My husband and I have been planning and are paying for our daughter's wedding. The wedding will be late afternoon with an evening reception at a country club and will include dinner and dancing with a live band. All of the details have been everything the bride and groom desired. Now the couple has decided that they want a non-alcoholic reception. Guests have been invited and there is no turning back. The groom's family are non-drinkers for religious reasons (and I am just recently told, will be offended if there is drinking at the reception) and the bride's family are irish and german catholic and will be greatly offended if there is no drinking. My daughter wants her fiance to be happy and so she and I are both torn between family sides. Everybody is getting upset quickly, please help. We need advice on how to handle this.
(This post was
edited by In Dilemma on Jun 24, 2008, 8:01 AM)
a) ignore the couple's request, and serve alcohol anyway, which will probably create tension with the couple and 1/2 of your guests
b) concede to their request, make them and 1/2 of the guests happy, and risk the other 1/2 being upset
or c) suggest a compromise. How about wine and beer only at the cocktail hour, and non-alcoholic beverages the rest of the time? Or, serve wine just during dinner. There are many variations, and perhaps one of them would make a higher percentage of guests happy?
In any case, do remember that although are the hosts, it is still your daughter's wedding, and she should have a say in the alcohol/no-alcohol decision. Shayna Walker, Williamsburg Wedding Design http://www.williamsburgweddingdesign.com
Great advice. Plus, it is important to remember that a host serves the beverages expected at a certain hour.
It might be a helpful to mention that if those offended with alcohol being served for a function to consider that there may be vegetarians, who may be for religious reasons, in the room as well, who don't usually dictate that others don't eat meat around them.
This really should be an inclusive event. After all, it is a blending of two families. Rebecca Black, Etiquette Now
Non-alcoholic evening reception
