Open bar with habitual drinkers..

Agree with the bartender.

We have a few family/friends who are heavy drinkers. We will be asking our bartender to limit them and asking security to watch them. If something were to happen to them or they end up damaging property it is our liability.

Bartender.

We aren't having alcohol (not for that reason but others). Considering your guests, you may simply not want to have alcohol at all and avoid the drama all together.

The bartender that works at our venue is instructed to cut people off if they are too drunk. They also will not serve shots.

I'd like to be optimistic, and say that these adults in your life will be about to hold it together and not go crazy at your wedding, but setting boundaries with the bartender might be a great place to start

Hire a bartender. Their job is to monitor and cut off anyone who is close to overindulging. If anything, hire security for your reception hours to escort any violent or raucous guests.

I've been to weddings where guests were binge drinking and when the bartender cut them off and gave them coffee and water it was all good. Unless they Hulk-out just have well trained bartenders

Agree with the above. Just talk to your bartender/venue and let them know how you want things handled.

I have a couple of people coming to my wedding like that and I have the same worries. I talked to my venue and they don't serve shots which I am hoping will help and they also have security in case it gets to a point that they need to leave. I am sure it will be fine though because we have a professional bartender that should be able to determine if someone needs to be cut off.

Bartender! Ours was required by our venue to monitor guests drinking and cut people off if needed to. H and I both have family and friends who looooooove to drink. Seriously. No one was cut off the entire night and everyone was nice and tipsy. You’d be surprised!

I agree with PP's about bartenders, it really is your best bet. Just had an additional note. You never know who is going to over imbibe at party/wedding. I recently went to a wedding where I witnessed sainted teetotalling aunties get absolutely blottoed (It was an open bar with very little supervision).

Ask your venue. I have no problem cutting people off on the weekends. Had to do it this weekend.....the guest was not too happy with me. It really doesn't happen very often.

Thank you for all the advice!

I have the same issue with close friends, I am going to rely on my bartenders to keep this under control. As PP's have said I am not allowing shots nor am I allowing drinks like Vodka on the rocks. I am hoping that everyone can let loose and have a blast without getting sloppy fall down drunk.

As others have said, a licensed bartender will know when to cut them off. If it is a cash bar/dry wedding they WILL find a way to drink, most likely by sneaking out to the car. Do you want the liability of that or would you rather have a licensed professional be responsible for the alcohol intake?

IDK - there's really only so much a bartender can do. Once a person is drunk, it's not like they become undrunk after drinking a glass of water. I would just serve beer and wine if you are that concerned.

Don't do shots; most of our venues don't allow them anyway.

Hire good bartenders, but absolutely point out all the potential drunks so they know to treat the differently. Kidding. Good, pro bartenders know when to cut people off.

Dry weddings/cash bars do nothing to control this.

It states in our wedding contracts that we don't serve shots or shooters......I do love the creativity of some people when they find out our policy and how they try to ask for one. The only problem is sometimes the guest in question hadn't come to the bar for a drink.....someone else will get them drinks. I swear the girl I cut off on Saturday had not come to the bar that I could recall. Once I would not serve her she went to my son...(works as a bartender too) and she ask's "how long is she going to be like that...." to which my son responded....."a loooonnngg time!" But, in all seriousness have a bartender, indicate no shots and Trust your vendors.

People who are this determined to get super drunk will do so whether they're paying or not. Hire a bartender. Don't punish your other guests.

Wine and beer only, do not even allow them to purchase hard alcohol...that is what we are doing.

Our reception is only 4 hours including dinner from the time the ceremony gets out, so I could not see beer and wine getting people that hammered.

We are not doing hard alcohol at all, that is where the problems come in.

Honestly there's not much you can do. I have never been cut off and I've been really really drunk at weddings. You have to practically be falling down to get cut off so saying the bartender will handle it doesn't help much. Maybe have another family member keep an eye on them and tell the bartender to cut them off.