Planning an Alcohol-Free Wedding
16 July 2025Whether you’d just like to avoid any drunkenness or if you’re teetotal but still want you and your guests to have a great wedding day, this blog is for you. I’ll look at ways to replace the usual alcoholic drink parts of most weddings, along with tips on how to approach it with your guests.
It can seem like most family wedding stories involve some sort of alcohol fuelled moment of madness; there’s a reason Peter Kay’s drunken ‘uncle Nobhead’ resonates with so many people. If the idea of your family/friends together with alcohol fills you with dread, know that you are not alone. There’s a step you can take to avoid the whole problem in the first place: have an alcohol-free wedding.
It’s important to remember … booze-free doesn’t mean boring! A wedding without alcohol can still be a lot of fun!
Broaching the subject
How do you approach your ‘no alcohol’ decision with family and friends? One way is not to draw too much attention to it, replace the alcohol with non-alcoholic drinks. Let them figure it out for themselves!
Another is to explain in your invitations that you’ve made the decision to go alcohol-free and you’d very much appreciate everyone’s understanding. Bear in mind that the second option starts conversations about why you’ve made the decision. I’d avoid this approach unless you’re prepared to answer those awkward questions.
Swaps: simple yet successful
I like the idea of just swapping out alcoholic drinks for booze-free ones. I’ve worked on a few weddings where, rather than having fizz post-ceremony, we offered tea, coffee and juice. This worked well with them, and no one commented on why there was no booze. Another wedding had lots of different flavoured juices, which was fantastic for their family-friendly day.
A mix of mocktails
I love the idea of serving alcohol-free cocktails, or mocktails. You see this a lot at teen birthday parties/proms, yet not so often in a wedding setting. Jugs or bottles of themed or named drinks can look fabulous on a wedding breakfast table or on a mocktail bar. You can still mix a mocktail in a fancy way if you want to bring in a cocktail professional. And you know it doesn’t matter who drinks what, as they’re all family-friendly.
Tea, anyone?
Afternoon Teas are increasingly being offered instead of the traditional wedding breakfast. It’s a great way to introduce an alcohol-free meal without any fuss. Plus, it has a sophisticated feel, so guests often approach it in a slightly more ‘adult’ way. You only need tea and coffee with a bit of juice for the kids.
Drinking alcohol-free options is increasingly popular. (There are whole aisles of options have appeared in the supermarkets!) If your guests want beer or lager, make sure your bar is stocked with alcohol-free, 0% versions. Are you having a winter wedding and want to offer mulled wine? There’s a booze-free version of that too.
There are other winter wedding options you could try including a hot chocolate station. It’s perfect for warming up on a chilly night and you can offer lots of ‘toppings’ to fun it up. Consider marshmallows, sprinkles, whipped cream or add some spice like ginger or chili.
Whatever your plans for a booze-free wedding, it doesn’t have to mean a boring wedding. By keeping the focus on other things, most people will forget there’s no alcohol and just enjoy the company. And if you’d like any expert help with planning your booze-free wedding, let’s talk.
