Dry wedding reception

I've honestly never been to a full open bar wedding, but we will be having a full service open bar with bartenders. I think most people tend to leave earlier when there isn't alcohol available, that's just how it is. People tend to let loose and dance more when there is alcohol. It's also a nice way to treat your guests, especially at my wedding where most people will be traveling from out of town.

Can you at least do a consumption bar if your family drinks? It shouldn't cost that much if not that many people will be using it.

This was a huge topic for my wedding as well because my fiancé hates drinking and his dad and family are really not drinkers and just kinda high class people that think it’s just not necessary but my family was like dead set on drinks being available and I have to understand that as well so I did compromise with beer and wine available but if anyone becomes drunk they will cut them off and if they continue to misbehave there will be a cab called but I am having an evening wedding and it is in a barn with corn holes firepits and most guys want a beer by the fire and I just want everyone to enjoy it !

You host the bar since you are hosting the reception. You can't really pick and chose which part of the reception you are hosting. Since most people don't drink do a consumption bar of beer and wine, so you just pick up the tab for those who did drink. Since 1% drinks, it should be a small amount and easy to budget.

I've been to 1 dry-pot luck wedding and I honestly don't remember it because it was that boring and just not memorable.

I've been to a cash bar wedding and half the people left pretty much right after dinner.

We're putting a few hundred down so the first hour or so may be open bar, then hosted wine with dinner, and then cash bar after. As much as we wanted to do an open bar, it's just not in the budget. A lot of our guests are underage or don't drink, so we're not worried about it at all. I'd at least give them the option to drink something if they want to!

We are currently planning a dry wedding due to addictions in both sides of our family. Weddings in my family with alcohol in the past have turned into arguments that have lasted for years. I would rather be viewed as cheap and rude than provide the fuel for another family feud, especially on what is supposed to be a happy day.

From my experience people will leave pretty quickly after dinner if they don’t have even a beer or wine option.
If a good part of your guest list doesn’t drink, a consumption bar shouldn’t be too expensive.

I would host at least a consumption bar. I went to a dry wedding this past weekend and even the father of the bride was joking about it being dry. Mormon reception (bride is a convert). During his speech, the Dad said “you know normally for this type of event, I’d have my jack and coke handy but this is the wrong crowd for it”. Ironically, my table (the only non-Mormons) stayed the entire reception.

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High class people? So people that do drink aren’t or can’t be high class😑? because people enjoy an alcoholic beverage at a wedding they’re low class?? Would FH’s family turn their nose up at your relatives?? That’s extremely condescending to say...

We are offering serve yourself beer and wine, 80 % of us are non drinkers. Martinellis for toasts.

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High class people don't enjoy alcohol? The most expensive and high class wedding (we were on an old English estate for goodness sake) I've ever been to had a fully hosted top-shelf bar and everyone partied HARD.

View Quoted Comment Agreed.
Besides, why would you have $30000 bottles of whiskey if high class people didn't drink?

View Quoted Comment Even Will and Kate had alcohol at their wedding....

View Quoted Comment I definitely appreciate your response. thank you

I have been to a dry wedding, and we all still had a great time. Everyone has different opinions. To me, a dry wedding isn't nearly as rude as some of the other things people do to save money. But, I also wouldn't expect everyone else to think like I do. Think about your guests, and how they will feel. The only person who can decide if a dry wedding will be just fine with your guests is you. Good luck!

View Quoted Comment I never even knew there was a consumption open bar, this forum is the first time I have heard of it, and considering only 20ish people invited drink, I could probably afford it. Nick and I are in recovery (that’s how we met, through AA) and it’s how we know ALL of our friends, so everybody is sober except for a few people from my side of the family. I don’t even know for sure if they drink, but if they do, it’s not much.

View Quoted Comment Serve yourself, as in you’re providing? I want to look into options like this, as my fiancé and I are both members of AA and that’s how we know all of our friends too. Sparkling cider is a definit for us, and trust me, sober people know how to tear up a dance floor haha

View Quoted Comment Yeah, Nick and I are both members of AA as are the 99% of our wedding guests (our friends, who we consider family) but I was thinking about the 1% being my mom and her side of the family. A consumption bar might be our best option. I don’t want the “normies” to feel uncomfortable in a room full of rowdy young members of AA (we know how to party without drinking lol)

View Quoted Comment I think being in recovery is a totally different situation, I think you are entitled to have a dry wedding, especially being that most of your guests are also recovering. I don’t know where everyone is at, but since going sober myself, I can’t stay after the dinner at weddings because it’s too hard for me. And that is my personal choice, I totally own it. There is a huge connection with booze and weddings that can be hard to break no matter how long you’ve been sober. So in your situation I think the whole alcohol thing is sort of in reverse. Meaning if there are some people who really want to drink, they could leave early or do what they want, like sober people do at regular weddings, but I’d assume they’d respect your reasons for not serving alcohol. I know most likely a lot of people won’t agree with me on here but it’s just my perspective

View Quoted Comment You're welcome!

View Quoted Comment Girl, yes! I had no idea I would get such adverse reactions on here, but it was my fault for not mentioning the recovery part in my original post. Thank you so much for your input, and keep up the great work, only amazing things will happen