Wedding / Wine question

[lucyanna girl]

I posted this on another thread but I seem to have come in close to the end so I thought I would try again.

My daughter is engaged and they are still in the planning stage. Both she and her fiance are still in college. They will graduate in May 2014 but my daughter is majoring in Speech Pathology and will continue straight into grad school - so, the wedding will be in the fall of 2015. They have a date picked and the venue rented.

As of right now the plan is for a seven pm wedding followed by a reception in the same venue (a 6000 foot reclaimed warehouse with fourteen foot ceilings, brick walls, hardwood floors, and floor to ceiling windows). Dancing (probably a DJ, possibly a band) will last until midnight. The guest list is around two hundred without the wedding party.

Our daughter and her fiance would like to serve beer and wine. They are thinking a white, a moscato (daughter's favorite) and a red. Can anyone recommend some decent wines that will not break the budget and also make a guess as to how many bottles of each will be needed?

Food may get interesting. Everyone agrees an evening wedding requires a meal but right now she and her fiance are leaning toward a catfish and chicken buffet with appropriate sides- remember folks, we live in Louisiana.


Penny

 

[low-key]

Go to Vegas and a couple friends and family and have a ball , and have Elvis marry her

 

[lucyanna girl]

Go to Vegas and a couple friends and family and have a ball , and have Elvis marry her

We REALLY need a "like" button on here!

Penny

 

[low-key]

We REALLY need a "like" button on here!

Penny

\\


more and more people are doing that, its cheaper, funner and stops all kinds of aggravation

 

[Sabeking]

Do you have a Trader Joes there? They have excellent wines at a good price and usually wine tasting everyday!! They are great about steering you in the right direction. Congratulations to the happy couple! BTW I was a speech pathologist before I became a stay at home mom and loved it...I hope she enjoys it.

 

[mamacatnv]

Moscato is very sweet, I would suggest a dryer white to add to that mix. I love moscato but not with food, it really is a dessert wine.
Trader Joe's is famous for their "$2 buck chuck" wines. Is that an option?
I'm no wine guru but a reisling or a chardonnay may be in order to go with a couple of reds - merlot and maybe a sauvignon

 

[Janepod]

I posted this on another thread but I seem to have come in close to the end so I thought I would try again.

My daughter is engaged and they are still in the planning stage. Both she and her fiance are still in college. They will graduate in May 2014 but my daughter is majoring in Speech Pathology and will continue straight into grad school - so, the wedding will be in the fall of 2015. They have a date picked and the venue rented.

As of right now the plan is for a seven pm wedding followed by a reception in the same venue (a 6000 foot reclaimed warehouse with fourteen foot ceilings, brick walls, hardwood floors, and floor to ceiling windows). Dancing (probably a DJ, possibly a band) will last until midnight. The guest list is around two hundred without the wedding party.

Our daughter and her fiance would like to serve beer and wine. They are thinking a white, a moscato (daughter's favorite) and a red. Can anyone recommend some decent wines that will not break the budget and also make a guess as to how many bottles of each will be needed?

Food may get interesting. Everyone agrees an evening wedding requires a meal but right now she and her fiance are leaning toward a catfish and chicken buffet with appropriate sides- remember folks, we live in Louisiana.


Penny

What wines does the venue offer?

 

[lucyanna girl]

\\


more and more people are doing that, its cheaper, funner and stops all kinds of aggravation

I suggested a Disney wedding. He proposed to her during Wishes in front of the castle!

Do you have a Trader Joes there? They have excellent wines at a good price and usually wine tasting everyday!! They are great about steering you in the right direction. Congratulations to the happy couple! BTW I was a speech pathologist before I became a stay at home mom and loved it...I hope she enjoys it.

No Trader Joes, little bitty town. Thank you, I'll pass your good wishes along. I think she is going to LOVE her field. Every time she comes home she is so excited about whatever she learned in class!

Penny

 

[Bounce_Tigger]

You've gotten some great suggestions, but I might suggest waiting until closer to the wedding to decide such a specific detail. If the bride and groom are still in college, they are probably new to drinking (legally, anyway) and their tastes may very well change. What's the rush in deciding?

 

[lucyanna girl]

Moscato is very sweet, I would suggest a dryer white to add to that mix. I love moscato but not with food, it really is a dessert wine.
Trader Joe's is famous for their "$2 buck chuck" wines. Is that an option?
I'm no wine guru but a reisling or a chardonnay may be in order to go with a couple of reds - merlot and maybe a sauvignon

This is the second suggestion for Trader Joes. We don't have one but I may have to travel and find one. I think the moscato would probably be more for the dancing/party.

What wines does the venue offer?

The venue has no food or drink. Maybe I used the wrong word to describe it. They are renting an old warehouse that has been turned into a site for weddings, partys, etc. There isn't even a kitchen. Caterers have to work without refrigeration, stove, etc.

Penny

 

[lucyanna girl]

You've gotten some great suggestions, but I might suggest waiting until closer to the wedding to decide such a specific detail. If the bride and groom are still in college, they are probably new to drinking (legally, anyway) and their tastes may very well change. What's the rush in deciding?

No big rush, I just hoped to get some basic ideas. My husband and I are setting money aside and I really have no idea how much to budget for alcohol. Thanks.

Penny

 

[christineann]

I would go to a wine and/or liquor store (here in SC, the liquor stores sell wine, too), and speak to the owner or manager. They usually have good ideas that can fit any budget and can advise you how much to buy and probably will give you a discount by the case. Try out some of their suggestions until you find wines that you like.

We had a Lowcountry Boil (shrimp, sausage, corn, potatoes, etc.) and chicken skewers at my son's rehearsal party. We served beer and wine. Your menu sounds fine!

 

[lucyanna girl]

I would go to a wine and/or liquor store (here in SC, the liquor stores sell wine, too), and speak to the owner or manager. They usually have good ideas that can fit any budget and can advise you how much to buy and probably will give you a discount by the case. Try out some of their suggestions until you find wines that you like.

We had a Lowcountry Boil (shrimp, sausage, corn, potatoes, etc.) and chicken skewers at my son's rehearsal party. We served beer and wine. Your menu sounds fine!

Thank you, Yours sounds delicious!

Penny

 

[JessB320]

Do you have a Costco membership? We got most wine and champagne for our wedding at Costco.

 

[lucyanna girl]

Do you have a Costco membership? We got most wine and champagne for our wedding at Costco.

No Costco near here either but we do have a Sam's Club. They have a fair selection it's just that I'm not much of a drinker and don't know much about wine.

Penny

 

[dakcp2001]

College aged guests can be heavy drinkers. Might want to take some keys at the start and have some taxis available. A nice way to pick a good wine is to go to a restraunt and ask what their house wine is.usually not too expensive, it it has to be good for their taster to pick it. I know you can buy several cases at bjs and return unopened ones after the event if they aren't used. But they just be stored properly. The caterer needs to have a liquor license, and the location needs to as well if beer and wine will be served so the caterer may already have a deal with what store they use.

 

[lucyanna girl]

College aged guests can be heavy drinkers. Might want to take some keys at the start and have some taxis available. A nice way to pick a good wine is to go to a restraunt and ask what their house wine is.usually not too expensive, it it has to be good for their taster to pick it. I know you can buy several cases at bjs and return unopened ones after the event if they aren't used. But they just be stored properly. The caterer needs to have a liquor license, and the location needs to as well if beer and wine will be served so the caterer may already have a deal with what store they use.

I think the age of their guests is the reason they choose to only serve wine and beer .

The rental agreement for the building states that you must agree to hire two off-duty police officers (they have a list of avaliable officers) to monitor drinking. Wealso intend to hire someone to serve the wine and beer.

Penny

 

[Disney Doll]

Yellowtail is a decent and decently priced wine, as is Smoking Loon. I think they offer whites and reds. Not sure about Moscato. Turning Leaf is another that I have had which I like. These 3 are less than $10 a bottle usually. Bear in mind that I am no sommelier! I pick my wine by the picture on the label or if it has a funky name.

As to how much? Good question. 200 people where wine & beer are the only choices...you'll need to have a good amount of wine. I wouldn't offer different varieties of whites and reds...it'll get too confusing I think. Go with a Chardonnay for the white and a Cabernet or Merlot for the red...most folks will drink those. I think there are 4 glasses per bottle (of the regular size bottles not those larger size bottles). Perhaps your caterer could be of assistance here...there may be some "formula" they use to figure out this kind of stuff.

 

[jodifla]

Here's what we did to pick the champagne for our wedding: We did a taste-test party with our friends! The Christmastime before our wedding, we bought all the champagne we could find under $10 (this was back in 1987) and we also had hors d'eourves. Then we all tried them all, then voted! It was a small party, about a dozen of us, but we had a memorable time.

We still serve that same champagne (sparking wine, actually) 26 years later at our annual Christmas party.

 

[ENSOCK]

World Market also has wine tastings on certain days. Check them out. I know there is one located in Baton Rouge, if that is not too far from where you are located. They are very helpful and they should be able to help you with the amounts you would need.
Sam's club has a wonderful Moscato. It is in a blue bottle and the name of it is Bevlamo. I love that one and normally I don't drink wine.