Small wedding must haves???

Make sure you're budgeting out for food and bar as well. Many people have done candles as centerpieces to cut down on floral costs and it looks nice. Also a DJ/musician should be included in your budget as well as invites.

View Quoted Comment Candles would be a great idea!!! We’ve decided not to do a bar! But you’re right, I can not forget the rest! Thank you!

Keep the guest list small, look for diy stuff on sale, even at the dollar store, don't let people change your mind about the bar. It is a very hot topic here. Look on Pinterest for ideas. Take you vision and write it as a check list. Check stuff off. Stick to your budget and enjoy. I was on a very tight budget myself so I know the feeling.

View Quoted Comment Worst idea ever with the bar.

My advice: have a bar, even if it’s just beer and wine, or expect guests to beat feet towards the door at their earliest opportunity.


t’s likely that there will be posters telling you not to worry about alcohol. They’re incorrect.

She’s decided not to do a bar, that’s her choice. A bar isn’t a necessity. I think candles would look great. Food and regular drinks are very important and usually takes up a significant portion of the budget. Flowers are usually pricey but you could always save by buying from a store that has lower prices instead of a florist. Also remember that music of some sort is needed, so you could need a DJ. I’m not able to think of much else off the top of my head...

Sorry not doing a bar! We don’t need alcohol to have a good time. I’m only inviting family and close friends. Plus my fiancé does not drink at all and neither does his parents! I also do not like to drink that much. We will not be going with a bar no matter what anyone says! You aren’t changing my mind 😊

Call me a prude or whatever else. We don’t need alcohol to have fun!

View Quoted Comment We are thinking of going with silk flowers and heavy h'orderves for the food. We are going to have sweet tea, lemonade and water for the drinks. My family also has a lot of kids so not having alcohol is necessary. Thank you for the tips! I think to save money we will do candles in the mason jars.

View Quoted Comment I didn’t see the idea “not to have a bar” on a poster! It was my idea. My fiancé doesn’t drink and neither does most of his family. I like to drink occasionally but don’t enjoy the feeling of being drunk! There will be a lot of kids at my wedding and I don’t feel comfortable mixing a bunch of drunk people in with children. Just my point of view! To each it’s own! The way I see it I’m saving myself from spending hundreds of extra dollars and from having to have people do dumb things at my wedding from being drunk!

View Quoted Comment Also the sooner they leave the sooner we get to leave!

View Quoted Comment Facepalm. Poster = people responding to this post. You do you, boo.

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OP, she was saying a "poster" as in someone else who posts, not a paper poster. You will get tons of people here telling you that not having a bar is rude.

No one is trying to be rude to you (and not saying you are rude), they just want you to have a great wedding reception, as most of us have gone to receptions without alcohol and it turned out to be a very very boring one, and lots of people left early. They are just trying to spare you disappointment if people leave early. Just take their advice in the spirit it is meant. Good Luck

I wasn’t trying to sound rude at all. My fiancé’s side of the family is filled with preachers as well. There is just no choice of having alcohol for us. We don’t want it. If people leave because there isn’t any, then they are welcome to hit the door. I know my family and close friends will be happy no matter what we have! We plan on having the reception early anyways. People can go get drinks afterwards if they’d like or bring their own and keep it in their cars. We just do not have the money to buy it for everyone and we will not be doing it! I appreciate all the advice and the concerns that people will leave early, but it will be okay! Also my best friends husbands best man got so drunk at theirs that someone had to carry him to the car and take him home after he hit on his wife in front of everyone! I just don’t think it’s a good idea. If people leave early that means we get to go ahead and start the honeymoon 😊

You need a full meal and a bar (or beer and wine).

You are not going to find support here for a dry wedding.

Okay 😊 thanks for the advice!

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I really hope you aren't going thru the time and expense of planning a wedding with the idea that "the sooner it's over the better." If that's the case just elope and save all the time and money. I am not saying this to hurt your feelings, but point out that if you just want to leave, maybe you're planning the wrong kind of party for your personalities.

If you want an in and out affair, have the ceremony and a quick cake and punch reception, or brunch - just be CLEAR with your guests that's what your doing.

I will repeat something I have seen in similar threads - the ceremony is for the couple, the reception is to thank your guests for coming to the ceremony. It's less about if you drink and more about if you have guests who do.

If a chunk of the guest list (FH's family) doesn't drink than may I suggest doing a bar by consumption, where you only get charged for what's consumed, rather than a by the hour/guest where you get charged a flat bar charge even if 40% of your guests don't drink...

I never said that’s what I wanted! I understand that’s what a reception is for, but my guests aren’t paying the bill! I’m not going to pay for alcohol if only 10 of my guests are going to drink. I get what you are saying! I wasn’t saying I didn’t want to be there and couldn’t wait to leave, I was saying that if they chose to leave for the simple fact that I don’t want alcohol then they can leave and if everyone leaves for that reason then so be it. I am not serving my guests alcohol to worry about how they got home drunk. I don’t feel comfortable having alcohol even if it is only 10 people that would drink. I am going to have a ton of kids at my wedding. I want my reception to be more family oriented, not party orientated.

No full meal and no bar? Yikes does not sound like a good time. Maybe plan for a 2pm-4pm cake and punch like reception. You already mentioned that you will be ready to bounce, so pick a shirt and sweet reception style like cake and punch.

View Quoted Comment We’ve actually changed our mind about the food. We are now serving a full meal with tea, water, and lemonade. But it will be a “dry wedding”! Thanks for the advice