If you’re supplying your own beverage service for your wedding, it can be a tricky task to work out exactly what to serve, how to serve it, and who will serve it. So here are some tips to consider during your planning.
Do We Serve Champagne?
Nothing says celebration like popping a bottle of champagne, but unless your a champagne drinker, most people will only have a few sips to toast with during speeches. You can save on the quantity of your bubbly by asking wait staff to serve only a half glass for speeches – enough to raise your glass and toast, but not so much that you end up pouring it all down the drain.
Do We Need To Serve Spirits?
If it’s in your budget, and you have a large portion of guests who prefer spirits over beer or wine, it’s definitely a good idea.
Having A Signature Drink?
A speciality drink or cocktail is a lovely way to personalise your wedding, but it isn’t required. A trick to not spend a small fortune on cocktails is to serve these just during your cocktail hour / pre-dinner service, and then moving onto the standard beer and wine for the remainder of the evening.
How Many Bartenders Do We Need?
There’s nothing worse than having to wait in line at the bar, especially at a wedding. To avoid this, make sure you have one bar and two bartenders for every 100 guests. If you would also like a waitered tray service throughout the evening, you may like to add an additional one to two staff members.
We don’t drink, do we have to serve alcohol at all?
If you and your partner don’t drink, but your friends and family do (and you’re not opposed to alcohol), it’s nice to have a bit of alcohol to keep guests happy, even just basic beer and wine. If you feel strongly about not having it at your wedding, or if many of your guests don’t drink either, you can skip it all together and replace with nice non-alcoholic beverages. There are so many alternatives, fruit waters, mocktails, speciality sodas, and even good coffee, keeping your guests hydrated and happy.
Happy Planning! x