Over the last few years there has been an increase in people choosing to live their life alcohol-free (looking at you, Gen-Z’ers!). Whether it’s for religious or cultural reasons, would you extend it to your wedding day? Most people will baulk at the idea of a non-alcoholic wedding, how will they possibly have fun?! But there are ways to incorporate sobriety into your big day.
Firstly, to deter people from drinking you could opt for a ‘brunch wedding’, a very intriguing notion! A brunch wedding is rare, but they consist of an earlier morning ceremony (around 9 or 10am) followed by delicious coffees or herbal teas and a selection of breakfast pastries, you could even include pancakes or churros. Following your breakfast, you can make the celebrations last longer with entertainment, I’m thinking live acoustic music or garden games (why not both?) as well as treating your guests to a garden-party style lunch or BBQ, and the whole day could be finished before tea-time!
To give the illusion of alcohol, there are some great non-alcoholic alternatives of the regular favourites – wine, prosecco, beer, OR you could use mixologists to create some Insta-worthy mocktails. The best part about mocktails is that your guests won’t need to worry about how many they’re having, and they’ll be able to remember the ingredients to recreate them at home! Plus, they’re fun and they look just as good as cocktails. If you have chosen a brunchtime wedding, you could even consider a milkshake or smoothie bar…the possibilities are endless!
One thing for sure is that a lot of your guests will be worried about attending an alcohol-free wedding, it goes against most of what we have ever known. Some may even RSVP no straight away, but that’s something you’ve got to expect if you want an alcohol-free day, don’t take it personally – although I would consider just how good a friend they are to miss your big day… Just make sure that you let your guests know on the invitation that there won’t be any alcohol available, you don’t want them to be disappointed on the day, or to argue with the mixologist over why there is no tequila available!
If you’re worried about how much fun your guests will have, I would think about making the entertainment a focal point (other than your nuptials of course), there may not be much dancing from your guests, but you can always think outside of the box and look to special performers, acoustic musicians, magicians or fairground rides to keep them busy. Group activities could also be on the order of the day, maybe team games or fun group photos.
Food is also a way to wow your guests, personally I would keep it simple but delicious. Pastries and pancakes, followed by picnic-inspired foods or sharing dishes such as tapas or smorgasbord.
Ultimately, you can definitely host a wedding without the booze and it can be as good as any wedding over-flowing with prosecco and pints. Just bear in mind that your guests may be a little more reserved and if you’re choosing traditional wedding-day timings they will probably leave as soon as all the formalities are over, normally the cake cutting. I know people shouldn’t need alcohol to have fun, but people do normally like to have the option at celebratory events.
