Providing free drink at your wedding?

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  • mickym
    mickym Posts: 456 Forumite
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    Our place definitely isn't £6 pint. I cant find the price list at the moment, but a pint was around £3.50 I think. Which seems an average price these days.

    Personally, when I goto a wedding reception, or any other reception, I wouldnt expect my drinks to be bought for.

    I just think it would be a nice thank you for guests if we can afford it.
  • Gloomendoom
    Gloomendoom Posts: 16,550 Forumite
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    I agree, it's a nice gesture, and I don't mind paying if the price is reasonable. Unfortunately, a few venues offer cheaper wedding packages but then screw the money out of the guests at the bar.

    Most of the people who attended our wedding had travelled a very long way so we felt an all-day free bar would be appreciated. I must add that there were tea, coffee and soft drinks available too. I had read some horror stories about free bars automatically being a recipe for drunk and disorderly disaster but, luckily, we had none of that.

    It also helped that the wedding was DIY so we could source the booze cheaply ourselves with no silly corkage charges.
  • rachiibell
    rachiibell Posts: 300 Forumite
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    You could always have a stop off for bucksfizz ect on the way to the party. Obviously you probably couldn't have everyone there but if there was somewhere suitably picturesque you might get some nice photos of the main wedding party popping the cork and having a drink.

    Also if there is anyone you particularly want to thank you can always buy them an individual drink over the course of the evening. They're less likely to order something expensive that way too!
  • fabforty
    fabforty Posts: 809 Forumite
    edited 20 February 2015 at 3:52PM
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    Torry_Quine wrote: »
    Why would you need to be told that something isn't provided? Personally I've never been to a wedding or any other occasion where all the drinks were provided free!!



    Really, not one single event -party, christening, wedding, funeral etc, where you have not had to buy your own drinks? I find that surprising!! Perhaps I've just been spoiled. [winking Smilie].
    Personally, I have been to many weddings and parties where drinks were provided for free - my siblings weddings for example. I have also been to those where soft drinks etc, or wine were free. The one that I mentioned was the only one where no drinks (not even soft drinks, or water on the table) were provided for the guests.


    ETA - To be fair, perhaps it's a generational thing. I went to many weddings in the 80's and 90's, where paying for your own drinks was practically unheard of. Now it seems to be the norm. Perhaps paying for the meal will be the next step.
  • Torry_Quine
    Torry_Quine Posts: 18,834 Forumite
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    fabforty wrote: »
    Really, not one single event -party, christening, wedding, funeral etc, where you have not had to buy your own drinks? I find that surprising!! Perhaps I've just been spoiled. [winking Smilie].
    Personally, I have been to many weddings and parties where drinks were provided for free - my siblings weddings for example. I have also been to those where soft drinks etc, or wine were free. The one that I mentioned was the only one where no drinks (not even soft drinks, or water on the table) were provided for the guests.


    ETA - To be fair, perhaps it's a generational thing. I went to many weddings in the 80's and 90's, where paying for your own drinks was practically unheard of. Now it seems to be the norm. Perhaps paying for the meal will be the next step.

    Maybe it's different in different areas as I was married in the 80s and only a drink for the toast was what we paid for. There were soft drinks only available which people had to pay for and if they needed alcohol they had to go out to the bar.

    Yes, you've been spoiled. :p
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  • Fuzzy_Duck
    Fuzzy_Duck Posts: 1,594 Forumite
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    I never expect free drinks at weddings. I've certainly never been to one where all the drinks are free! It tends to be a welcome drink, glass of fizz for toasting and maybe some wine at the meal max.

    We're getting married in a brewery and serving half a pint of ale each for welcome drinks, then providing a glass of wine each for the meal. We would like to provide more, but we simply can't afford it. There's no sit down meal though, and no toast, so hopefully people don't feel too cheated.

    The most expensive drink they sell is a glass of wine for £3, so I don't feel we're putting people out that much. I've been to plenty of weddings where the drink prices are ridiculously high- it simply means I can't have too many drinks, and I wouldn't want to drink too much at someone's wedding anyway.
  • boliston
    boliston Posts: 3,012 Forumite
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    fabforty wrote: »
    If drinks are not provided (especially soft drinks), make sure that you let guests know beforehand, especially if the venue only takes cash. I think nowadays most people go prepared to pay, but I do remember going to a wedding miles from anywhere - with very little cash (my fault, I know), credit/debit cards which they didn't take, and not realising that all drinks including soft drinks, had to be bought!

    I quite often ask for tap water at this type of event, especially if I have to drive.
  • Dr._Shoe
    Dr._Shoe Posts: 563 Forumite
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    My ex is a photographer and if he's ever asked about drinks (he does a lot of weddings so some clients use him as a wedding planner) he will always tell them to get the wine from Aldi!
  • catkins
    catkins Posts: 5,703 Forumite
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    Torry_Quine wrote: »
    Why would you need to be told that something isn't provided? Personally I've never been to a wedding or any other occasion where all the drinks were provided free!!


    I got married in 1980 and ALL the drink was free at the reception (about 150 people). We had very little money but there was no way we would not have paid for the drink.


    Both my siblings had free drinks at their weddings as well (one married in 1983 and one 1986).


    The first wedding I ever went to when guests had to pay was in Lincolnshire in about 1990 and I remember thinking how tight they were.
    The world is over 4 billion years old and yet you somehow managed to exist at the same time as David Bowie
  • tocs23
    tocs23 Posts: 39 Forumite
    edited 21 February 2015 at 1:08AM
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    I got married last year - we did have a sit-down meal, and some drinks included in the catering package... which we chose to 'top up' because, as you say, being a wedding guest isn't cheap! I wouldn't go so far as to say that a free drink or two is EXPECTED, but definitely the norm in my experience. However, an all-night free bar definitely isn't... unless I am just mixing in the wrong circles!! So, if your budget allows, I agree that it would be a nice gesture to shout your guests a welcome drink at the reception. After that, generally people will be happy to pay provided the bar prices are reasonable!
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