Forget Champagne toasts — Gen Z is raising a glass of soda instead.
As wedding season heats up, younger couples are throwing tradition out the window — and tossing open bars out with it.
Dry weddings and cash bars are now all the rage among Gen Z brides and grooms, who say that complaining about a booze-free bash is not only outdated — it’s downright tacky.
“So the younger generation on TikTok is vehemently defending cash bars at wedding receptions,” wrote X user @hotdamhistorian, “and suggesting people who look forward to two drinks at a wedding are perhaps alcoholics.”
The post, which has racked up more than 1.3 million views, sparked a firestorm hotter than a backyard BBQ in July.
“I assumed making guests PAY for refreshment at a wedding reception was tacky, when you’re already making them pay for travel, lodging, and outfit, etc.,” the poster added.
“A reception was about HOSTING a party, but I guess that’s not true.”
Still, they admitted that “dry weddings are fine” — just don’t expect guests to cough up cash for cocktails.
“People across the world have been having banger dry weddings for centuries,” they said.
For Gen Z, the key is transparency.
“I just want to know what I’m walking into in advance,” wrote Wes Ambrecht, aka @iamwesley, in the April 21 thread.
“If it’s a cash bar or a dry wedding, put that somewhere on your wedding website.”
The original writer agreed, comparing it to vegetarians needing a heads-up about the menu.
Others were even more blunt: “Complaining that you didn’t get free booze after receiving a formal meal and party where you are a GUEST with live music and entertainment is what’s tacky, actually,” chimed in one commenter.
Some guests are so confused, they’re missing out on the party altogether.
“One of my Gen Z friends wasn’t drinking much at my wedding bc he thought that we had to pay for each individual drink,” someone recalled.
“He got so excited when I told him I already wrote the open bar check so he might as well go wild.”
The clash comes as Gen Z embraces more sober-curious lifestyles — and rethinks what it means to be a good host.
TikToker @alannavizzoni drew flak on April 16 for insisting dry weddings were “unacceptable,” arguing, “It doesn’t matter what you want, it’s about hosting. You have to have certain things for your guests. Alcohol and food and music should be, like, the most important things.”
But commenters were quick to clap back.
“Insists she’s not an alcoholic while talking about how alcohol is fundamental to parties and comparing it to primary needs such as food lol okay,” snarked one user.
“It’s weird if you can’t have fun at a wedding without alcohol,” added another.
“As someone who doesn’t drink, watching the open bar vs. no open bar debate happening on wedding TikTok rn is fascinating,” noted an additional TikTok user.
“[What do you mean] you’re not going to a wedding simply because they’re not providing alcohol?”
Someone else went for the jugular: “If somebody invites you to their wedding and they say, oh, it’s a dry wedding, and you decide, oh, I’m not gonna go because there’s no alcohol, don’t pretend like you actually care about that person.”
Some see a political twist in Gen Z’s teetotaling ways.
TikToker @thejessiebeyer argued that “the way that people talk about alcohol … it’s very much an all or nothing mindset.” In her view, “the conservative part is the attitude towards people who are not drinking,” tying it back to broader cultural shifts among the younger generation.
Others blame economic reality, as pointed out by The Daily Dot.
“The vast majority of people engaging in that behavior are Gen Z,” @thesashawhitney explained on TikTok.
“Alcohol is expensive … In this economy, a lot of people are not able to afford a $15,000 wedding.”
Still, she warned, “if you do not have alcohol at that reception, [guests] may leave early.”
And some are getting creative with their RSVPs.
“The dry weddings versus open bar weddings discourse has given me the most diabolical idea ever,” confessed @frankmaciias in a recent TikTok post.
His evil genius plan? Trick guests into thinking it’s a dry affair — and then surprise them with an open bar.
“Because you know what? You were a real one. You said, ‘I don’t need alcohol to have a good time.’”
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#Dry #weddings #cash #bars #defended #Gen #complaining #tacky #entitled
There really needs to be a return to actual etiquette in this country. There is no “pro” to having a cash bar. When you host a wedding reception, whether it’s informal (backyard setting) or formal (black tie) you are inviting people to be your guests. If you charge them for either food or drinks, it becomes a fundraiser. You can let your guests know in advance with several ways for them to plan if they want to attend. Either a formal reception card (with the invitation suite) stating that there is no alcohol being served, or if you are more modern with a digital site, you can advise it there. No need to go into a whole speech of why you cannot afford alcohol, just state that “water, coffee tea and sodas will be served throughout the entire reception. No alcohol served.”
As to some who say there is a legal argument, again, they are wrong about cash bars. Your venue has liability coverage and so does the bartender service if you hire one. Should your wedding be less formal, you can buy wedding insurance for the entire event for less than about $50 and it protects you from those who may decide to drink too much. (Although a formal wedding bartender will not over serve anyone due to most state laws.) You also never ask a guest to tip any of your staff, including a bartender. That’s part of your duty.
My personal choice for a mid-range option is to offer either only beer and wine (at least two choices of each) for the entire night or have liquor for the first two hours, and then provide only beer and wine for the rest of the evening. Your guests will appreciate that they are not being asked to pay. As a host/hostess, you should provide some sort of food, and drink. It depends how fancy you want to be, and what you can afford. I’ve been to weddings that were held in a public park with a barbecue dinner, and only beer and wine. It was a nice event. I’d prefer this far more to a wedding at a venue where I am asked to get my wallet out. What this says is, the bride wanted a formal wedding, but the guests are asked to pay for her choices. It’s tacky. Drink tickets are tacky. Again, this is a fundraiser tactic.
Yes, offering an open bar is expensive. But there are lots of options that you can show your guests a good time without asking them to pay.