Guests party and drink champagne at a wedding ceremony.
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It’s your wedding day and you want to celebrate! And it’s easy to think, “I’ll just have one glass of Champagne…” but before you know it, one glass of bubbly turns into a few, followed by white wine, cocktails, an ill-advised shot of tequila, and then a total state of blackout. And after months of planning, I’m guessing you actually want to remember your wedding. So avoid any potential “#drunkbride” Instagram photos by adhering to these 3 simple rules.

1
Plan ahead.

Do the responsible thing: create a plan for your drunkenness. Part one should be considering what you consume: if you know you can’t handle shots, then label them off-limits, period. If beer makes you bloated, stick to vodka. And today is not the day to start drinking gin if you don’t know how it affects you (I avoid it at all costs due to the fact that it makes me think I can dance like Julianne Hough). Part two should be planning exactly how much you’ll consume. It’s going to be a long day, so my advice is don’t have too much too early.
Go ahead, have a pre-ceremony mimosa to celebrate with your bridesmaids. But once you finish it, you should switch to water until after you say “I Do” (you’d be so embarrassed if you slurred during your vows). After the ceremony, you can definitely feel free to loosen up, but I would still recommend having a cap number of drinks for the evening. If you can handle your booze well, maybe you can imbibe in four drinks over the course of the night. But if you’re a total lightweight, plan on just two. And once you’ve hit your self-imposed limit or if you start to feel like you’re getting more than tipsy, switch to club soda. Bottom line: you do not want to be the topic of conversation the next day because of your less-than-ladylike behavior the night before.

2
Make sure to eat enough.

This is the easiest way to avoid getting too drunk, yet so many brides forget to eat on their wedding day. And to quote Julia Roberts in my favorite movie, “Big Mistake! HUGE!” My recommendation? Keep a full stomach all day. Start with a breakfast that includes healthy fats (avocado toast, an omelet, or breakfast quinoa are all good options), snack on low sugar things like almonds while getting ready, and don’t get up to greet guests or dance until after you’ve eaten dinner—salad and main course. Not only will this keep you from getting intoxicated, but it will give you the energy you need to survive the long day. It will also keep your blood sugar at a steady level so you’re less likely to have an unnecessary emotional meltdown—aka, a fooditude.

3
Assign yourself a sober sitter.

If you don’t trust yourself to have the kind of restraint you normally would, then you should ask someone to help you maintain a manageable drinking limit during your wedding. Perhaps it’s your mom, a pregnant friend, a sober cousin—whoever it is, she or he should be reliable and not need a booze handler of their own. Explain to them your goal for the evening: to be delightfully buzzed but never sloppy or over-served.
Then, during the course of the reception, meet up with this person once every hour to check-in. You can discuss how much you’ve had and how you’re feeling. They should remind you of your initial desire not to drink too much and let you know if you seem to be losing control. Sometimes having a few reminder phrases—“Remember, you don’t want Grandma to see you falling down,” or “You don’t want to embarrass yourself in front of your new in-laws!”—delivered in a fun yet firm way will remind you not to indulge too much (that’s what the honeymoon is for!).
And if your sober sitter feels at any point you’ve had too much, give them full permission to remove you from the reception to gather yourself. Nobody will notice if you sneak off to the bride’s room for 20 minutes to sit down, drink some water, have a snack, and regain your composure. This way, you’ll avoid any potentially embarrassing moments and you will enjoy your wedding responsibly!
Kellee Khalil
About The Author
Kellee Khalil is the Founder & CEO of Loverly. She lives in upstate NY with her fiancé and two dogs.
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