Wine and Beer!

Okay, I just outed myself as a huge Rent! fan. But seriously, can’t you just imagine La Vie Boheme while thinking of wine and beer? Just me? Okay, we will move on. . .

Let’s talk about the three major alcohol scenarios for your wedding:

1. No Booze at all
2. Wine and Beer
3. Full Bar

Are you wondering which one you should choose? Do you have one in mind (ahem – full bar?) and your venue won’t allow it? Well, I want to go over my thoughts on each of these options, and hopefully that will help you choose what to do.

There is nothing wrong with a Wine and Beer wedding!

1. NO BOOZE AT ALL

I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that the only people who like this option are those who don’t like to drink. Or can’t drink for whatever reason. Look, if you are not drinkers, or you have a conservative background, or are trying to respect some family members who don’t appreciate when other people drink around them, I get that you may want to have a dry wedding. Or maybe you just want to save the money, which is your prerogative.

I will tell you this, though. Your wedding is a celebration. And at most – not all- but most – celebrations, in mainstream American culture, there will be at least a little drinking. If you choose not to serve alcohol, I suggest giving your guests a heads up. Sometimes people expect alcohol and make plans ahead of an event to drink responsibly, like taking a cab instead of driving. If they know ahead of time, they can anticipate taking their own car. I feel that a little note on your website about the dry status will go a long way with guests.

If you choose not to have alcohol to save money, a happy medium to this is to have a cash bar. Now, I am not usually a fan of cash bars, but at least they give those people who want to drink an option, and they save you costs. Again, I would give your guests a heads up about this. Sometimes cash bars are as they say. Cash Bars. And not everyone carries cash these days.

2. WINE AND BEER

I think this is a solid option. I live in Northern California, an area where it is super popular to get married at wineries, and often they only allow wine and beer. Most guests who enjoy drinking will be fine with one of these two drinks. The positive is often you can save money, and also there is less chance that guests will over-indulge. Sometimes I see brides worry that a wine and beer wedding won’t please their guests, but it’s fine. Really.

3. FULL BAR

This is what we had at our wedding. My husband was adamant that we serve all types of alcohol to our guests, because he wanted that “extra” touch. But we also chose a full bar because our venue had no cost savings for a wine and beer package. Funny, as we did get married at a winery! I didn’t complain too much about that, though.

The positive of a Full Bar is you can be sure to please everyone. Unless, of course, you’re not serving a rum snob’s favorite brand, but I guess that one guy will just have to deal for the night. The negatives of course is that your costs may go up, and guests may overindulge. Our venue had rules about shots and doubles, which helped with the later potential risk.

So there you have it. My thoughts are you need to choose what’s right for your guests, your budget, and your vision of your wedding. If you want to choose a happy medium option, no one will mind. The important thing is to give folks a heads up should they be expecting one type of situation and they run into another.

More From Hummingbird Wedding Advice:

Wedding Menu Tips For Feeding Guests With Dietary Restrictions 

Late Night Snack Ideas For Your Wedding

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