Beer and wine reception?

[Italiahaircolor]

anything but a cash bar!

 

[musey]

Date: 5/12/2009 10:37:21 AM
Author: Clio

Date: 5/11/2009 10:15:21 PM
Author: musey
Just please, unless it's a personal conviction or religious thing, don't have a dry reception! I went to one recently and I knew the wedding wasn't going to be fun... so I kept telling myself 'it'll be fine - open bar, open bar, open bar.' No alcohol at all. The hall was almost empty more than an hour before the scheduled end time (at an only 3 hour reception with sit-down meal and everything).

Eh, on the other hand, one of the most fun weddings I've attended, with dancing into the wee hours, was completely dry.

Just beer and wine is definitely fine, tough.

I'm not even much of a drinker - but this particular wedding NEEDED IT. Other than the 'official' dances (father/daughter, first dance, etc.) the dance floor stayed completely empty. People just sat at their tables, staring at their watches.

If one is confident that it can be a 'party' without (which depends on the guests and the quality of other 'party' factors), then I personally wouldn't miss it at all. It can go a distance toward saving a party that might otherwise be extremely dull, though...

ETA: Which is absolutely not to say that any PS bride would through an 'extremely dull' party - just that the one I was referencing was.

 

[Patchee]

Mine is a total open bar from liquor to beer to wine to water!!! BUT, my reception is outside and at my house with a bunch of close friends and family and we like to party so we need to accomodate that... however, it is like one of my biggest expenses!

 

[meresal]

I don't think most people expect anything more than beer and wine anymore. Not many people do full open bars anymore, unless you have many adult men and women that drink mixed drinks. The young ones don't ever care.

We are doing full open bar becuase of the all the adult men that will be at the wedding. They'll drink beer on the golf course, but in a tux... that's just not ok.

 

[Gypsy]

We did beer, wine and champagne. Our wedding was at a vineyard. It worked out fine, no one complained.... of course they drank the equivalent of one bottle of wine and one bottle of beer EACH (and that''s with half the crowd not drinking at all). We did 5 (3 red, 2 white) wines, and a champage and 3 beers. Plenty of Variety

It''s not really worth it at all. Make sure the servers are told to go around to each table ONCE for the dinner pour, with a bottle of red and white if you are doing consumption. If it''s flat rate... tell them to keep going a round.

 

[CNOS128]

We''re doing a full open bar! It was one of the only things that mattered to my fiance, not because he''s a big drinker, but because certain of his friends/family would be happier that way. The full bar option at our venue offers top shelf liquor, and we''re allowed to specify brands as well (for no extra charge).

As a guest I don''t care either way - I''m a wine drinker myself. But I''ve never been to a wedding that didn''t have an open bar, at least for some part of the reception.

 

[Amanda.Rx]

We thought about both... an open bar isn''t out of the question regarding price, but I think we''re going to stick with just beer and wine. A lot of our guests will be young (25-30 years old), still on the cusp of graduation, and they can DRINK! I think some of them might get a little too far gone with "all you can drink liquor".

If I had an older, more mature crowd, or a venue that was easy to get home from, I think I''d definately do liquor.

 

[diamondgirl4382]

Gypsy, thanks for the tip about the dinner pour. I didn''t even think about that. We are doing a consumption bar since it will be half and half drinking/not drinking so I will ask them to go around once with red and white wine. Next thing on the list--picking which beers to have!

 

[SarahLovesJS]

I think it''s perfectly fine. We''re having a dry reception aside from a champagne toast, so hey compared to us you''re being especially generous I suppose!