One question you and your partner will need to tackle early in your wedding planning process is whether you’ll be offering guests alcohol.

In some cases, the answer may be a no-brainer. Maybe, because of your personal convictions, serving alcohol simply wouldn’t feel right to you.

Or, maybe the answer is a resounding, “Of course we will.”

If you’re somewhere in the middle, though, and are on the fence about offering alcohol at your wedding, we can help.

We’ve put together some plusses of offering your guests alcohol—and of skipping it.

Plus Sides of Offering Alcohol

To be blunt, if you’re planning an evening affair, many of your guests will be expecting alcohol.

And, there’s a reason couples serve alcohol at their weddings: It can contribute to a more festive reception, a greater sense of fun. Guests who’ve had a drink or two are more likely to mingle and get on the dance floor.

Along the same lines, a cocktail hour is a great transition from your ceremony to the celebrating that takes place during the reception.

You could say that offering drinks is a way of showing your bests you appreciate them. It goes hand-in-hand with serving excellent food.

And, if you’re interested in adding personal touches to your wedding, elements that reflect the personalities of you and your partner, creating a signature cocktail is a nice way to do that.

Alcohol also comes in handy when it’s time for wedding speeches and toasts. Yes, toasts can be done with sparkling cider or juice instead of Champagne, but some may find that non-alcoholic substitutes fall flat.

Serving alcohol can be a significant expense, but you do have options for reining in your costs. If your venue offers beverage packages, you can select the one that works best for your budget, possibly one with more affordable well liquors instead of premium liquor brands. Another option is to offer complimentary beer and wine and skip the liquor—or limit the liquor to one or two signature cocktails.

You also can offer a cash bar instead of an open bar, meaning guests will be expected to pay for their own drinks. A compromise would be to serve complimentary glasses of wine or champagne to welcome guests, or for your toasts, in addition to the cash bar.

Benefits of Skipping Alcohol

For one thing, drinking and serving alcohol may conflict with your personal or religious beliefs. If that’s how you feel, your friends and family will respect that.

And, as we mentioned, alcohol can be costly. Depending on the size of your wedding, offering a full open bar (allowing guests their choice of drinks at no cost to them) costs an average of $2,000 to $4,000. Skipping the alcohol saves you money and allows you to spend more on other areas that are important to you, from wedding videography to your honeymoon.

Other benefits of a dry wedding include:

If you know that someone on your guest list has struggled with alcohol, or is struggling with it now, a dry wedding will allow them to relax and enjoy your wedding without the tug of temptation.

You minimize the risk of alcohol-induced uncomfortable moments, from a tipsy toast-giver to less-than-appropriate behavior.

What’s more, you may not be going for a party feel; you may simply want to share one of the most important days of your life with your loved ones. You absolutely can do that without alcohol. And, if you’re concerned about disappointing guests, you can always hold a brunch wedding, when they’ll be more interested in coffee.

If you go with the no-alcohol option, be sure to offer your guests other beverage options including sodas, juices, iced tea, lemonade, and water. Fruit garnishes would be a nice touch.

Also, you always can offer a signature mocktail, from the Virgin Mojito (lime juice, lime wedges, sugar syrup, mint leaves, soda water) to the No Tequila Sunrise (orange juice and grenadine). Or, you can come up with something creative and unique to your wedding.

Ultimately, your wedding is about you and your partner. Yes, making your guests feel happy and appreciated is important, but you have many options for accomplishing those goals.

The Bell Tower on 34th is an elegant Southeast Texas-based wedding venue with customizable packages serving Houston and the Greater Houston area. Our central location is near The Woodlands, TX; Montgomery, TX; and Tomball, TX.

Contact us to learn more about our event packages.