The Dilemma: To Serve Or Not To Serve Alcohol
I know a bride and groom with a dilemma: the bride comes from a family where wedding receptions a large joyous celebrations which include alcoholic beverages and champagne toasts. As tradition dictates, her family is paying for the wedding and reception.
The groom, on the other hand, is from a religious background that doesn’t include alcohol in their wedding receptions. Their wedding guests are mostly from the bride’s family and friends, but the couple feels they need to consider how to make their reception accommodating to both groups.
The Solution: BOTH
They have decided to host an early reception, with no alcohol, immediately following their wedding. All guests are invited to enjoy a great buffet, punch and wedding cake, dancing and the like. After two hours, they will have a champagne toast that will open the bar.
Making It Work:
They have appropriately informed their guests through their wedding program that no alcohol will be served during the first two hours of the reception, but will be served the final two hours.
As some of their relatives have strong beliefs about not drinking alcohol, I believe this is a really generous and considerate way of handling what could become a sticky situation. Those guests who have been told about the reception plans have expressed their gratitude to the bride and groom for thinking of them and the children who will be there.
I say, if this is how the bride and groom begin their marriage—by considerately adjusting their plans to accommodate others—theirs is a marriage that will be marked by unselfish love to one another and those important to them.
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Another bunch of religious fanatics who think their beliefs trump everyone else's. Why could they just NOT drink rather than expecting everyone else do as they do?
Ridiculous!
I think the issue here is not the alcohol but respect. Jill's creative compromise is a fantastic way to respect the feelings of all involved. If everyone would consider the other person's wishes (this means both sides) and compromise, weddings in general would be less stressful.