Do I cater alcohol in full for all guests or a percentage?

maggie111

Sorry pet, I really didn't think it was a personal dig either! I guess I just have very strong opinions on that topic!

tamarto

binkyboo wrote: »

This was the way I thought things would work. I think i will stick to my original plan and just provide squash and water a jug of each on each table and a jug or 2 of squash at the drinks reception. Then if anyone wants different they can buy from the bar.

Every wedding i have been at has provided fresh OJ as an alternative to the welcome drink, and has water on the tables, i *wouldn't* expect you to provide fizzy etc.

lisa26_2

OH and I have been discussing this tonight. Neither of us are big drinkers, none of our families are big drinkers, the only people who are are his millions of friends, they can afford to buy alcohol more than we can and as people who only like a couple of drinks very occassionally we don't see the need to pay a fortune for other people to get drunk! With that in mind we will only be providing a drink on arrival (OJ for those who don't want alcohol) and something fizzy for the toast. Other than that, there will be a bar and people can buy what they want!!! Oh and water on the tables too obviously!

missknixon

We were having a drinks package but after discussing with guests we decided it wasn't worth it. Still need to remember to ask for jugs of water! Thanks for reminding me!

We are instead having jugs (litres) of wine for the toast! We aren't even having sparkling as I watched how much was left at my cousins wedding (and as most of the people are the same ) I decided that red and white would be good. Asked the venue about a bottle of red and one of white on each table they said they don't do that they take it round in jugs then it keeps the costs down. When talking to people most are not into wine (apart from the monster in law, who will be devastated!) As for non-alcoholic drinks there is water (which I will be drinking myself) and the bar is very close by!

Cloves

I have a similar problem, with about 50 guests who I would say are mostly non drinkers.
I have agreed with the venue that we will pay for 35 on the drinks package and 15 on the non alcoholic drinks package. And then when I do the seating plan I can tell them where to put the wines/non alc drinks...
The venue has also agreed that wine not drunk at the dinner table can then be used for evening drinks!

Re: corkage/savings, is it definately cheaper for you to buy the wine and pay a corkage? With my venue they have agreed to source my wine for me...and as a result I am paying about 3 pounds more per bottle of wine rather than an additional 15....

binkyboo_2

Cloves wrote: »

I have a similar problem, with about 50 guests who I would say are mostly non drinkers.
I have agreed with the venue that we will pay for 35 on the drinks package and 15 on the non alcoholic drinks package. And then when I do the seating plan I can tell them where to put the wines/non alc drinks...
The venue has also agreed that wine not drunk at the dinner table can then be used for evening drinks!

Re: corkage/savings, is it definately cheaper for you to buy the wine and pay a corkage? With my venue they have agreed to source my wine for me...and as a result I am paying about 3 pounds more per bottle of wine rather than an additional 15....

For us personally corkage does work out cheaper, the venue Pinot grigio is £15 a bottle, I have bought ours for around £2 a bottle plus £7.50 corkage. Champagne is around £30 a bottle at the venue we have paid less than £10 plus £9.50 corkage. We are lucky in that my dad is an m&s employee so they purchased it for us as a wedding gift so we are just paying the corkage bill. I met with our venue at the weekend and they are going to have 1 glass of bubbly per person poured for the drinks reception, another for the speeches and then they will go round twice with the dinner wine so hopefully this will keep amounts down. They will be proving juice in the same way for those who require it and bill us afterwards for what is used.

melancholly

i've certainly never been to a wedding where there has been a choice of fizzy drinks - if i've not been drinking i've had water during the meal. however, it is nice to have something like OJ for the toasts rather than everyone else getting a champagne glass and you sitting with a tumbler! i've usually been offered that as an alternative to alcoholic fizzy, but never for wine. at the evening do, i'm happy to buy whatever i want to drink - i wouldn't expect to get it free, but during the meal, there often isn't a bar easily accessible or indeed open since all the staff are serving the food. jugs of water are fine, but i think it's better to have them than not (even if it's just to stop the other guests getting completely plastered!).