If you're worried about the safety of your guests as they return home from your raging wedding reception, you are justified. Though various state and local laws vary, as the host of a party serving alcohol you have both the potential legal responsibility and the very certain moral responsibility to ensure that your guests know all of their options for safe transportation.
What are your options as a host?
1. Choose a location with lodging on-site or within short walking distance of your reception.
2. Provide private transportation to and from all wedding events in the form of mini-shuttles or private busses.
3. Provide a vehicle to be used in the event of emergencies, for example, a large limo retained for the evening to take home guests who are impaired (however, not offered as a shuttle to all guests). This should be combined with independent guest options and education as described in #4 and #5.
4. Research options, like local cab companies with quick response times and reasonable rates in advance, and provide the information to your guests. Arrange with your venue in advance to permit leaving vehicles on site overnight if necessary.
(I recommend printing out cards to be kept at the bars, and for your wedding planner to have on hand as guests are leaving. As guests begin to depart, one of my staff members is generally available to make phone calls for any guest who wishes to use alternate transportation).
5. Educate your guests. I don't mean that you need to run them through an awareness program during cocktail hour (though...a well crafted one, okay, perhaps not).
Do let them know in your welcome materials what the services are that are available to them. Include cab phone numbers and approximate one-way trip fees, as well as any parking policies they should know about.
Most important of all, express to them that you value their safety more than anything, and that you want them to make good choices. Your encouragement could be all they need to make a last-minute, lifesaving decision.
6. Don't serve alcohol. If you're not responsible enough to at least educate your guests about their transportation options and provide contact information for their own use, you're simply not responsible enough to serve alcohol, so don't.
It's your party and you're investing an awful lot of time, money and energy to make sure it's perfect. Think of how much those wedding photos are going to bite when they remind you of the friend or loved one you lost instead of the partner that you gained.
Be wise. Plan ahead.
Happy planning.
Shayna Walker Weddle
Owner, Williamsburg Wedding Design
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