This guide covers how to enjoy weddings as a guest without derailing your health goals. You will learn what to drink at every stage of the celebration and how to navigate different bar setups.
The Wedding Drinking Timeline
Understanding the typical wedding structure helps you plan your drinking strategy:
Pre Ceremony (Optional)
Some venues offer drinks before the ceremony. Best strategy: skip this entirely or have just water. The day is long.
Cocktail Hour
Usually 1 hour, heavy appetizers, open bar. This is where overindulgence often begins.
Strategy: Maximum 2 drinks. Focus on eating protein from passed appetizers.
Dinner Service
Wine with dinner, champagne toast. Usually 1.5 to 2 hours.
Strategy: One glass of wine with dinner, one champagne toast. Skip the refills.
Dancing and Late Night
Open bar continues, late night snacks. 2 to 4 hours depending on the wedding.
Strategy: Switch to vodka sodas or take alcohol breaks with water between drinks.
Best Drinks by Bar Type
Full Open Bar
Maximum options, maximum temptation. Order strategically:
| Drink | Calories | Strategy |
|---|---|---|
| Vodka Soda | 97 | Your go to for the dancing portion |
| Gin and Diet Tonic | 97 | Sophisticated cocktail hour choice |
| Champagne | 95 | For toasts and celebrations |
| Dry Wine | 120 | Appropriate with dinner |
| Whiskey Neat | 97 | Sip slowly through speeches |
Beer and Wine Only
Many weddings limit options to beer and wine for budget reasons:
- Best beer: Light options if available (Michelob Ultra, Miller Lite)
- Best wine: Dry whites (Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio) or Pinot Noir for reds
- Avoid: Sweet wines, heavy craft beers
Signature Cocktails Only
Some weddings offer only the couple’s signature drinks. These are often high calorie choices:
- If one option is clearly lighter: Stick to that all night
- If both are sweet: Ask if they have vodka soda or wine as alternatives
- Last resort: Drink signature cocktail slowly, switch to water between
Cocktail Hour Survival
Cocktail hour is the highest risk period. An hour of open bar with nothing else to do leads to multiple drinks.
Smart Cocktail Hour Strategy
- Start with water: Get a sparkling water first; you are probably thirsty from the ceremony
- One drink, then food: Get your drink, then focus on appetizers
- Protein first: Shrimp, beef skewers, cheese before the carbs
- Second drink near the end: Time it so you are finishing as dinner starts
- Stay in motion: Walk around and socialize rather than parking at the bar
Cocktail Hour Drink Picks
- Champagne: Celebratory, appropriate, portion controlled
- Vodka soda: Clean, light, easy to drink slowly
- Dry white wine: Pairs with appetizers
Dinner Service Strategy
Wine service at the table creates pressure to keep drinking. Here is how to handle it:
Wine Pouring Protocol
- Request water: Have a water glass on the table and drink from it visibly
- Partial refills: It is acceptable to stop the server with wine still in your glass
- Glass position: Move your wine glass away from the edge to discourage automatic refills
- One and done: Have one glass with dinner, switch to water for toasts
The Champagne Toast
Champagne toasts are non negotiable at most weddings. It is one glass:
- 95 calories for a standard pour
- Raise your glass, take a sip, you do not have to finish it
- Nobody tracks whether you drain your champagne
Dancing Phase Strategy
The after dinner phase is when drinking often accelerates. Use these tactics:
Dance Floor Advantages
- Dancing burns calories (offset some drink calories)
- You cannot drink while dancing (natural break)
- Sweat means you need water (legitimate reason to skip alcohol)
Bar Trip Management
- Every other bar trip should be for water or club soda
- Vodka soda looks like a cocktail but is your lightest option
- Nurse drinks slowly; you do not need to keep up with the party crowd
Total Wedding Calorie Budget
Here is what smart wedding drinking looks like:
Conservative (500 to 600 Drink Calories)
- Cocktail hour: 2 champagnes or vodka sodas (190 cal)
- Dinner: 1 glass wine (120 cal)
- Toast: Champagne (95 cal)
- Dancing: 2 vodka sodas (194 cal)
- Total: ~600 calories
Moderate (700 to 900 Drink Calories)
- Cocktail hour: 2 drinks (200 to 250 cal)
- Dinner: 2 glasses wine (240 cal)
- Toast: Champagne (95 cal)
- Dancing: 3 drinks (300 cal)
- Total: ~850 calories
What Most People Do (1,200+ Drink Calories)
- Cocktail hour: 3 to 4 drinks (400+ cal)
- Dinner: Bottle of wine at the table (400+ cal)
- Toast: Champagne (95 cal)
- Dancing: 4 to 5 drinks (400+ cal)
- Total: 1,300+ calories
Special Situations
You Are in the Wedding Party
Getting ready drinks and photos add extra drinking time:
- Champagne while getting ready is tradition but not mandatory
- Hold a glass for photos without drinking much
- Your main job is supporting the couple, not getting drunk
Destination Wedding
Multi day destination weddings require extra discipline:
- Welcome party, rehearsal dinner, wedding, day after brunch: that is 4 drinking occasions
- Pick one or two to indulge, stay conservative at others
- Hydrate extra in tropical destinations
You Know Few People
Social anxiety leads to over drinking:
- A drink in hand provides social comfort
- Make it a vodka soda or water with lime (looks identical)
- Focus on the non drinking aspects: dancing, photos, food
Recovery Planning
During the Wedding
- Eat throughout the event
- Stay hydrated with water between drinks
- Stop drinking an hour before you plan to leave
Before Bed
- Big glass of water
- Electrolyte tablet or powder if available
- Light snack with protein
Next Morning
- More electrolytes
- Protein rich breakfast
- Light movement helps recovery
Conclusion
Weddings do not have to be diet disasters. With strategic drink choices and reasonable pacing, you can celebrate joyfully while keeping calories under control. Champagne, vodka sodas, and dry wine are your allies throughout the day. The keys are planning your approach, staying hydrated, and remembering that the day is about the couple, not maximizing your open bar value.
Use our DrinkLeader database to look up specific drinks and plan your wedding guest strategy.
Nutritional values based on standard servings. Wedding pours often exceed standards. If driving, arrange transportation and drink responsibly.
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