Dry wedding etiquette can be a tricky subject—especially when not all guests respect the guidelines. One bride is dealing with exactly that dilemma after two wedding attendees ignored her alcohol-free rule and nearly wrecked the evening.
She took to Reddit’s “Wedding Forum” to share her experience, explaining that her ceremony had gone beautifully—until things took a turn during the reception. The newlyweds had made it clear the event would be dry, but some guests decided that didn’t apply to them.
“Everything was nearly perfect,” the bride shared. “Except my cousin’s wife showed up clearly drunk by the dancing part of the evening. She was staggering, completely out of it, and creating a scene. My sister spent the whole night trying to contain the chaos.”
Turns out, her cousin and his wife not only brought their own alcohol during dinner but also ordered more via a delivery service as the night went on—leaving empty bottles hidden under their table. Luckily, the bride’s brother-in-law spotted and removed them before the venue manager saw. This was crucial, as the venue charged additional fees and required security if alcohol was found on-site.
Dry wedding etiquette and post-wedding gratitude
The bride was understandably furious. “I knew someone might sneak in alcohol—that sadly feels inevitable—but I never thought they’d be this careless and disrespectful,” she wrote. To make matters worse, the couple never responded to her messages afterward and didn’t offer any apology.
As she prepares to send out thank-you cards, she’s stuck on one question: Should she acknowledge the guests who brought booze and didn’t bring a gift?
“They traveled from out of state, and I was initially grateful they made the trip. But now, I can’t bring myself to thank them for anything,” she admitted in her post.
Dry wedding etiquette vs. guest behavior boundaries
The responses on Reddit were largely supportive, with many encouraging her to skip the thank-you card altogether.
One of the top comments summed it up: “If they didn’t give a gift and made things worse, there’s nothing to thank them for. Don’t spend energy writing to them.”
Others pointed out that a thank-you card could unintentionally suggest forgiveness—or worse, be seen as passive-aggressive if she included her grievances in the note.
“Save your energy. Be the bigger person,” another commenter advised. “If they eventually send a gift, thank them for that. No need to thank them for attending or acknowledge their behavior.”
In the end, handling dry wedding etiquette is about more than just setting boundaries; it’s about upholding respect on both sides of the aisle. When guests fail to meet that standard, brides like this one are left to decide how to gracefully move forward.
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Source: www.people.com
