drinks package???

Do not fear AngeliB I am only providing a glass when they get there and a drink to toast to. I am not a big drinker and cant afford to put bottles of wine on the tables, there is a bar if people want a drink.

And like you say, you are feeding and entertaining them all day!

We are doing the same but our drinks package is £16 per head and is bucks fizz/pimms on arrival, 2 glasses of wine with the meal (red, white or rose) and sparkling wine to toast. We are having 80 people so can't afford any more. I think 2 glasses ends up working out at approx half a bottle....

I did go to a wedding recently where drins were free flowing but the bride is a trravel agent who got a sizeable discount from the hotel and tbh that's the only time I'vr ever seen that. HTH

AngeliB that sounds perfectly reasonable, I can;;t remember off the top of my head but I think we're having drinks for arrival, toast and 26 bottles for 70 guests. about the same as you I think... no free bar as cant afford it and will make sure to mention there isn't a free bar on the invite (if anyone has any suggestions on how to put that nicely to people do step in).

We're providing exactly what you have said, got pimms & bottle beer arrival drinks, 1 glass of wine with the meal and then the toast. That is £13.50 per head. The bar will be open if people want other drinks.

I think we are probably just going to put pay bar on the bottom of the invitations. I can't think of a better way to say sorry you are going to have to buy your own drinks!!

Bit Off topic but I remember my 21st birthday bash we had at home, I did invited and at the time I didnt drink alcohol so put on the invites "Bring what you'd like to drink" everyone did and didnt have naything to say apart from my uncle who has now not spoken to me in over 4 years because he felt this was bang out of order, lol.

Yeah, that is the norm.

If I were a guest at a wedding I would not be at all upset if I only got one glass of wine with the meal/for the toasts etc. I think now after planning a wedding, I am more appreciative of how much a wedding costs and therefore would completely understand if I got nothing at all or only one glass!

I think your friend needs to remember that she's primarily at your wedding to witness her friend's special day, not to get steaming! ?

Jem that's so simple Im embarrassed I didn't think of that myself...

Didnt think about having to state on the invitations about the paying bar!! If i can't find anywhere to put it in do you thinks its must? or will everyone assume its a free bar!!? eek that might be embarrassing!

AngeliB you kind of have to put it on the invite - I wouldn't carry cash to a wedding unless I knew I would need it.

lol, it took me ages to come up with that!! I'm actually planning a silver wedding anniversary party for my parents in their local community hall and needed to let people know they would have to buy their own drinks. My first attempt was 2 lines!!!!!!

Thanks advice taken and will put in to invitations!! xx

Part of the reason we chose to have the church we're getting married at's hall as the reception (aside from no transport costs!) was so we could provide the booze. I have a horrible memory as a child - I think I was even a bridesmaid - at a wedding and asking the nice person if I could have some lemonade. They gave it to me and charged me money I didn't have. I had to get my parents and it was all very upsetting. OK gave far too much away there!

So, I'm a bit touchy about wanting people to pay for my own wedding (though would be happy to pay at someone else's). We can't charge for booze at our venue, but can give away what we like. We're looking to employ some staff to look after chilling/serving/disposal but have snagged some lovely Lindaeur for just about £6 a bottle, and service charges should be about £2-3 a bottle. The entertainment we're having (a ceilidh) will likely cut down on people's drinking as you can't have a drink in hand and dance at the same time. WIll that make a difference at your venue?

We've got a glass of glass of Pimms and Lemonade on arrival
2 glasses of Wine ( white or red ) with the meal
A glass of Prosecco (sp??) (It's Italian Champers) for the Toast

£12.95 per head

HTH

Really ? I must say I would be the exact opposite - It would never cross my mind that that there was going to be a free bar and have only ever been to one wedding where there was and that was a small family wedding! Im not sure how I would take it if I received and invite telling me there wasnt a free bar- but I am well out of wedding loop these days so is that a "normal" thing to put on invites?

My dinks ar a champagne cocktail after the ceremony and am putting wine on tables - approx 1/2 bottle per person.

I would never assume there was a free bar. I think the typical package is a 'welcome' drink with top ups of it for those who are errrr rather thirsty, about 2 glasses of wine with your meal and then a sparkly drink to toast during the speeches.

We will be doing the above in unlimited quantities and then possibly a free drinks token for the evening bar. We have no corkage charges at our venue and our going to buy vino en masse so its cheaper. We could bring our own booze for the evening as well but its about £400 to pay for staff in the evening. I'd rather spend this on giving people one free drink then letting the venue run it as a pay bar (its country pub prices) than worry about what to buy & it what quantities etc.

I agree, we went to OH's brother's wedding which was free bar. There was only 15 of us. But every other wedding I have been to I have always expected & found that there was a paying bar.

I have never been to a wedding with a free bar and it had never crossed my mind to put 'pay bar' at the bottom of the invites, i've always taken money to a wedding. My drinks package is a peach bellini or alcoholic fruit punch on arrival, 3 glasses of wine with meal and 1 glass of sparkling to toast. To be honest, people don't really mind having to buy their own drinks a most people understand it's cost a fortune for the whole wedding anyway.

Ooohh i am really glad this thread was started as i was beginning to worry about it a little myself!

We are paying £14 a head and the guests get bucks fizz on arrival, red or white with the meal and champagne for the toast. Seems pretty much along the same lines as most of you guys so that has put my mind at rest. Wouldnt have thought to mention it on the invites though so thanks for that!

I have a feeling OH's dad might offer to put some money behind the bar but we will see on the day (he is such a sweetie you just cant really say no to him!)

I have never been to a wedding where there was a free bar (i have no rich friends much to my annoyance!) so i woudlnt expect it so i kinda think that my friends know us and know how much we are spending on the rest of the day and will hopefully appreciate that!

x

We were really lucky because our parents wanted to provide drinks for everyone. We had champagne after the ceremony (we had the speeches then before dinner), with top ups for everyone. We had unlimited wine for dinner (and soft drinks) and there was a pay bar for anyone who wanted something else (nobody did).

For the evening do we had a sparkling wine reception for the first hour, then a free bar for the next two hours, but at that point we switched to a pay bar as we didn't want our parents to be fleeced! I got really annoyed because at one point I found out that when people were ordering drinks, the bar staff were offering them doubles. How cheeky!

Anyway, everybody was really surprised at how much free alcohol there was nobody expected it at all. I wouldn't expect it at a wedding I was going to, and I realise I was very lucky that our parents wanted to do this as a gift.

Have been to two weddings in the last two weeks, first one was no free drinks at all, which I didn't mind in the slightest (except the drinks were ludicrously expensive!!!!) and then this weekend, the reception was a maquee in her parent's garden and by garden I mean field) and they had free wine all night - they'd got a job lot in really cheap.

I wouldn't worry, most people realise that people can afford different things, I don't think people expect to be paid for all day/night anymore. I've been to plenty where they had the same as you, and it was fine to pay for the rest of my drinks.