Advice please...very stressed and anxious!

We are off to a wedding in June where the table wine in the drinks package has been swapped for pitchers of lager! Will your venue agree to anything like that?

And we went to one last year where bottles were just left on the table and you could have wine if you wanted to - that went down fine!

Sid xx

We've just booked our daughter's wedding at the venue this morning and we've arranged for drinks after the ceremony while they are changing the room setting for them. We have asked for a mix of sparkling wine, champers, bottled beer and orange juice both for this and the toasts mainly because very few people on either side like champers or wine, the blokes all said they'd prefer a bottle to toast them with and we also have a lot of non-drinkers. I think most places will cater for your individual tastes.

We're providing fizz for the drinks reception, wine with dinner (plus jugs of water and bottles of Schloer), port for the cheese course and more fizz for the toast.

There will be no bar available to our guests until the evening but most people should be fine with wine. If not, they can have water! ?

Ask about your venue's corkage rates - this may work out cheaper for you to provide your own - then you can put exactly what you like on the tables .

at most (probably all) weddings i've been to there has been at the very least something provided for the toasts (as in one or more glasses of bubbly and then wine on tables). however if you want to open the bar so people can buy their own i can't see a problem with it as long as venue are happy to do so for you & provide staff etc to run it at that time. if you're opening the bar before the speeches, expect there to be a long queue at the bar!!!! x

Iv been at loads of weddings where there are drinks on arrival and after that everyone buys their own or had the water or orange juice that was on the tables!!! I wouldn be in the slightest bit offended if it were me as a guest!!

Im doing the opposite to a lot of hitchers and not providing any drinks with the meal. Guests are getting a welcome drink of Bucks Fizz and a glass of sparking wine for the toast, anything else they are buying themselves from the bar. I know some people will think I'm a bit tight but I'm only having 40 guests (close family) and everyone has said they wouldn't expect us to provide their drinks. I've reduced the drinks bill from £15 to £4.50 a head by doing this?

HI

My answer = NO, you dont have to provide all the drinks

we are providing (like most weddings Ive been to ) drink on arrival, i think its courtesy, if people dont like whats on offer they get their own, wine on table. I know several people who dont drink wine but they will descretly go off any buy their own drink, then sparkling wine for toast. Even I wont have more than a sip there.

To cut costs we are also bringing our own wine and paying corkage. also thinking of a way around paying less corkage by buying bigger bottles of wine as you only have to pay per bottle!

Laura, i am providing about the same; a glass of champagne cocktail on arrival, 3 glasses of wine with the meal and a glass of sparkling wine for the toast. My thinking is if people don't like what's provided they will get their own from the bar. Don't sweat it....people will sort themselves out; generally people know the drill at weddings and don't expect for every eventuality and likes and dislikes to be be taken into account.

We are doing the same as you. I don't think people expect all drinks to be provided. If people don't like wine then they can sort themselves out. I was getting stressed about this but I think there comes a point when you just have to tell yourself that people have to accept some responsibility for themselves!

They should be there to celebrate your special day with you... not just to drink all your free booze! I am sure no one will mind at all. xx

Thanks everyone, I think Im just being a slight drama queen but suddenly realised how much my parents were paying out. However I am going to be a bit tight and I think I am going to cut back on that package rather than pay for 1/2 bottle wine per person just put a couple of bottles of wine on the table- may take that advice Charlied and get big bottles and pay corkage!!! Love that idea! plus a soft drink of some description.

I think I am going to provide a post ceremony drink as well so that people can then buy what drink they want.

My venue charges 4.50 for a jug of squash and 8.50 for a jug of orange juice...is this normal? I think I am going to tell the people with kids to bring their own beakers!

lol x

My venue charge about the same, couldnt believe the price of soft drinks!!

We had a drink of choice after the ceremony and then I think sparkling wine on the tables.

No sure if it helps but my daughter was advised not to have arrival drinks as drinks aren't allowed into the ceremony room. Their experience is that once people start to drink, the venue have to "gee" people up to go and get seated as it can sometimes cause delays to the ceremony, so they've opted for after ceremony drinks instead but before the meal.

I'm not sure about others, but when people say "arrival drinks" I take it to mean the drink immediately after the ceremony, rather than before.

Yeah GB, we're having 'arrival' drinks, but its after the ceremony, like when the photos are being done.