Roughly one in five of your people isn't drinking tonight, whether that's recovery, medication, faith, pregnancy, or an early start tomorrow. None of them want the party toned down; they want to stop having to explain themselves at it. Work the list, check things off, print it for whoever's running the event.
The invite sets expectations before anyone walks in the door.
Drink parity is the whole game: the non-alcoholic option should take the same effort and look as good as the beer.
Design the event so drinking is an option, not the activity.
This is the part no caterer can fix for you.
The event isn't over until everyone's home.
That's because most events get designed around the bar without anyone deciding to. Event support is one of the things we do: great dinners and events that are Recovery Friendly without killing the buzz, from the invite language to last call. We can help plan the next one.
Maybe you're the one planning the party, and also the one who's been quietly keeping count at it. That wondering is worth paying attention to, and it doesn't have to mean anything about anything. Curiosity is not a confession. I've been on both sides of it, and the math got easier once I stopped doing it alone. If you ever want to talk to someone who won't flinch, my door is open. No judgment, no agenda, no follow-up unless you want one.