Welcome drinks and toast

kacy1988

we have welcome drinks included in the price of our venue

we're providing half a bottle of wine per adult for the meal,

i'm considering paying for something for the toasts too... i have to decide by tuesday (final meeting with the venue!)

tbh i think laying on drinks (even soft drinks) is a must. well for me anyway. i'd feel really tight not offering something!

lazer

wanchai wrote: »

Of course! At a friend's wedding 2 years ago, they had a huge fridge full of beer, West Coast Cooler and cava as welcome drinks, it was fab.

Just my 2p worth... if you can only afford welcome drinks OR wine with the meal, I'd go for the latter. But that's just me, feel free to ignore!

I think the welcome drinks add a nice touch - although so far we are not having them - but may change this closer to the wedding

There will be tea, coffee and shortbread though.

We are providing wine with the meal plus an open toast though - so it doesn't look cheap anyway.

As a guest i always appreciate welcome drinks - and would love to be able to afford to give them to our guests - but well we can't have everything. I also want a horse and carriage, irish dancers, and some music for the welcome drinks!

Idiophreak

If you don't have them, people *will* judge you for it, it's just the way of the world. Only you know if you're particularly bothered by that.

Personally, I've always found that the more free booze is available, the better time I have at a wedding...and I don't like to think I'm a complete alcoholic...it just makes it easier to socialise with other people around the table etc.

lisajane8482

We're having welcome drinks (bucks fizz and OJ) and are providing 3 bottles of wine per table. The wine on the table is supposed to be for the meal but no doubt people will open them straight away. My uncle has bought us cava for the toast.

I would like to provide our guests with more wine for the meal (it works out most will get a glass and a half each the rest slightly more) but if we did that they would have a basic meal and TBH most of the guests (whose opinion I care about) would prefer a glass and a half of wine with a decent meal than 3 glasses of wine with a rubbish meal. Those guests who don't like it can poke their opinions where the sun don't shine, unfortunately money doen't grow on trees and what we have will only go so far. However, if closer to the date we can afford to provide more we will.

HeadAboveWater

It's YOUR wedding. You do what's right for you and your partner, regardless of what people will think or 'expect'.

I do agree it's hard to toast without a drink of some description so maybe try to get a cheaper alternative or opt for soft drinks if you do decide to go ahead with it.

double_mummy

if you arent providing drinks are you letting people know before hand as have been to a couple where people have only brought their taxi fare in money because they presumed that there would be free drinks, also a guide to how much drinks are so people can plan ahead.

maybe if you have a website or a little ecard going out to people might be a good way to do it

for many people the extra expenditure of attending the wedding the outfit the travel etc and paying for drinks on the day will need to be carefully planned within their budget

ShelleyTinker

We are providing tea and coffee after the ceremony with cakes and then a bit of wine with dinner and for toast. At the end of the day it is your wedding. If you don't want to provide drinks or can't afford it that is your choice. If you do want something but can't do it all, maybe just have a bit for the toast. I don't think guest would assume there would loads of free drinks, I've certainly never expected that at a wedding.

ampafc

double_mummy wrote: »

if you arent providing drinks are you letting people know before hand as have been to a couple where people have only brought their taxi fare in money because they presumed that there would be free drinks, also a guide to how much drinks are so people can plan ahead.

maybe if you have a website or a little ecard going out to people might be a good way to do it

for many people the extra expenditure of attending the wedding the outfit the travel etc and paying for drinks on the day will need to be carefully planned within their budget

Who on earth would only bring 'taxi money' to a wedding?! That is possibly the most ridiculous thing I have read on this board!! Do they not bring their purse/wallet as well?! Do they turn up to events expecting to get free drinks all night?

We have not put anything on our invites about the drinks. We are giving all guests a welcome drink, plus another for the toasts and another at night, plus plenty of wines on the table - but we don't need to tell people this in the invites! Most normal people would surely expect to have to pay for some drinks from the bar at some point in the evening, I would have thought.

stir_crazy

We are providing the welcome drinks, the toasting drinks and wine for the meals. I didnt question it as its been provided it at every wedding I've been to. And people have appreciated it. I wouldn't want our wedding to be the one talked about in years to come because we hadn't had a free drink of some sort.

Idiophreak

ampafc wrote: »

Who on earth would only bring 'taxi money' to a wedding?! That is possibly the most ridiculous thing I have read on this board!! Do they not bring their purse/wallet as well?! Do they turn up to events expecting to get free drinks all night?

I've never come across this, but I've certainly been to weddings where money's been an issue...people expect to be given a couple of drinks (rightly or wrongly) and then they think if they take a tenner each, they can have three or four more drinks each and have a good night of it. Then it turns out that there's no free booze, it's £5 a pint (which some people will refuse to pay, anyway) and the bar only takes cash...you end up with a bunch of very sober, grumpy people...