Oddly, one of my fears (excuses) against total abstinence, was the case for special occasions. I always used the example of weddings, although I could probably count the number of weddings I've been to in my life. In retrospect, the case for weddings was a classic example of a red herring. About a year into sobriety, I went to a wedding, and alcohol hardly crossed my mind. What did cross my mind was what a dumb excuse weddings were for NOT dealing with my alcoholism. It also surprised me that not everyone there was drinking, and nobody else seemed to care.