Well, it is Friday the 13th ...

Oh lord, you guys, my family has such a...unique view on life.

I was talking with my mom this morning about (what else?) wedding stuff, and she wanted to know if we should have the bar open before the ceremony, or wait until after. For purely practical reasons, I told her than since we hired the bartender for 5 hours, having the bar open after the ceremony is best, because it means his 5 hours goes later and he doesn't pack up and leave while the party is still in full swing. But also, I don't think people show up to a wedding expecting to crack open a Bud Lite before the ceremony, and I'm not too keen on that.

My mom's response? "You know, you're right. That first drink is more...special when it's after the ceremony. Like a celebration!"

My reply to her? "See, I was thinking that it's the CEREMONY that's special -- it's the whole reason everyone is there -- and I'd rather not have people treat it like happy hour."

Mom: "Oh, well, that too."

THAT TOO.

Eight days left, y'all. Only it's less a countdown of excitement and more a countdown of When Will This Be Over?

That, too, indeed.

Would a "bless her heart" be inappropriate there, Tep?

Wow, it has honestly never occurred to me to imagine an open bar before the ceremony at a wedding. I mean, even leaving aside those weddings that start in a church... nope, never occurred to me.

My workplace, folks: I cut 6 inches off my hair and it took 2 hours for anybody to notice/mention it. I've been here 5 months and sometimes I wonder if half the people know my name yet.

The last wedding I went to had an open bar before the ceremony, but the ceremony and reception were held in a super-swanky restaurant. (So the bartenders were on duty the whole time, and the holding area before people went in to find their seats WAS the bar.)

An open bar before the ceremony at a wedding would be a recipe for hilarious disaster, at least among my family. Though really, if you want to attend sloshed, nothing's stopping you from downing a couple cold ones before you leave for the wedding. One of my cousins had a BYOB wedding.

Wow, it has honestly never occurred to me to imagine an open bar before the ceremony at a wedding. I mean, even leaving aside those weddings that start in a church... nope, never occurred to me.

Me, neither, but...

The last wedding I went to had an open bar before the ceremony, but the ceremony and reception were held in a super-swanky restaurant. (So the bartenders were on duty the whole time, and the holding area before people went in to find their seats WAS the bar.)

Apparently my mom and stepdad have gone to weddings like this, where the open bar started before the ceremony. So it's not unheard-of.

An open bar before the ceremony at a wedding would be a recipe for hilarious disaster, at least among my family.

MINE TOO! And this is why I can't believe my mom even brought it up.

Although she is SO HYPED on us drinking champagne while I get ready. Have I mentioned my family is a bunch of alcoholics? Good lord.

I have drunk champagne while getting ready, but honestly, of the 5 weddings I have been an attendant in, 3 of them involved getting the bride discreetly high before the wedding, and 1, my mom offered my h.s. bestie (the bride) and Xanax because she was so nervous.

Granted, the high-as-fuck weddings, one was my eco-caver friends, the two most competent people I know, to whom I will fight in case of a zombie apocalypse (and the wedding was at a cave site) and the other, the same year, 1995, was a year after we graduated college and we were all still huge potheads.

They were LOVELY weddings!

I admit I haven't paid too much attention to when the alcohol started being available, except for the one where the bridal party was an hour late, and the mother of the bride got hammered waiting for us, and heckled throughout the ceremony.

I think the couple separated less than six months in, but still, feel free to have open bars if you're not related to me.