Drinks package - is this a bit expensive?

samv

Hi,

We are hoping to book our venue this weekend, but I was wondering if this is reasonable???

Arrival drink - 1 glass of sparkling wine
On the table - half a bottle per person of sauvignon blanc (I dont drink wine, so I dont know if thi is good or not!)
Iced jugs of water
To toast - 1 glass of cuvee brut

£18.95 pr person

To be honest, me and my fiance dont drink wine, so not to sure what to do about that? I would like another arrival drink, like orange juice and Id like something else on the table for people who dont drink wine, any recommendations?

Also for people under 18, do I have to pay for the drinks package for them?

Any advice would be great!!

Sam xxxx

sarah_elton

Our prices are:

Arrival drinks: £5 each sparkling wine / £12 per jug of OJ
Wine: £18.95 per bottle
Toast drinks (though we aren't having them): £5 each

Jugs of water are free.

So, if we had one arrival drink, one toast drink, and half a bottle of wine it would be about the same price as yours.

Our venue asks for the maximum number of drinks we'll authorise. We've gone for two arrival drinks per head, so up to 160 will be served and allowed up to 35 bottles of wine which is half a bottle per adult coming. If they don't go through that much we'll be charged for the number of bottles actually used.

For our arrival drinks we are having sparkling wine, beer, and orange juice (they will serve a mixture and more of whatever is popular). For dinner there is wine and/or water - we aren't bothering with anything else. The littluns will be offered orange squash with dinner though.

Also - does that package mean people are only offered white wine with dinner? I would offer a mixture of red and white so there's a choice.

sarahparkes

Hi, I'm having bucksfizz for my arrival drink and just a glass of sparking wine for the toast. When I have been to weddings there seems to be wine on tables but there always seems to be a lot left. Me and my htb also don't like wine. There will be jugs of water on the tables and if they want additional drinks there is a bar in the room that I am having my wedding breakfast in.

LEJC

Why not ask the venue about having a fruit punch or something similar on arrival as well as the alcholic drink...on a warm day something like that will go down much better

I like a glass of wine with a meal so a half bottle with the main(thats about 2 glasses)is a very generous and perfecly reasonable. Not sure if you may want to consider the possibility of a few bottles of red depending on what you are serving as the meal?....as regards to if your choice of wine is good or not...dont let it bother you...your guests will be pleased that you have thought to cater for them and if they dont like your choice they dont have to drink it!

I think if I were you I would ask about some drinks for the children and non drinkers...perhaps a fruit juice or cordial...I like the idea if having water jugs but it can be a little bland for those who dont drink.

Have a great day

Bride2be24

ours can either be

{1} 1 glass of sparkling wine/pinot grigio & sparkling wine = £9.50
{2} 1 glass of bucks fizz,house wine & sparkling wine = £9.00
{3} 2 glasses of bucks fizz,2 glasses of pinot grigio or montepulciano & champagne = £18.00

not sure what were going for yet as my mum and dad are paying

bubbles0169

samv i think yours is expensive but thats because of the sauvignon and cuvee brut
ask for one glass of cheapest arrival drink(were having bucks fizz)
two glasses house wine on the table, if the guests want anythng different they can pay themselves at the bar
and one glass sparkling wine for the toast
no you dont have to pay a drinks package for the children
we will have jug of cordial on the table if it doesnt cost too much!

paulwf

We've done really well at weddings with the half bottle per guest rule as there are loads of people that either don't like alcohol or are driving so we've had their share

If you were buying that entire drinks package in a supermarket you'd be looking at £6 per guest or £8 if the "cuvee brut" was champagne rather than cava. You could probably get 5 arrival drinks from a £6 bottle of something sparkling. Sauvignon blanc is a type of white grape, and whilst you won't find bargain basement version you can get some for £6. The toast will get 6 glasses a bottle and the cuvee brut could be more £6 cava or it could be champagne around £18. If you waited for the offers or went wholesale or even just went for case discounts you'd get the price down a bit more.

That's wedding receptions for you though, you are paying a high markup for them to provide all the staff and glassware and a tidy profit.

mookybargirl

Our prices were approx £6 per glass of wine (or £12 per half bottle). Sparkling wine £7 and champagne was £8.

We dropped the reception drink and opted for free bar, but sent trays around with beers, juice and wine etc to avoid everyone queuing at the same time.

xtinkersx

ours have different packages i think there soemthing like this

£8.95
sherry
half bot of wine pp
glass of sparkling wine for toast

£14.95
furit pimms or oj
half bot of wine pp
champayne cocktail for toast

£18.95
bucks fizz
bot of wine
moet champers for toast

also charge £3.50 for water!!! i wanted do water but works out more then the wine also do drinks by the glass starting at £2.95

Impet_Limpet

Our drinks package was bucks fizz, a glass of wine with the meal and a sparkling wine for the toast. Cost £15.

We have asked for the staff to come round instead and take drink orders for the meal e.g. beer/spirit and mixer/wine to give people more choice, myslef and H2B don't like wine.

rbrbrb_2

Seems expenisive - have you looked at providing wine yourself, and pay restaurant a corkage fee. For example with Oddbins - Laurent Perrier Champagne £24.99 a btl (say 6 glasses to a bottle - and not just cheap, rubbish sparkling wine, a top quality champers). Bottle of good quality sauvignon blanc (£7.19 again at Oddbins) so half bottle is £3.60, water free and again champagne to finish. Total £4 + £3.60 + £4 = 11.60 plus corkage (£3-£5) is much cheaper than your quote and quality is much, much higher.
oh and Oddbins also offered sale or return, so anything not drunk you can take back for full, free refund
ring 02072294082 if your in or near london