Serving Alcohol At Your Wedding Reception – 3 Things to Consider
August 18, 2008 by BellaB
The question of serving alcohol at the wedding reception is always one of the difficult decisions to make for couples who are planning to get married. Since a wedding is a celebration of your union as husband and wife, most wedding guests expect alcoholic drinks to be served at the wedding reception. However, if you and your partner decide not to serve alcohol at your wedding reception, be assured that there is nothing wrong with your decision. However, serving alcohol at your wedding reception entails responsibility, extra cash, and obligations to your guests.
Here are the top 3 things to consider if you decide to serve alcohol at your wedding reception:
Location of Your Wedding Reception
There are wedding reception halls that prohibit the serving of alcohol. There are also some who oblige you to take one of the alcohol plans they offer if you will be serving alcohol at your wedding reception. It is best to inquire before your sign the contract for your wedding reception location. If you plan to have your wedding reception at home or at your friend’s home, it is still you and your partner’s decision whether to serve alcohol or not.
Strict Drinking and Driving Laws
After choosing the location of your wedding reception, consider the state laws where your wedding reception will take place. Remember, your guests will go home after the party and most of them will drive back home. If you plan to serve alcohol at your wedding reception, consider this fact because you have a responsibility to make your guests go home safely. You will not have any problem if your wedding reception is held in a hotel where your guests are all checked in and they do not need to worry about driving home after the wedding reception.
Open Bar or Cash Bar?
Another issue that you and your fiancée need to decide when serving alcohol at your wedding reception is if you are going to have an “open bar” where the alcoholic drinks are served free or a “cash bar” where guests will pay for their own drinks. Serving alcohol at your wedding reception entails extra cash on your wedding budget. It is true that it will be a little awkward if you will oblige your guests to pay for their own drinks. The safer side for this dilemma is to have some complimentary drinks for the first two hours of the reception and after that the guests will be on their own. This technique will not only save you from the responsibility of your guests’ alcohol consumption but it also enables you to save the extra cash that you would have spent for an open bar for the rest of the evening.
