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Invites and Paper
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Should I ask our guests to come early on the invite so they can have a welcome drink?

alisonwatsonalisonwatson
in Invites and Paper
Ceremony is at 3, but we'll be serving welcome drinks (champagne and non-alcoholic beverages) prior to the ceremony.  It has been ages since I've been to a wedding myself.  Do people nautrally show up far enough ahead of time that they'll be able to have a drink?
Our invitations are informal and lighthearted so I could put in a sweet little fyi-ish note that they can come a little early for a drink before the wedding.
Or is say a 2:30 arrival for a 3 PM ceremony a forgone conclusion? 
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Re: Should I ask our guests to come early on the invite so they can have a welcome drink?

  • GoodLuckBear14GoodLuckBear14
    Put the time of the ceremony start on the invitation.  If you put it earlier, people will be ticked.
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  • Jen4948Jen4948
    I've never seen "welcome drinks" at wedding ceremonies and wouldn't do this with alcohol myself as I wouldn't want to risk guests drinking too much before the ceremony.

    A while back there was a thread on someone offering hot drinks like coffee, tea, and hot chocolate before a daytime ceremony in the winter to warm people up, which I wouldn't have a problem with.

    I've also never seen guests get to the wedding that early.  The start time is the start time.
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  • tiny specktiny speck
    I agree, just put the start time of the ceremony on the invitation. If you want, you could include an insert saying that welcome drinks will be served before the ceremony, and that should give people an idea of what to expect. Then they can choose to come early for a drink, or not.
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  • alisonwatsonalisonwatson
    Thanks everyone.  I wasn't trying to trick people into coming early.  The start time is 3 PM, hence the question about letting our guests know they are welcome to a glass of champagne, or the array of non-alcoholic drinks we are also offering (Mexican Coke, 6 flavors of Jarritos soda), if they arrive a little before the ceremony.  I'm sure our very competent caterer and her waitstaff/barender will keep an eye on consumption.  That is not my concern.  

    Our wedding is quite small and more than half of the people attending the ceremony and reception (all at the same venue) will be at the rehersal dinner.  Perhaps I'll just go by word of mouth. 
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  • Ophelia0326Ophelia0326
    I would just put something like "Pre-ceremony cocktails will be served at 2:30" (or even just 'cocktails served at x') if you want people to show up then. Then everybody's happy.
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  • JoanE2012JoanE2012
    edited March 2013
    Honestly, pre ceremony soda doesn't sound too enticing.  And I wouldn't have champagne (or any alcoholic beverages) before the ceremony.   Our venue handed out champagne to everyone as they left the ceremony and moved into cocktail hour.  It also seemed more appropriate to serve the champagne after the celebratory occasion happened.   Save the drinks for the cocktail hour!
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  • alisonwatsonalisonwatson
    Thanks for your input, but we are serving welcome drinks.  In our minds the whole event is a celebration.  We aim to be good hosts, and the first thing I ask a guest in my home is if they'd like a drink!  Our ceremony and reception will be at the same location, so I am going to trust my 40 cloest friends and family members not to get hammered before our ceremony!  And thank you for your insight B2Z728 and your suggestion Ophelia0326. 

    We're getting married at a venue that was built on a Spanish land grant in the 1800's.  My fiance is Mexican and we're having a mariachi band play until we sit down for dinner.  I'm serving imported Mexican soda that comes in a glass bottle (something we love - and somethinig that is pretty de rigueur if you're eating at a taqueria) and a California sparkling wine.  It's all keeping with theme.  We are happy with our choice.  We know our guests well enough to know they will be happy to have a drink, alcoholic or not, before the ceremony.     
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  • banana468banana468 member
    I like the idea of putting the the start time on the invitation but include an enclosure card indicating that welcome cocktails begin at X time.

    Friends of ours did this and it went VERY well.   The  venue opened about a half hour before the ceremony and I was able to watch the event while sipping my wine.    I was a happy girl.
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  • alisonwatsonalisonwatson
    Thanks banana468!  That's what I'm hoping for.  
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