Welcome drinks and toast

Lavendyr

We provided a welcome drink (prosecco or orange juice) and canapes and free-flowing wine & water during the meal (and champagne for toast) - everything else was pay-as-you-drink.

I'm with those who have said that if you don't provide a welcome drink it will be noticed - I think it's a nice thing to do and we would have done it whether it was included in our package or not (as it was we paid a fixed price for the venue including everything we wanted - it wouldn't have been any cheaper for us not to provide welcome drinks).

seashore22

We are paying for the food and drinks at my daughter's wedding. This was always going to be a priority to us because at every wedding I've been to it was the meal that I remembered and the flowers etc are a complete blur.

The bride and groom have guests travelling a very long way and some having to pay for two days accommodation, transport, new outfits, and possibly a wedding gift. It just seemed right to be as hospitable as money would allow.

Therefore we are having Pimms, toast wine (can't stand the fizzy stuff myself, but you have to toast with something), wine on tables and a free bar. Wine, beer, cider and soft drinks are free, no alcopops provided and guests will have to pay for spirits if they really want one. Having free spirits seemed like a recipe for disaster. We want happy people, not totally legless!

We are by no means rich, but everyone has managed to save money in other areas. I also wouldn't expect this at every wedding we go to, but I have never been to a wedding with no drinks provided at all. Just a glass of wine or beer would be nice.

BugglyB

I wouldn't go to a wedding with no cash, but I would be peeved if all day there was no drinks available except water. I would at least want a glass of pop or orange juice!

Kildare

Idiophreak wrote: »

(pretty rare to do the toasts first, though...but quite sensible...let the groom and best man enjoy their meal without the speeches hanging over them...)

I'm glad doing the toasts first is fazing out. Every wedding I went to when I was younger was like this and you end up sitting there with people drinking on an empty stomach and everyone just waiting for the food. We did ours between the main course and the desert, giving everyone chance to digest

Idiophreak wrote: »

I've seen the opposite - so many toasts at wedding these days, people have to really try and make the champers last

Totally agree with this - you usually only have the one glass of sparkling for the toast so you have to take little sips to make it last.

I think if there aren't welcome drinks and a drink to toast with this will be noticed. As one of the other posters stated, guests spend a lot of money to come to a wedding, and they spend it happily to share the day with you, but its nice to say thank you for coming with a welcome drink. It can be anything you want - we had Bucks Fizz as we like it and its less alcoholic than straight champagne. But we also offered soft drinks and beer. A lot of people are offering Pimms now, but neither myself or OH drink it so we didn't have it

wanchai_2

Kildare wrote: »

I'm glad doing the toasts first is fazing out. Every wedding I went to when I was younger was like this and you end up sitting there with people drinking on an empty stomach and everyone just waiting for the food. We did ours between the main course and the desert, giving everyone chance to digest

Totally agree with this - you usually only have the one glass of sparkling for the toast so you have to take little sips to make it last.

I think if there aren't welcome drinks and a drink to toast with this will be noticed. As one of the other posters stated, guests spend a lot of money to come to a wedding, and they spend it happily to share the day with you, but its nice to say thank you for coming with a welcome drink. It can be anything you want - we had Bucks Fizz as we like it and its less alcoholic than straight champagne. But we also offered soft drinks and beer. A lot of people are offering Pimms now, but neither myself or OH drink it so we didn't have it

Our guests won't have empty stomachs, as we are serving sandwiches and canapes on arrival Hate arriving at a wedding reception having driven miles, only to find no food offered, or (worse) shortbread, and a long wait till dinner.

lazer

wanchai wrote: »

Our guests won't have empty stomachs, as we are serving sandwiches and canapes on arrival Hate arriving at a wedding reception having driven miles, only to find no food offered, or (worse) shortbread, and a long wait till dinner.

We're doing the shortbread (its included in the package!)

Although our speeches are after dinner - so hopefully not thta long of a wait to dinner.

I'm still debating giving canapes and drinks - it will be decided last minute basically

I would love to have a ferraro Roche pyramid!

[Deleted User]

scarlet1985 wrote: »

Hi all. Just after some opinions.

Not long to go for me now. Have paid everything and stuck to budget. Me and OH decided a long time ago we wouldn't provide drinks as we feel people either abuse it or waste it. With a month to go lots of people are asking me what welcome drinks we're having and when I told my Ann there would be no toasting wine she was horrified.

It'll cost us about £600 to provide these drinks which I can afford but is it worth it? I've been to weddings where no one drinks it and to me that's too wasteful.
What shall I do?
Thanks in advance for your opinions.

Is it a DIY wedding or will your venue charge you £600 for these?

A good welcome drink is Bucks Fizz - cheapy cheapo cheapest fizz with orange juice & plain orange juice for kids/non-drinkers. Cheapest Asti is around £3-4 a bottle if you shop around.

If you are using a venue would they do corkage? ie you buy the booze & they provide glasses & staff & serving for a fee.

I've been to weddings where there is no welcome drink (not essential IMO) but very rarely one where there is no toasting fizz - a decent Cava can be had for £7-9 a bottle (as good as champagne) and people don't expect a full to the brim glass, so a bottle will do maybe 8-10 toasting glasses.

edited to add: We are providing soft drinks & tea/coffee & bottled water free to our guests, along with limited wine. If they aren't happy with that then they can get their wallet out buy their own beer from the bar

wanchai_2

lazer wrote: »

We're doing the shortbread (its included in the package!)

Although our speeches are after dinner - so hopefully not thta long of a wait to dinner.

I'm still debating giving canapes and drinks - it will be decided last minute basically

I would love to have a ferraro Roche pyramid!

No offence to shortbread!! It's just not very filling, and our guests are having to travel a fair distance, so we want to offer something more substantial. For weddings where guests don't have far to travel or where the dinner is very soon after the ceremony, this wouldn't be an issue obviously.

You could do a DIY Ferrero pyramid quite cheaply! We're doing a sweet table, the sweets cost us £30 in total :beer:

lazer

wanchai wrote: »

No offence to shortbread!! It's just not very filling, and our guests are having to travel a fair distance, so we want to offer something more substantial. For weddings where guests don't have far to travel or where the dinner is very soon after the ceremony, this wouldn't be an issue obviously.

You could do a DIY Ferrero pyramid quite cheaply! We're doing a sweet table, the sweets cost us £30 in total :beer:

I've never got the whole shortbread thing either - but all the packages provide it basically!

I would have to check with the venue if they would even allow us to have food not provided by them (other than the cake!)

I think we really should provide something more substantial but don't know how much teh budget will stretch!

wanchai_2

Most venues allow a sweet table