Wedding drink?

[MarkLe]

well, the drinking limitation shows a different approach between US and Australia but I believe that the thread was more about the "dancing with girls" issue

now, if you do THAT and you're also (legally) DRUNK the photostory could come out a bit different than expected [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

It's nice to see so many differing opinions.
Once again 'each to their own'.

I live a very colourful life. Many of my clients could be seen as 'fringe dwellers in society'. Bikers, gangsters, police and politicians are starting to realise that I'm back in business. I get many calls from such people because they know that any compromising snaps won't see the light of day.
Most all of the time these people pay cash(then ask if I need any more) and often enough some of them get married two or three times. My business is building steadily. My film and fashion commitments prevent me from taking on many weddings. I do want to see my kids on the weekends while my phone rings the whole time, anytime it's turned on.
I don't drink 'every' day Terry but after what is always a long week... if I've snapped a wedding that weekend... I want a drink after. And frankly... I could'nt care less about what other people think.

In Aus' the national standard is .05 within which 'three standard drinks' are 285ml middies of standard(5% alcohol) beer. So in effect... one litre of beer would put anyone over the limit. And there are harsh penalties.

I write a lot of my stuff..."tongue in cheek" but often enough the humour is lost on many. Part of my good fortune in "the rest of my life" is due to my general behaviour.
I don't have any hangups, so I think the reality is... ...

Respect,
Bill.

As has been mentioned, this is, undoubtedly, as very culturally linked issue. I am from the USA. However, I have lived/worked in Japan, Mexico, Chile, the USA, and now reside in Brazil. I often have a drink with my client while shooting a wedding. This is almost always at the request of the couple. Would they hate me if I refused? Probably not. But, in Brazil, taking the time to have a beer with someone is considered good social behavior. It helps endear you to the client. Which in turn, makes business go smoother. I wouldn't want to be known as the 'american who does everything by the book.' Brazilian highly value flexibility.

Regardless, I draw the limit at 1 or 2 drinks at the reception (and never more than 1 per hour). I am 6 feet 4 inches tall, so if I was smaller, I would cut myself off at 1 drink, I suppose.

Also, we need to remember that alcohol affects different people in different ways. I know people who become rude, obnoxious, silly, sad, etc. when they drink. I know others who can drink all day and barely demonstrate any difference at all. I believe it depends on body chemistry and genetics. The important thing is to be aware of how alcohol affects you and take it into consideration when determining your limit. Some of us might be horrible photographers after 1 drink. For some, it won't make a bit of difference. Know thyself...(and the culture you live in.)

Americans tend to have a Jeckyll/Hyde attitude about drinking. It's all or nothing. Outside of the US, things are often a lot more blurred. Here, if you go to a 15 year old's birthday party, I can guarantee you they will serve beer and light cocktails to the kids. Some will drink and some won't. In my opinion, this is a good way to introduce kids to drinking. Don't tell them they absolutely can't. Teach them how and why, and avoid the "rebellion" tendency to go out and drink at a secret "kegger." I would much rather have my kids drink responsibly in front of me, than getting hammered without supervision just because they think it's cool to break the rules.

[Charles_Matter]

This is exactly the point. There's certainly no harm..(or..there shouldn't be any harm) in having a drink with the client; especially if they invite you.

But..it depends on the social norm where you're working as to whether it's good business policy to do so. In Russia (and a lot of other places)..you would be suspect if you declined to have a drink with a client. In Boston...if the bride later decided to get a hair accross her ass and look for a way to beat you out of some money; hearing that you were seen standing at the bar with a glass in your hand would be a perfect reason to start whining that the pictures were "not what they expected".

[MattLaver]

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"You don't have to booze on with people and match them drink for drink but one or two drinks over the course of a normal reception wouldn't even have you registering on a police alchol meter. I believe here in oz we have some of the tightest drink drive laws in the world , the accepted amount is 3 drinks for the first hour and one every hour after that. The worst that could happen if you had a drink before you left the reception if you got pulled over would be for the cops to make you wait 15 minutes for the mouth alchol to clear and then test again."

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Just a quick note from the UK on the subject of legal limits. Here the limit is one unit, approximately one pint of lager. Thats it. No more. To suggest 3 drinks in an hour and one per hour after that and you'd be fine because that's the police limit there with you to me seems, to me, amazingly loose as a legal limit. I'm not commenting on how people choose to behave when they are working just that you definately don't have the tightest limits for drink driving, if those are your limits.

On a personal note i would never drink and drive. Period. But thats just my personal preference. If I needed to drink for social or client hospitalty reasons then I'd have my assistant drive instead. But each to their own.

[David_A_Smith]

As confirmed, what I said IS the legal limit in AUSTRALIA. Obviously I can't know the rules in every country and I never stated that they were the laws in any other country. I am sure that no one is stupid enough to go against the drink drive laws in their own locality just because of something they read on the internet. If other countries have tighter laws I apologise for my inaccurate statement in this regard but what I said was not wrong for Australia.

As I said before, the best thing is for people to do what they think is best. If that is not drinking at all, then that's what you should do. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]