Another Wedding Spinoff--Alcohol at Reception

[aprilgail]

After speaking with the lady at the venue, she was very accommodating and said it might be best to just keep a running tab and pay for total drinks consumed rather than pay for a pre-set amount. In all honesty, half the guests don't drink anyway so it worked out that the persons who did, didn't over run the tab and so it was alot less than wedding planners would suggest you spend on drinks. And wouldn't you know it? Alot of them only had wine or beer (and I am not talking about the ones I spoke to previously either. Some of those once they realized it was an open bar, they had their mix or harder drink than beer or wine).

.

My daughter (then 15) threw me a retirement party at a local restaurants party room- she asked a friend of mine to drive her there so she could pay and pick what food etc. Well she did not pick the open bar since she was on a limited budget so when I got there I quietly asked the waitress to offer drinks to people and just run a tab and I would take care of it at the end. When the end came and I went to take care of it a friend of mine beat me to it and paid the whole bar bill for me. I just couldn't have a party and expect each person to pay for their own drinks. Turns out only like 5-6 people actually drank anyway so the bar bill wasn't terrible and it would have been a waste of money to pay the 25.00 a head for open bar when only 5 or 6 out of 50 drank!

 

[CPanther95]

My daughter (then 15) threw me a retirement party at a local restaurants party room- she asked a friend of mine to drive her there so she could pay and pick what food etc. Well she did not pick the open bar since she was on a limited budget so when I got there I quietly asked the waitress to offer drinks to people and just run a tab and I would take care of it at the end. When the end came and I went to take care of it a friend of mine beat me to it and paid the whole bar bill for me. I just couldn't have a party and expect each person to pay for their own drinks. Turns out only like 5-6 people actually drank anyway so the bar bill wasn't terrible and it would have been a waste of money to pay the 25.00 a head for open bar when only 5 or 6 out of 50 drank!

I'd never pay the price that some venues were trying to charge here in Charlotte. Most were a per drink basis and they were using prices you'd expect from a hotel bar. When you are bringing 150-200 people in and paying for the hall and food, you'd expect much more of a "bulk" rate. IIRC, the per drink prices ranged from $7 to $11 depending on the grade of liquor. Non-alcoholic beverages were also priced per drink.

That's why we just found a new venue.

 

[Nennie]

I find it amazing how many people equate alcohol with wedding cake.

Alcohol is an extra. It can be a very expensive extra.

Wedding cake is a norm at a wedding. I've never been to a wedding without a cake.

What I find really funny is that I am coming from a place where I can't even eat at most weddings. And I certainly can't eat the cake. All of this due to Celiac disease. But people complain that others don't want to pay for their alcohol habit.

I think charging for alcohol would be like you throwing a party and charging people for cake, since you can't eat it yourself, "I'm not paying for your gluten habit!!!"

 

[CPanther95]

If you need to save money to provide for your guests, get rid of the florist budget. That's the biggest waste of money at most weddings.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

If you need to save money to provide for your guests, get rid of the florist budget. That's the biggest waste of money at most weddings.

Our floral budget was $60.

I wonder how much alcohol that would have purchased.

 

[Julie's Haircut]

If you need to save money to provide for your guests, get rid of the florist budget. That's the biggest waste of money at most weddings.

Totally agree. And no need for some fancy four-tiered wedding cake. Get a sheet cake or two.

My parents went to a wedding in DC that was black-tie, and at the reception they were shocked to find out it was a cash bar...and it wasn't even "cash" b/c the guests had to actually go to a table to purchase drink tickets (beer, wine, or mixed drink) and then go over to the bar with their ticket. They said that their entire table was joking about the drink tickets and joking that they would have to take $$ out of the gift envelope to buy tickets! (They were joking, I wasn't there, but I'm guessing the guests really didn't take $$ out of the gift envelope).

I wouldn't be surprised if someone did. I've seen my FIL reduce the money in the gift envelope to pay for drinks, and have heard of others doing it.

 

[CPanther95]

Our floral budget was $60.

I wonder how much alcohol that would have purchased.

About 60 drinks.

You did well. Florist wanted to charge me a total of $3250. We scrapped the entire budget and just bought about $450 worth of flowers and set them up ourselves.

 

[CPanther95]

Totally agree. And no need for some fancy four-tiered wedding cake. Get a sheet cake or two.

We did 3 tiers but it was about 1/3 the size we needed to feed everyone. Then the baker made 4 matching sheet cakes (4 different flavors) that were kept in the back. once they took the cake back into the kitchen, they already had slices ready to come back out.

 

[tvguy]

If you need to save money to provide for your guests, get rid of the florist budget. That's the biggest waste of money at most weddings.

LOL. Yes, the flowers cost me 2.5 times as much as the rehearsal dinner for 30, with drinks and tip.

 

[Hikergirl]

Our floral budget was $60.

I wonder how much alcohol that would have purchased.

2 1.5 Liters of Moscato wine, 1 bottle of Malibu and 1 bag of pre-mixed Malibu rum punch.
I just got back from the liquor store LOL

 

[mummabear]

Make sure you tell the bartenders not to allow shots if you are on a consumption package. Those add up fast and get out of control. My dear friends could have bought a new car with what her consumption bar bill cost her - all because of shots! Either no shots or reconsider the cap.

I know of people who have put a limit and when the bar tender has let them know they have topped it up again, I personally would never want an uncapped consumption bar with no restrictions on what people can order

 

[tvguy]

I'd never pay the price that some venues were trying to charge here in Charlotte. Most were a per drink basis and they were using prices you'd expect from a hotel bar. When you are bringing 150-200 people in and paying for the hall and food, you'd expect much more of a "bulk" rate. IIRC, the per drink prices ranged from $7 to $11 depending on the grade of liquor. Non-alcoholic beverages were also priced per drink.

That's why we just found a new venue.

Yes, some places do that. The place we went with charged $38 a head for dinnerand , a choice of 3 craft beers, and 2 wines. We also brought in a case of custom labeled champagne, and they charged us $7 corkage per bottle. Their published corkage fee is $15.

 

[mummabear]

, I don't see any problem with having a cash bar, especially for anything other than beer or wine.

I don't think it's okay to have a full cash bar, but I agree for anything other than beer, wine and non alcoholics and this is from someone who only drinks spirits

 

[CPanther95]

2 1.5 Liters of Moscato wine, 1 bottle of Malibu and 1 bag of pre-mixed Malibu rum punch.
I just got back from the liquor store LOL

If you can settle for Gilbey's vodka, you can probably get about 150 drinks for $60.

 

[ashley0139]

Yeah but haven't you noticed when out for dinner that an offer of tea or coffee with dessert is pretty standard? Whether or not you drink it yourself, you had to have noticed??

Of course I've noticed, but I would never think that wedding cake at a party = dessert at a restaurant.

 

[tvguy]

Not allowed to add fees for eftpos here and we don't tip so its all good

Yeah, that always ruffled my feathers. I'm letting you transfer funds directly from my account to yours, no need to make change, or have cash on hand for me (assuming I don't want cash back), and you charge me?

 

[Hikergirl]

If you can settle for Gilbey's vodka, you can probably get about 150 drinks for $60.

Oh no, vodka and I do not get along very well

 

[mummabear]

Yeah, that always ruffled my feathers. I'm letting you transfer funds directly from my account to yours, no need to make change, or have cash on hand for me (assuming I don't want cash back), and you charge me?

Exactly!

 

[usd2bmd]

I think it depends on what are of the country you're in. I live outside of Buffalo and open bar is the way it's done here. I've never been invited to a wedding with a cash bar or a dry reception, but I know friends who have been to dry receptions, and they were that way for religious reasons. I've been married almost 22 years and when I got married, my boss at the time was from New Hampshire and he was used to cash bar weddings. He went to the bar at the beginning of the reception with a group of co-workers and said the first round was on him. They all laughed until they realized he was serious. For the longest time he told people my wedding was the best he had ever attended because the drinks were free.
Around here, if you were going to throw a wedding and NOT have an open bar it would most likely be stated on the invitation o everyone was aware.

 

[RedAngie]

Make sure you tell the bartenders not to allow shots if you are on a consumption package. Those add up fast and get out of control. My dear friends could have bought a new car with what her consumption bar bill cost her - all because of shots! Either no shots or reconsider the cap.

We did tell our bartender not to serve shots. Nor pitchers of martinis, etc. (I don't know if any guests requested them).