not having alcohol

knithappens

Our budget is tight, we spent a lot on the venue as it is where we wanted to get married, £700 for the ceremony room and venue hire, may not be a lot to some but a lot to us, mainly it is because it is in my favorite park where my mum used to take me as a kid, and since she has passed away it just seems fitting to have it there.

We are having a pay bar anyway during the evening, but was thinking of just serving tea coffee, fruit juice, maybe a punch, after the ceremony, ceremony is at 4pm, then pics, so around 5.30 drinks and wedding cake, (maybe finger foods as would rather spend money on food than alcohol) then at 7.30 a full hot carvery buffet for everyone, and if anyone wants an alcoholic drink they can get one at the bar.

or doing the carvery buffet at 5.30, again only serving non alcoholic drinks with meal. Then wedding cake, finger foods/open Sandwiches in the evening.

Even just for Bucks fizz, using a sparkling wine the venue want £4.15 a glass which is a lot

also thinking of just having a tab at the bar for hubby myself and kids, so we don't have to bother with money on the day for drinks.

What do you think??

paddingtondoo

Sounds ok to me but then again I don't drink much and not while I'm eating.

What are you going to have for the toast?

Our drinks are costing a (relative in my opinion) fortune at the reception considering what they must actually cost but we have got the room hire free for having food and drink from them so swings and roundabouts really.

honeypop

I think that it would be fine to not serve alcohol, especially if there is a cash bar anyway for people to get their own. I don't blame you - £4.15 per glass is crazy!

Our venue is charging similar to that, but will let you provide your own wine/bucks fizz etc and just charge a corkage fee. So I am looking at some wine deals and even with the corkage on top, it is still less than half price per bottle than what they were charging!

A tab for you and your family is a great idea, so you don't have to carry money around with you.

knithappens

Thanks for the reply's, will have to give the venue a call and see what they charge for corkage and see if we can save a little cash that way. As we will need something for the toast, I dont even know where to start when it comes to wine, Cheap and cheerful me, Asti spumante lol

floss2

Have a look at Majestic wine warehouses....they usually do tastings on a Saturday

They are pretty competitive price-wise and will be able to give you an idea of how many glasses you'll get from a bottle. I bought a really nice sparkling wine (think it was prosecco) for my & the DS's combined 40/18/16 party a few years ago.

paddingtondoo

lilmrsmullen wrote: »

Thanks for the reply's, will have to give the venue a call and see what they charge for corkage and see if we can save a little cash that way. As we will need something for the toast, I dont even know where to start when it comes to wine, Cheap and cheerful me, Asti spumante lol

When I got married the first time I had Asti Spumante for the toast. Tastes better than champagne in my opinion but maybe that's just the moneysaver in me talking :rotfl:

knithappens

paddingtondoo wrote: »

When I got married the first time I had Asti Spumante for the toast. Tastes better than champagne in my opinion but maybe that's just the moneysaver in me talking :rotfl:

I love sweeter wines, and i dont particularly like champagne, i must have been born cheap lol

princess1974

I dont know if this helps but sainsburys online do a service where you can buy mucho cheap plonk, beer and fizz but its at the sainsburys in calais!!! You order it, they sort it out then you get a cheap crossing to France pay for it and come back and you still get nectar points. obviously its great if you actually live in kent like me but a bit rubbish if you live miles away....

Erm... so it might not help but might help others with a dilemma!!!
Good Luck anyway

MsChazzer

I went a wedding where there was no alcohol at all and it was fine, I think that was on religious grounds but the wedding was pretty money-saving, reception in church hall and local guests bringing food.