Alcohol is a big part of many big celebrations in life, including weddings. People enjoy sipping on wine while mingling with family they haven't seen in years, or popping open a bottle of champagne while the bridal party is getting ready together. Just like food, alcohol is used as a way to celebrate and enjoy those bigger moments in life.
At our wedding venue, when couples decide to offer alcohol at their wedding, after the ceremony has concluded, the bar will open and the guests will transition into a cocktail or social hour. During that time, the bride and groom will take post-ceremony pictures and guests will socialize, have a cocktail and maybe even play a few games while they wait for their cue to enter into the reception area. It's the perfect "activity" until the main meal is served.
We carry a liquor license which means we can offer beer, wine and cocktails for receptions. While most couples go with just beer and wine, we do see that offering cocktails is a big hit and there isn't usually any left at the end of the night. Cocktails can range from the traditional rum and coke, a margarita for those warmer-weathered weddings, or even a specialty cocktail created by the bride and groom. Those are always fun because they have the opportunity to come up with some cute, play-on-words name for their cocktail.
As part of the job, I like to taste the drinks ... just to make sure nothing is "off" about them and that we are providing the best for our wedding guests. Obviously. And while taste and satisfaction is at the top of the list of priorities, safety comes right above it. Regulating alcohol intake for wedding guests, and keeping the "environment" safe is one of the main priorities of a wedding venue owner and their bartenders. Of course, we all want everyone to have a great time, and enjoy the drinks, food, and dancing, but we (venue owners) and the newly married couple, want to ensure that friends and family arrive safely at their homes at the end of the night.
When meeting with my couples, "to have or not to have" (alcohol) is always a big question or topic of discussion for couples. Couples enjoy beer and wine as much as the next person, but having alcohol at a wedding isn't just about the couple. When clients come into my office and we discuss having alcohol at their weddings, my main response is "only you know your guests." What I mean by this is, does your guest list include a lot of friends that you know could get out of hand quickly? Does the family struggle with alcoholism? These aren't things I know about your family, only the bride and groom know the people being invited to the wedding and whether they think bringing alcohol into the situation would put someone (or the damage deposit) at risk. We all know that when we've had too much, our judgement is skewed...will your fun bridal party think that jumping off the bridal swing at top speed sounds like the best idea of the night?
I will say this, out of all the weddings we've hosted at our wedding venue, we honestly don't see many issues. Most people come to weddings, enjoy a few drinks casually and that is enough for them. But occasionally things get pushed a little too far. Previously, we've allowed shots to be given from the bar. Notice the word "previously." It is now a rule that shots will not be given by the bar, and since outside alcohol is not allowed at our venue, taking shots on our property should not be happening. I have seen that allowing guests to take shots "escalates" very quickly.
Ok, are you ready for personal story time? Before I proceed, let me say that the details and characters of this story have been changed to protect those involved. When Bryant and I have a rule, there is a always a good reason for it. When we bought the venue, in the beginning stages (before I knew anything and was seeing things through my rose-colored glasses), I was very flexible. I still am, but in a different way. I didn't want a bunch of signs hanging up in the venue with writing about what people can or can't do like "Employees only" or "Please don't drive on the grass", but like I said...there is ALWAYS a reason for the rule and it's usually because of a lesson learned. The "no shots will be served" comes right from a lesson learned. So...... we had a wedding where we were serving shots from the bar. Things were going good, everyone was having fun and almost everyone was dancing. I love when people dance at weddings (it's fun to watch!). Whelp, before I know it, I can see a small group of people gathered around someone at the patio. I think I was in the building starting my cleanup and just happen to look out the windows to see what everyone was doing - I was probably having FOMO. When I see people gathered, I immediately had a small panic and walked down to see what was going on. Apparently, someone from the wedding party had several shots and it caught up to them pretty fast. This person was laid out on the concrete, almost completely passed out and those that love her were freaking out. Of course I wanted this particular person to be ok, but I also knew that this was one of those situations where she needed to eat something, drink some water and sober up. Whelp, before I know it, an ambulance, firetruck and a couple of police cars are arriving at the venue. Someone got really concerned and decided that this person needed medical attention. Again, I knew this person was going to be ok and needed to sober up...but all I could think about is "everyone is driving down the road wondering "what is going on at The Burch?!" and also, where do we stand liability wise? We live in a small town and word gets around fast...those facebook groups are something serious when news needs to be spread. Anyway, this person was fine and got some liquids and slept it off. Present day....no shots at The Burch!
As usual, I've gone down a rabbit trail..but my point is... if you think offering alcohol, even if it's just beer and wine, at your wedding will bring issues or potential issues to your wedding day, then it might be best to have a dry wedding. Guests can drink sodas and sweet tea, and I promise they will be fine. That "incident" was literally the only one we've seen and all other weddings have been completely fine. Sometimes, things just get out of hand and you have to know your "audience." Luckily, we have the best bartenders who are not afraid to cut someone off, and we have plenty of staff at our weddings to help keep everyone safe!
Until next time...
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