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For most people, a few glasses of good cheer play a central role in celebrating a festive occasion. At a wedding, this often involves a cocktail hour, Champagne toasts, and wine or beer with dinner, at the minimum. But not everyone is so keen on the idea of having a booze-laden wedding, which leads to the question: is a non-alcoholic wedding a do or a don’t?

There can be many reasons to have a “dry” wedding. They may be social, religious, or financial, and they all have validity. On the other hand, there is generally an expectation among wedding guests that the reception will feature a bar (never a cash bar!), unless the bride and groom are known to be from a religion which forbids alcohol. The question for couples can be how to balance out all of the various factors to have the best reception possible.

Some brides and grooms come from religions which either forbid or frown upon drinking to some degree. Obviously, the newlyweds will abstain from alcohol, but does that mean that they should not offer it to their guests? The first thing to weigh is whether or not serving others drinks is forbidden. For instance, some Baptists may choose to avoid consuming alcohol, but that does not necessarily mean that they condemn others for sipping a glass of Champagne at a wedding. In that case, go ahead and offer your guests at least a limited drinks menu. Certainly if your religion regards all alcohol as sinful, do not serve it. When most of the guests come from the same traditions, they will not expect it anyway. It would be nice if the bride or groom could casually mention to friends who may be unaware that your religious beliefs mean that your reception will be dry.

When money is a concern, some couples see the alcohol budget as a potential place to trim expenses. Tread lightly here, because most guests will expect to find a bar at a wedding, and will be mighty disappointed to find that there is no alcohol. Something else to keep in mind is the type of party you hope to have. The reality is that a few drinks tend to loosen up shy guests and get them out on the dance floor, so if the dancing part of your reception is important to you, keep this in mind before deciding not to serve alcohol. For a late afternoon or evening wedding, a good compromise can be to serve a limited menu of a signature cocktail, beer, and wine. This keeps the guests from getting grumpy and keeps your costs reasonable. If you decide that you just cannot swing a bar budget, opt for a morning ceremony followed by a brunch where liquor will be less expected.

Another concern that some people have about serving alcohol is the social aspects. If the groom is a recovering alcoholic, should all alcohol be banned from the wedding? What about the milder concern about guests having a few too many and getting rowdy? Take the specifics into consideration. Unless the recovering alcoholic in the family simply cannot be in the same room with liquor, serve it at the reception, just don’t make it a focus (no signature cocktails, Champagne fountains, or vodka luges, in other words). If your concern is Aunt Matilda in her fancy dress and wedding jewelry getting intoxicated and spoiling your wedding, you are better off assigning someone to keep an eye on her at the reception than canceling the bartender altogether. Keep in mind also that more formal locations will tend to inspire more restrained behavior in most guests than casual ones. To keep everyone on their best behavior, have them wear their finest jewelry and attire for a formal wedding in an elegant venue. This way, everyone can enjoy the wedding, including you.

Bridget Mora writes about wedding planning, etiquette, and style. For the best selection of wedding jewelry for the bride and bridesmaids, visit http://silverlandjewelry.com/. All jewelry orders over $99 receive free shipping.

One thing that can give a wedding reception great style is a signature cocktail. Having a special drink to offer your guests is not only a terrific way to make your reception more unique, it can save you money over a full open bar. This is a wedding signature cocktail finder to help you pick the perfect libation for your reception.

The signature cocktail should always tie in with the theme of your wedding. It can complement the location or style of your event, the season, or even your color palette. This will make it an ideal companion to the rest of the reception, as well as a real style setter. This is a look at some of the more popular signature cocktail ideas, along with which type of wedding they suit.

Fruity tropical drinks. Think daiquiris, margaritas, and pina coladas. Anything with pineapple or coconut is also good. This type of signature cocktail is just right for a destination wedding where the bride wears beach theme wedding jewelry and a steel drum or mariachi band plays. Tropical drinks are also a marvelous idea when you are planning a beach theme wedding at home, along with the right bridal gown, jewelry, and decor, a fruity drink will help to transport your guests to the beach.

A martini bar. This is the ideal signature drink for a sophisticated evening reception. Picture the groom in black tie and the bride in a slinky charmeuse gown with crystal chandelier earrings sipping on martinis. To make it more fun for your guests, have a martini bar set up where guests can get a variety of different versions, such as dirty, with olives, and flavors like lemondrop or appletini. When making martinis, it is important to use a good brand of vodka, since the flavor of the alcohol will be more evident than in a drink with a heavy mixer, like the aforementioned tropical drinks.

Planter’s punch. This mixture of rum, grenadine, and fresh fruit juices is wonderful for a lazy summer afternoon. It would be the ideal signature cocktail for an outdoor reception in an elegant garden, as it evokes gracious times gone by. Definitely the top choice for any wedding which is being hosted on the porch of an old mansion! This is a good one to serve at a wedding when you want to create an atmosphere of old timey elegance.

Colorful drinks. Sometimes the color of a signature cocktail is what makes it perfect for your wedding. Work with a bartender to come up with a drink in your wedding color. It can be anything from purple to pink to apple green or even bright blue, depending on what additions they make to your base alcohol. Testing the samples can be pretty fun, too!

Seasonal drinks. In the autumn, a spiced cider with a dash of rum would be a nice signature drink, or go for a crisp peppermint infused cocktail for the winter months. Festive eggnog would also be wonderful for a holiday wedding. One bonus is that if you are trying to keep your bar bill low, eggnog is too filling for anyone to drink in large quantities. Whichever drink you choose as your signature, be sure to present it in a fun and festive way to make it feel extra special. Cheers!

Bridget Mora writes for Silverland Jewelry about wedding design, etiquette, and fashion. Having a destination wedding? Treat yourself to festive beach wedding jewelry.