No matter how you handle alcohol at your wedding, you will most

The words of Emily V. Gordon—“No matter how you handle alcohol at your wedding, you will most likely be upsetting someone.”—reveal the eternal truth that joy, when shared in large gatherings, is never without tension. The wedding, though sacred and filled with love, is also a gathering of many hearts, each carrying its own desires, judgments, and expectations. The choice of whether to serve alcohol, to limit it, or to ban it altogether becomes less about the drink itself and more about the unyielding impossibility of pleasing all.

The presence of wine or spirits at feasts has long been a source of both blessing and strife. In ancient times, the Greeks praised Dionysus, god of wine, for loosening tongues and stirring joy, yet they also feared him, for excess could lead to chaos and ruin. The Romans too balanced between moderation and indulgence, knowing that in the same cup lay both camaraderie and conflict. Gordon’s words echo this timeless paradox: what unites some at a table will offend others.

History gives us the story of Jesus at the wedding in Cana, where water was turned to wine. To some, it was a miracle of abundance and joy, a divine blessing upon the union. Yet even in such sacred generosity, one can imagine the whispers of those who would scorn indulgence, or wish for restraint. From holy scripture to humble banquets, the handling of drink has always been a matter of contention, a mirror of human division.

The deeper lesson is that the wedding feast itself is symbolic of life: no decision, however thoughtful, can satisfy every guest. Some will crave abundance, others moderation, others abstinence. And yet the burden is not to please all, but to honor the union itself—the covenant being celebrated. For the feast is secondary to the vow, and those who lose sight of this mistake ceremony for essence.

Therefore, O listener, remember this: whether you pour wine freely, ration it with care, or banish it entirely, there will be complaint. But do not let fear of disapproval darken the joy of the day. A wedding is not measured by the glasses raised, but by the hearts joined. Let the choice of drink be what it must, but let the love you celebrate be greater than all dissatisfaction—for love, unlike wine, satisfies all when it is true.