An engaged couple are refusing to serve alcohol at their wedding in a desperate bid to avoid any arguments about politics as they are set to tie the knot on election day.
Katie Newel and Elijah Gallinger, both 24, joined a growing number of couples looking for a fall wedding, but were left with only November 5 as the last date that would work.
They told the New York Times that the thought of their family and friends from across the world gathering on the same day Kamala Harris and Donald Trump squared off was enough without the addition of alcohol.
‘We thought maybe not having liquid truth running through people’s veins on Election Day is a good idea,’ Katie said.
The happy couple said they hesitated before agreeing to an election day wedding, and set some strict ground rules to avoid any arguments.
They insisted on tying the knot by 3pm, before any results will come in that could change the tone of the day.
The prospect of an election day wedding was also helped by hosting their wedding in Illinois, and most guests lived in the state or nearby states that allow for early voting.
Katie said she realizes there ‘will be people on both sides’, but hoped that nobody will ’cause any crazy trouble’ without being inebriated.
She and her husband-to-be are among a rising number of people hoping to marry in the fall, according to a wedding survey by The Knot, and with this year’s season dominated by the race for the White House, many are worried how their special day with unfold.
For Dena Skeadas, 31, and George Panagopoulos, 37, their wedding day two weeks after the election means the nation could be gripped by political turmoil if the result is disputed.
‘We have a pretty politically diverse guest list, so my biggest concern is no matter how the election turns out, there are going to be some folks at our wedding who aren’t celebrating,’ Dena told the New York Times.
She said it is ‘scary to think about the effects of certain outcomes’, fearing violence or protests in the aftermath could steal her thunder depending on ‘how people are going to react.’
But the bride said she can only hope that no matter what the outcome is, her wedding could be a silver lining to the chaos.
‘We are going to be surrounded by so much love,’ she said.
Experts told the outlet that election season weddings are certainly risky, with wedding therapist Landis Bejar warning that discouraging political conversation may be more than a little challenging.
‘If Election Day is within a week, it might be impossible,’ she said.
She added that doing so could even backfire, as ‘sometimes, especially in a large group, asking people not to do a thing means you’re reminding people of the thing.’