedding that had an early dinner reception (4-5ish) and then by 7/8 those of us that wished to continue the party headed to a bar with the newlyweds. It was great and I didn't feel at all that we weren't properly hosted.

I agree with Emily as well, if you have the wedding at an earlier time, then people won't be expecting drinks.

When I read wet wedding I instantly thought of a slip n slide

I don't think many people would stick around for the after party if the wedding is dry...

Wet weddings sound better than moist weddings....

*shudder*

The groom and I are not LDS, but we come from Mormon families and at least half the guests are either non-drinkers or indifferent to alcohol. If we did serve it at the reception, there would be precious little anyway.

I am not having a dry wedding at all, but I mean come on people. People that live in dry counties in other parts of the country get married too and I'm pretty sure people show up to their weddings.

It greatly depends on what time you are having your reception. You can have a successful dry wedding. Just don't have it at dinner time and be prepared for it to be short and sweet. An after party is a great compromise but make sure you are hosting this fully (finger foods and alcohol)

Can you get married at an LDS venue if you are not LDS?

I think if you have non-LDS guests that drink, you should host a "wet-wedding"

Which is now my favorite term.

What is this venue you speak of? Is it like, a church building?

I think the suggestion of having an early wedding with a short afternoon reception is a great compromise. That way you're not starting the after party too late, and no one will be expecting alcohol at the earlier reception. Just make sure you provide both food and alcohol at the after party.

I like @Megans experience and think it will work well

FYI, Properly hosting your guests involves giving them food and drink. It does not have to be alcohol. Alcohol is simply the preference for an evening or party atmosphere.

I am doing this... my ceremony is @ 5pm.. reception site does not allow alcohol so we are doing 6-9 for dinner.. toasts.. cake.. then movinh to a local bar for the after party. Our invitation information card says it. But most of our guests are above 60 and don't dance.. and FH's family is dead set against alcohol.. so it gives us a nice ending point with the older crowd and then a starting point with the younger crowd.

Does the venue allow non-members to hold events?

Unless you are having a cake and punch reception only, you need to properly host your guests and provide alcohol during the reception, not just during the after party.