In a recent Reddit post, A bride to be (OP) shared her plans for her upcoming wedding, and it’s caused quite a stir online.
OP and her fiancé are paying for the wedding themselves, along with the help of her grandmother. The wedding will have around 100-150 guests, including many children. OP and her fiancé do not drink alcohol and have decided to make the wedding dry. However, some family and friends are upset that they will only serve water as an option.
Some commenters supported OP’s decision to have a dry wedding, while others criticized her for not providing beverage options other than water.
“No one is arguing with a dry wedding, lots of people shouldn’t be around alcohol. But if you don’t tell me, it is water only, and I’m leaving the reception and grabbing a 12-pack of Diet Pepsi and plopping it down on my table.”
Is it a Host’s Responsibility to Provide More Than Just Water at Weddings?
One commenter pointed out that as the host and hostess of the wedding, it is their responsibility to take care of their guests and provide more than one drink option, even if the drink option currently being offered can be taken by anyone of any age.
“I know that technically you could be in the right, but here’s the thing about weddings, the marriage ceremony is for you and your fiancé. The wedding is for everyone you’ve invited. It’s an event you’re hosting, and not providing drinks other than water makes you a bad host/hostess.
I’ve been to dry weddings. A couple put real thought and effort into designing mocktails themed around their relationship. It was delightful, and everyone connected to the couple through it. Another couple had a sparkling cider tower instead of champagne, and everyone cheered with cider in flutes.
When you’re hosting an event, your job as a hostess is to take care of your guests. Just because it follows a marriage ceremony doesn’t make you any less the host of an event. And that means providing more than one drink option, primarily non-alcoholic. Especially to an event your guests are incurring expenses to attend and bring gifts to.
YTA (You’re the a**hole), honestly. I fully support a dry wedding, but only water as a beverage is being a cheap host.”
Alternative Wedding Favors: One Couple’s Unique Take on Serving Guests.
While others have suggested that non-alcoholic mocktails could be an excellent option to make the wedding feel celebratory and still adult adding their experience at a dry wedding where the couple had put thought and effort into designing mocktails around their relationship, which made the event memorable.
“I went to a dry wedding (the bride and groom had both struggled with alcoholism) that had three different mocktails to choose from, making it very celebratory and still feel adult. It was a lot of fun.”
However, some commenters agreed with OP’s decision, saying that it was their big day and that OP and her fiancé should be able to make their own choices about what they serve, as long as they are happy. One commenter even shared their wedding experience, where they made their tea blend and gave it to guests with a slice of a wedding cake instead of favors.
“For my wedding, my (now-ex-)husband and I made our blend of tea which we then got made up into teabags with little tags on with our initials and the date, and then at the end of the night gave those to guests in bags with a slice of a wedding cake instead of favors so that they could have a cup of tea with their cake at the end of the night. The marriage didn’t last, but I still genuinely love that idea.”
Ultimately, deciding whether to serve alcohol or soda at a wedding is down to the bride and groom, but when planning the perfect wedding, whose preferences do you prioritize – yours or your guests?
MAN LEFT FUMING AFTER HIS WIFE REFUSES TO ATTEND STEPDAUGHTER’S WEDDING!