All About Wedding Drinks

Wedding Drinks ~ A wedding can be, in many people’s minds, a good excuse for a party. Free food, a chance to get dressed up … and drinks on the house. I know I’m perhaps referring to the worst type of guest possible, but the sad truth is that this type of guest does exist and wedding drinks i.e. alcohol can become a massive expense in your wedding budget.

Perhaps, due to cultural or religious reasons, alcohol won’t be served at your wedding – but if you are planning on having a bottle of wine or two, here are a few tips that could help you save.

The welcome drink or cocktails

A drink of some sort is usually served with snacks while the guests wait for you to arrive at the reception venue. A good measure is one per person – although, keep in mind, if you are having a special drink made – not everyone will pick an alcoholic version.

Keep a quarter or a third of the drinks non-alcoholic for friends who are careful about driving, or for Aunt Edna who can’t handle her liquor.

Wines

If you are providing wines for your guests a few hints will help you manage the consumption a little:

Decide on a set budget / number of bottles with your venue beforehand. Let the manager come to you / your parents once this limit is almost reached.
Inform the reception manager / restaurant manager that the waiters should only replace bottles on the table that are completely empty, and not place all the wine on the table at the beginning of the evening.
Let waiters only refill guests glasses when they are empty, and only after asking the guests if they would like a refill. Often waiters automatically refill glasses when they are two thirds full.

Toasting

As many of our family members (my husband included) aren’t fans of bubbly, we let guests toast with whatever was in their glass at the time – without forcing them to accept a glass of bubbly that may go unwanted or undrunk.

Read more from Candice as she planned her wedding in our Bride to Be section.