Wedding party - bar dilemma!

Alias_Omega

I know, ditch the free drinks and get a chocolate fountain. About £340 for unlimited dips too...



or, even better, put on free drinks for children, or as the venue if you can make yourself a punch.

rio

I would say that a drink for your guests on arrival and a bottle of red and white on each table for the meal would be what is normally expected. I would also ask for a nice bottle of non alcoholic stuff or good sparkling water to be put on the table. There is nothing worse than going to a wedding reception as a designated driver and having to pay for all your drinks.

Bogof_Babe

I think the Bucks Fizz on arrival idea is excellent. Served in nice glasses it looks "festive", is pretty low alcohol so even the kids could have a taste, and it only costs about £1.99 a bottle in supermarkets.

Whatever you do, don't even think about a free bar, or putting money behind the bar. In either case, once people get wise to it they will be under the table before you can say here comes the bride.

SeptemberBaby_2

Hi, congratulations!

I would consider asking the venue whether you can offer a small selection of drinks upon arrival (even better if they allow you to bring your own!).

At my own evening reception, my dad, best man and the ushers greeted the guests with me and DH at the door and took them to the bar to buy their first drink.

I have only been to one wedding with a free bar so I wouldn't consider it to be the norm.

Hope it all goes well!

Doozergirl

Alias_Omega wrote: »

I know, ditch the free drinks and get a chocolate fountain. About £340 for unlimited dips too...

or, even better, put on free drinks for children, or as the venue if you can make yourself a punch.

You are deluded. £340 for some melted chocolate, some marshmallows and some strawberries. Bargain. :rolleyes: How much is that per guest and how much of the above could you normally provide for them with £340?

My wedding cake cost £150. I didn't even want one but tradition got the better of me. It was plain white, three tiers with those hard silver balls. It was also a bargain compared to other cake makers. We had the florist do the rest. My SIL went to the same cake maker for her H's 40th and the same woman made the most amazing cake - a model of him at his desk, with his dogs and golf clubs and all sort of random stuff for £45. People see you coming!

If you are on a low budget, you will rue the day that you ever went for a chocolate fountain. Lord knows what you do with the money but with a wedding, you need every penny spare.

Chocolate fountain = spectacularly underwhelming.

reehsetin

Alias_Omega wrote: »

I know, ditch the free drinks and get a chocolate fountain. About £340 for unlimited dips too... .

£340!!! im having a choccie fountain at my birthday party (about 170 people too), got my own machine for £40 (i know you can get cheaper ones) with 2 big bags of chocolate chocolate isnt that expensive and fruit's included with the food (£15 per person) (we're providing marshmallows and other bits)

debbiedeejay

The last wedding I went to was in August this year and all guests were given a glass of Pimms with lots of fruit,mint,ice etc on arrival-it was a real change from the glass of fizz.
The reception was a sit down do,with a glass of house red/white wine-after that we bought our own. It was fine-I would never expect the bride and groom to pay for my drinks for the rest of the meal/eve do!

Have a great wedding,and don't worry,none of your guests expect a free bar(or at least they shouldn't).

grey_lady

Agree with all the rest, a glass of pimms / Bucks fizz or wine on arrival is nice but i would expect to pay at the bar after that.

sooz

wow - 170 is a lot of guests.

At our - much smaller - wedding, we had reception drinks of a glass of champage, and bottle of red and white on the table, as well as lots of jugs of iced water.

Anything else, people bought themselves.

Instead of the over inflated hotel prices, we agreed a corkage charge, and bought THE SAME wine and champage in France. We had lots left over, despite our guest being very very drunk (and still a few bottles left today...many years later).

As for the corkage charge, we paid next to nothing, as they counted the empties in the morning, and our guests took lots off to their rooms, so these weren't counted! :j (this was not planned)

As for the bucks fizz suggestion- no need to buy bottles of this. It's champagne or cava mixed with good orange juice. Much nicer than the bottled rubbish, and stretches much further per bottle too.

antilles

Wow - what a lot of replies. I will try and get round to thanking you all shortly!

I think the general consensus seems to be that a free bar is definitely going to be abused - I know for a fact that a number of our guests will definitely 'take full advantage' of such hospitality! I've certainly never been to a wedding where there's been a free bar so I did assume this was the norm nowadays.

I think we'll provide a first free drink at the bar, that way anyone who doesn't like wine / champagne / bucks fizz etc will still get a free drink. Seems to be the best way of welcoming people without racking up a massive bill.

Thankyou for all the helpful replies and good wishes!
:T