Is this stupid?

[TiggerificSox]

I've been toying with 900 bar ideas for a lunch reception. I don't want to offer anything, but understand not everyone is a non-drinker like myself. I see it as a waste of money in many ways, but get other people's perspective on people traveling for the wedding, etc. So I'm looking for a compromise.

Do you think Disney would be able to set up a drink ticket system? (Or allow me to?) I was thinking if everyone got a ticket or 2 (so we'd pay for that upfront) and then had an open bar for the rest (or trade off tickets type of system) that it would all work out??? My guess is everyone wont have 2 drinks with lunch... and obviously soda, coffee, tea, etc would all be unlimited. Opinions?? (Be honest!)

 

[lurkyloo]

OK, here's me being honest: We didn't want alcohol at the wedding and we didn't care what the drinkers thought! Admittedly, it is easier to deprive them at brunch than at lunch but, IMHO, if they can't make it through lunch without booze or need a drink to have a good time, that's their problem.

Anyway, back to the compromise. I have never heard of Disney doing a ticket system, but that doesn't mean they won't. I just think that they want to sell as much food and beverage as possible!

What about if you did just soda and water plus one or two alcoholic beverages, like wine or mimosas and/or one specialty cocktail?

 

[Skylarr29]

You could do a wine and beer BOC (billed on consumption bar) or have no alcohol at all. I really think it is up to you. We had a lunch reception and our bar bill turned out to be about $600.00. That was less than half what Disney estimated and charged us and we ended up getting that money back. We had a few heavy drinkers but most were casual drinkers and only had one or two, we had quite a few older adults who had none. I like Lurkyloo's idea of just a specialty drink. We had two specialty cocktails and they were a huge hit. Don't do things because you feel that you have to do them. Do what your budget allows.

 

[Bolanette87]

We're having a home wedding in the UK, and we don't drink, but our families are both big on drinking. We decided to reach a compromise (Which my future FIL still isn't happy about!) and we've decided we are going to give out alcoholic welcome drinks, alcholic toast drinks, and then wine with the meal (Which is all happening in the evening) but we've requested that the bar in our reception venue sells no alcohol, only non-alcoholic drinks. I'm not sure if this would be an option at WDW, but I just thought I'd share how we broached the issue!

Bob xoxoxoxox

 

[polynesianbride]

I don't think you need to have any alcohol at all if you don't want to. If you were having a dinner this may be a little harder but for a lunch reception I think it is totally appropriate. If you are worried about it I think I would just offer champagne, or I love the idea of a specialty drink... Mimosa's are my personal favorite and I think the perfect drink for a brunch/lunch type reception.

 

[jspahn]

We are having a bunch reception and I think we will only offer champage punch/mimosas for alcohol. I cant imagine anyone wanting to drink heavily at 10am!!

 

[adisneygal]

I think your wedding is suppose to be a reflection of you. If you don't drink, then why have drinking? I agree with Carrie, that if people need to drink to have a great time, that is their prob! We aren't having drinking at our reception.

 

[MegKate]

I'm really glad this was brought up. We're not doing alcohol at the wedding for a multitude of reasons (i.e. we don't drink, we have many recovering alcoholics in our family, one side of our family doesn't drink because of religious reasons etc...) and I thought we were odd. I feel better now!!

I agree with the rest - if you have to have it - limit it to a specialty drink and mimosas.

 

[dizzydina]

I have a few friends/family members that are a bit of heavy drinkers. I don't drink at all. My sister's wedding was completely unfun and a bit of a mess with an open bar, so I have already decided that alcohol will be a no-go at my wedding. The choice is really up to you, but with a lunch it's completely do-able to have just champange or something. If you don't want an open bar, don't spend the money on it!

 

[tiggerrifficheidi]

I agree with everyone...do what you want! In fact, the recent edition of "Brides" magazine was celebrating their 75th anniversary and mentioning how they used to (75 years ago) give STRICT advice on wedding etiquette. Now the only rule is that you and your guests have a good time (I'm paraphrasing from the Editor's letter)

That being said...in the interest of making it easy on you AND economical (IMHO) BOC is the way to go. DFTW really pushed me to package "because it would save money." But, we have friends who have all been to Germany and lived all over the world, and cheap American beer won't cut it (I apologize to anyone who likes it!). The Signature/Premium packages were pretty expensive. So, against my planner's advice, I went BOC on both the Welcome Dinner (at night) and the reception (lunch time).

We ended up getting $2500 back from Disney on their estimates! I had about 60 guests at the Welcome dinner and about 65 at the reception. We spent $510 on alcohol at the WD and $520 at the reception.

And bear in mind if we had cut out alcohol, all those people would have drank sodas, so THAT cost would have gone up. So, it wasn't really $1K EXTRA on alcohol. It was probably only $500 or so.

 

[bridetobe789]

We are having a 12 o'clock ceremony and decided to nix the whole alcohol part of the reception! a) neither of us are BIG drinkers... and no one really is the kind that really drinks that much either! It saves a ton of money so in the end I think it is a great idea! Having said that, if I were having a night time reception I would probably lean more towards a BOC. !

 

[Keira1387]

We are having a 12 o'clock ceremony and decided to nix the whole alcohol part of the reception! a) neither of us are BIG drinkers... and no one really is the kind that really drinks that much either!

I agree with Tricia. Plus my parents do not drink, and they paid for the wedding, so no alcohol!

 

[Ember]

Truthfully, I think it's personal preference what is offered. Be it pop and juice, wine, a signature cocktail, or a full open bar. Guests should accept what the bride and groom offer with grace - that's part of being a good guest. That said, I think what ever is offered should be complimentary. I don't believe in guests paying for any part of the wedding they've been invited to.

 

[bridetobe789]

I agree with Tricia. Plus my parents do not drink, and they paid for the wedding, so no alcohol!

haha my parents are paying too I feel ya Kendra!!

 

[tommymomo]

I understand what you are saying, trust me I am trying to save where ever I can, and we are goin back and forth on per drink vs consumption. What i think is being missed here is that we are really asking alot of our guests to come to a wedding at disney.
The only time I have used a ticket thing is at a local bar where you pay a cover charge. Do you really want your guests to be talking the bar situation after the wedding , instead of all the other nice things that I am sure your wedding will have. That is my take on it, I hate all the bar options that are offered, but I will bite the bullet and pick one just so that my guests are taken care of.

 

[ColeV]

We're doing a dinner and are thinking about just doing a soda bar, a bottle of wine and sparkling cider at each table, and a signature drink. Some of our family and friends drink, but I've never thought that you need a lot of alcohol at a wedding. At most we'll add the basic wine/beer package, but as my mother said; put the most money into the things you are going to get the most out of. And I don't think having a beer is going to make or break the night.