Parties and social outings have never been my issue. In fact, I didn't drink at them often at all (especially weddings), and if I did, it was one or two drinks. My friends never pressured me to drink and if I told them that I wasn't drinking at an event, they would just go about their business. Looking back, I'm actually amazed at how little others care if we're drinking or not.
I think that not drinking at social outings was one of my methods of attempting to hide my habit. If people didn't see me overindulging in public, then I didn't have a problem, right? So, I would wait until I got home and then go berserk on the booze, just like most nights. The only person I was fooling was myself.
I get the whole avoiding social outings with alcohol and I think it's sound advice. Unfortunately for me, being at home where I was free from the watchful eyes of friends and extended family was always my downfall.