Some wedding couples need to remember that their bridal costumes will not give them a super human tolerance to alcohol.

Example: At one reception I was asked by the groom how soon could we start the bridal dance, I was puzzled as dinner had just started. When I asked him why I was informed that his bride probably would not be on her feet much longer.

It seems she had enjoyed champagne with her breakfast to cheer her special day and there were a few bottles in the back of the limo that were cracked open right after the church service ended while en-route to the park for pictures.
Her family managed to get a sandwich and coffee in her during lunch, but as soon as they arrived at the reception hall it was back to the bubbly. Now the amount she consumed was beginning to take its toll. So sought out the photographer , we had done about a dozen weddings together and had become friends. I advised him of this unscheduled change and the reasons for it.

 As we headed to the DJ counsel we were approached by the bride's father and informed us that he would forgo the Father/Daughter dance, it was a wise decision on his part.

The bride was barely able to walk to the floor. Thanks to the skill of the photographer the pictures would give the impression that the bride had laid her head on her new husbands shoulder with her eyes closed.

Only a few of us knew the truth, she was literally dead on her feet and the groom was literary holding her upright. The bride spent the remainder of her reception out cold in one of the powder rooms reserved for the brides on property.

Even grooms no matter how big or how much of a tolerance they believe they have can over indulge. I was at one where the groom disappeared after dinner, his bride assumed he was outside with his buds on the putting green as he was an avid golfer.

When it came time for the bridal dance he was nowhere to be seen. A quick search of the parking lot and the presence of his vehicle assured us that he did not attempt to drive anywhere. A frantic search began, they combed the entire course including the wooded area surrounding the grounds.

He was finally discovered in a linen storage closet. He had made a pillow of some table clothes and used his tux jacket as a blanket, they let him sleep for a few hours before they woke him up. They did not bother with the bridal dance.

There was one reception where the groom kept using my microphone to call people up to have a shot with him. He was a big likable Italian guy with a marvelous Jersey accent, and he was marrying into another Italian clan.

First he called up all his male and then his female cousin, each group was called separately. Then it was the Aunts and Uncles from his side of the family. Then he started the process over now calling up his new Aunts, Uncles and Cousins, even the bartenders, waiters and myself were called to join him for a shot.

All this was done between knocking back wine and dancing his heart out on the dance floor. About two hours into the reception I saw him motion his best man to his side and they headed toward the exit that led to the restrooms.

I was impressed that he did not stumble or stagger while en route. He did not quite make it before he got sick to his stomach, and to add insult to injury he was wearing a white tux and had dined on spaghetti with marinara sauce.

So if you or someone you know are about to get married, pay heed to my story and go easy on the booze. You do not want to miss your own reception.