Just some information for everyone. The prohibition of alcohol was at one time council, basically stating that overconsumption is bad for the body and not ideal in the eyes of the lord. There originally was not a ban on wines or beer. The reason being is during the revelation of the Word of Wisdom, dysentery was running rampant through the United States. A small alcohol buzz is a much more practical option than dying from tainted water. It took 100 years for the Word of Wisdom to become a commandment. It's important to know that there was a lot of criticism, especially since some scientist were claiming health benefits to smoking cigarettes. We now know that cigerettes are leading contributors to cancer, heart disease and a number of other physical ailments. Just as we now know that addiction, domestic abuse, and financial problems accompany abuse of alcohol. As far as the original question for the post goes. Joseph Smith owned a hotel in Missouri that sold alcohol, he seems to have gradually decided that the Mormons could not or should not impose their views on abstinence on the entire city and its population. As far as the drinking at your sons wedding, prohibition is a staple to the identity of many mormons. Some are more or less tolerant of the consumption by others. It's your sons wedding. If they request that people don't bring alcohol because they believe it's a huge negative influence on our society and that it's not pleasing to the lord. You should wait until you go home before consuming.