MarketingMeasure Content Directory

Dallas, TX – The decision on whether or not you want to provide alcohol to your wedding guests is an important decision. There are many factors that should go in to the decision about whether to serve alcohol at your wedding reception, which at times may even come into conflict with one another.

Here are some of the most important things to think about when working through this question:

Your Preferences

Regardless of what anyone else thinks, your wedding is about you and your future spouse. Accordingly, you need to take your personal preferences into consideration first. If you want to serve alcohol at your wedding reception, do so. Your friends and family who don’t like it can either choose to attend or not to attend.

The same holds true if you don’t want to serve alcohol at your wedding reception, regardless of the reason. Don’t allow friends and family to pressure you into doing something you don’t want to do, just because they think they have a better idea than you of how your wedding day should be.

Cost

Cost is probably the biggest factor in choosing whether or not to serve alcohol at your wedding reception. The fact of the matter is that alcohol is not cheap. You can spend quite a bit of money on alcohol.

Fortunately, there are ways to cut costs here. You can consider serving only beer and wine, or you can limit the bar hours at the reception. Just because you’re on a tight budget doesn’t mean you can’t serve alcohol, but it does mean you may need to get creative about how you serve it and what kind you serve.

State and Local Laws

Obviously, you want to follow local and state statutes when it comes to serving alcohol at your wedding reception. For example, if you want your wedding caterer to serve alcohol, your caterer probably needs to have a stat liquor license. In some states, the requirements may vary, and you may have to hire a special type of provider for the alcohol at your reception.

These regulations may also affect who can or cannot tend the bar. In some areas, for example, the caterer will have to serve the alcohol. In other localities, it may be perfectly fine for someone else to do so. Regardless of the particulars of the law, you should try to make sure you have a professional bartender to serve the alcohol at your reception, as he or she will be able to devote the entire time at the reception to serving alcohol. In addition, a professional bartender is more likely to mix drinks properly, increasing your guests’ satisfaction.

Reception Hall Rules

You also need to know if the site of your reception allows liquor. If your wedding is at a church and you’re planning on having the reception in the church’s fellowship hall, it’s likely you won’t be allowed to serve alcohol at your wedding reception.

Ultimately, whether you choose to serve alcohol at your wedding reception is your decision. Don’t let friends and family pressure you into doing something you don’t want to do on your special day.