Would you expect to pay for pre-wedding drinks as a wedding guest?

Lexxi

I'm having an open bar for during the meal, the bar staff are being told to offer beer or wine only, maybe you could do something like that? If you wanted to pay for it? The other option our hotel had was a welcome drink, where they would have a table set out with a certain drink and guests would get one each, like champagne or bucks fizz or something?

missknixon

Went to a wedding a few years ago where we were given a raffle ticket - had to hand that over for your free drink at any time in the day! For those who didn't want to drink before the ceremony!

aliasojo

Can I just ask....I have never heard of an invite mention anything about drinks before. Is this usual?

I thought invites just mentioned names, place, time etc.

bubbles0169

aliasojo its not usual, ive never been to a wedding like this either(damn!)
i just think if your going to church you wouldnt get a drink so just because theres a bar doesnt mean it should be used
id just want to get to the ceremony and wait for it to start

poppyscorner

At our venue we're making the bar available for guests (and the groom may I add lol) prior to the ceremony BUT we certainly aren't paying for drinks before hand

I think we've given people an option to have a drink if they choose not to thats fine too. We're also supplying post ceremony reception drink wine with meal and sparkling for the toast.

I think as others have said though with it being on the invite it will most likely be an expectation now

xx

Cloves

Funny.... I asked my sister for her opinion of a "perfect" wedding to attend, and she said she would want pre-ceremony drinks and I was saying I have had pre-wedding drinks because it would mean that a) someone would need to herd drinking guests to seats ... and there are always a few stragglers... b) no drunks before the wedding as even started!

But agree - i would expect to pay for my own drinks beforehand

Sammy85_2

I wouldnt expect drinks before the ceremony.

Only a glass of fizz after the ceremony, table wine and a glass of bubbly for the toast.
But saying that, i wouldnt be upset if no drinks were provided at all.

Kildare

If it was on the invite that there were pre-wedding drinks then I would expect that the first one was free. However if I turn up and the bar happens to be open before the ceremony then I would expect to buy my drink. I would leave it off the invite.

minerva_windsong

I'm another one who wouldn't expect drinks before the ceremony - it's something of a tradition in my family that the men at least go to the nearest pub to have a drink or two before the ceremony, but they'd pay for them and certainly wouldn't expect them laid on, even if the whole ceremony was hotel-based.

fran-o

Just following on from what people said about drinks vouchers - a friend hosting a charity event did this with playing cards, which I thought was a neat & thrifty idea! (ie each person gets one playing card which they hand into the barman)