A wedding guest took to Reddit to share their disappointment after attending a friend’s celebration that featured no alcohol — and, to their surprise, no dancing either.
Posting in a wedding drama forum, the guest said they were initially unbothered by the alcohol-free setup, but the realization that there would be no dancing turned the evening into what they described as “a long night.”
“For context, I’ve been to many (50 or so) dry weddings before due to cultural and religious norms outside the USA. However, those weddings compensated for alcohol with a great time on the dance floor,” the guest explained.
“We were shocked to learn that no alcohol is served during cocktail hour or throughout the night,” they continued. “I didn’t mind this, but once the reception started and I saw people sitting and drinking coffee, I knew we were doomed.”
The guest added that they had driven a long distance to attend and had been excited for the event — only to feel let down by the subdued atmosphere.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(1371x209:1373x211):format(webp)/Bored-woman-eating-dinner-101325-dbb3f9e06dc94460ae2a8e53e9ce65a2.jpg)
“What made this worse is that we had no idea since it wasn’t written on the invite or wedding website,” they wrote. “I’m not sure what’s an acceptable wedding gift after this encounter.”
In the comments, opinions were split. Some Reddit users argued that the couple didn’t owe guests any kind of “warning,” while others felt that guests should at least be informed so they could plan accordingly.
“If people knew that they won’t be drinking they would have probably planned the night differently — calling a car vs. driving yourself, getting a hotel room vs. knowing you’ll be safe to drive home, getting an overnight babysitter vs. just a few hours,” one commenter wrote. “It’s about informing, not ‘warning.’”
Others felt that while alcohol isn’t necessary, some form of entertainment should be offered at a reception.
“I think it’s odd to expect people to just sit and chat for several hours,” one person commented. “I’ve seen short weddings with no dancing, or weddings with no dancing but other activities like games.”
Another user added: “As someone who will likely have a dry wedding, I don’t think it should be considered tacky not to serve alcohol. There are so many reasons why someone would want to have a dry wedding. That said, I do actually think it’s a good idea to let people know in advance.”
