| |
| |
|
Marriage & Wedding Information |
|
|
|
Alcohol and Wedding Receptions-Everything You Will Need to Know
Sure you want your guests to enjoy themselves at your wedding reception, but if you don't want to break the bank or the law here's what you will need to know, including how to calculate how much to buy. Unquestionably, one of the hottest topics that must be dealt with when planning a wedding reception is whether to have an open bar or a cash bar. Why does this particular topic tend to be so controversial? Well, for one thing, some people will tell you that it would be rude to invite guests to your reception, then ask them to pay for their own drinks. On the other hand, an open bar-at which your guests drink for free, perhaps into the wee hours of the morning if they last that long-could leave you with a bill that will forever remain etched in your memory. Both points of view are well taken. It's true that one wouldn't ordinarily invite people to dinner or a party with the expectation that they will pay for what you serve. But it is equally true that people tend to be overly indulgent, not to mention downright wasteful, with alcohol they aren't paying for. They will take a sip or two, set their glass down and begin talking, then walk away. Later, instead of returning for their glass, they will head for the bar to order yet another drink. So, what's the answer? Options, Anyone There really isn't a correct answer, but there are options. You could: *Serve free champagne punch. Since it is relatively light in terms of alcohol content, your guests aren't as likely to become obnoxious, even if they've had more than their fair share. *Have an open bar for the first hour or two. This approach will prevent you from feeling, and looking, like a cheapskate but will allow you to keep your bank account in the black. *Have each table set to include the allocated bottles of wine or champagne. For example, a table seating six to eight people might be decked with two bottles of wine or champagne. Since you can expect each bottle to hold between 4 and six glassfuls, everyone will have one to two glasses for dinner and the toast. (Obviously, you will want to have the toast as early as possible to avoid an embarrassing situation in which guests will be forced to hold up empty glasses.) *Use the open-and-shut-case approach. This requires purchasing beer kegs or cases of good-quality beer, plus several cases of good-quality wine. Since you have purchased the supply in advance, you will determine just how much is being spent on drinks. For guests who insist upon drinking until the cows come home or would like something stronger, make a cash bar available. *Have waiters and waitresses serve drinks from a tray. This approach is not only stylish, it is also quite cost effective because you remain in control of how much is consumed. Choose a few different drinks to be served, including beer and wine. Then have the staff circulate throughout the reception area at pre-scheduled intervals. Perhaps the waiters and waitresses might offer drinks when the reception starts, then just before or during dinner, then a few times later in the evening but not throughout the night. With tray service, you guest will not pay for their drinks, but this will still be a lot cheaper than having an open bar. At-home Receptions If you are planning to have your reception in a home or backyard and you will not be using a caterer, here is what you will need to know. In this situation, a cash bar is simply not one of the available choices. It is against the law to sell alcohol without a liquor license. (You wouldn't want to spend your honeymoon in the pokey.) If the home is not equipped with one, you will need a rented bar (or a sturdy table or two, dressed to the floor or ground with linen). Plan to stock the bar or table(s) with beer, vodka, rum, whiskey, tequila, cordials (liqueur), brandy, gin, wine, sparkling juice, and possibly punch. Offering a sparkling white wine is also nice. If you are planning to serve champagne (Although only a sparkling white wine made in the Champagne region of France can be truly called champagne, people often refer to any bubbly by that name.), expect to pay more. A decent bottle (You will only disappoint the true connoisseur, and they are a dying breed.) will cost between $10 and $12 and will serve seven to eight glasses. Even at these prices per bottle, you may want to reserve it for the toast. Borrow or shop for a bartender's guide (Mr. Boston Deluxe Official Bartender's Guide, for example). For your mixologist, you might also stock such things as lemons, limes, celery, maraschino cherries, and olives. You'll also want to have soda water, tonic water, sparkling water, coke, ginger ale, and a few other soft drinks, plus swizzle sticks and cocktail napkins. Last, but not least, remember to have an ample supply of ice (crushed and cubed) on hand. Standard Guidelines for Consumption Expect each guest to have four to five drinks at the reception. You'll get twenty-five drinks from a fifth of liquor, providing you're using a one-ounce pony to make them with one ounce of alcohol each. Using one and a half ounces of alcohol (that is, a one-and-a-half-ounce jigger), you'll get eighteen drinks per fifth of alcohol. A single case of alcohol contains twelve bottles. Assuming that you're using one ounce of alcohol to make every drink, then one case will yield 300 drinks. If you would like to serve beer on tap, half a keg will yield 260 eight-ounce glasses of beer. Seven cases of beer will yield the same amount. With regard to unopened bottles of alcohol, don't be too concerned about over stocking. It is better to have too much, rather than not enough. Besides, unopened bottles of alcohol can usually be returned to the store. The Law and Your Liability Needless to say, it is against the law to serve alcohol to anyone under the legal drinking age. The sobering fact is that courts have consistently ruled that restaurants, caterers, and hosts are financially liable when minors who are served alcohol are injured, become involved in a car accident, or break the law. You can also be held liable for an adult who suffers an injury, become involved in a car accident, or step outside of the law after drinking too much in your home. Caterers and restaurants are subject to the same liability. Your best protection against legal liability involving alcohol is to plan ahead and react sensibly. If your reception is to be catered, discuss a plan of action with the caterer before hand. He or she undoubtedly will cooperate. Avoid serving salty foods since they make people thirsty. Foods high in protein-such as meat, fish, eggs, and cheese-will help to keep your guests sober. Once a person is drunk, it's too late to reach for the pot of coffee. Giving your happy drunk coffee will only make him or her hyper and jittery. If you need to sober someone up, try to get the person to drink water, which will dilute the alcohol in their system and flush it out. By no means, let that person drive-no matter what they say. Instead, call for a taxi or find another driver to take the person home. About the Author Jean Bachcroft is a former public relations director, founder of Bachcroft and Aloha Labels, and the publisher and editor-in-chief of Town and Country Shopping Bargains Magazine. For designer wedding, holiday, and year-round mailing and return address labels, visit Bachcroft Mailing and Return Address Labels and Aloha Return Address Labels For bargains and bargain shopping articles, visit Town and Country Shopping Bargains.
MORE RESOURCES:
Marriage-Wedding - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Basic Tips for Planning a Wedding Planning a wedding should be fun and exciting. However, if you don't do the proper research and stay within your budget things can go bad in a hurry. Marriage Advice: What to Throw Overboard When Your Marriage Is In Trouble When your marriage is in trouble and you're fighting to keep it afloat, it's time to throw anything that isn't helping you overboard. You need all your wits about you to be able to handle the crisis and tackle the problems. The (American) Bride Wore Red Increasing numbers of American brides are thinking about doing the formerly unthinkable -- getting married in a bold red gown.Not that red is a stranger to marriage. An Inexpensive, Yet Beautiful, Wedding: One Brides Story Most girls know by the age of 12 what kind of wedding they want. They have everything picked out, from what their wedding dress will look like to the husband they will marry. Planning the Music for Your Wedding Ceremony It's safe to say that out of all the events for which you will gather your friends and family to celebrate your marriage, the wedding ceremony itself will be the most meaningful and, hopefully, memorable. In the United States, music plays many vital roles in the wedding ceremony, from providing flow and ambiance to highlighting the deeper emotional meaning. Exotic Island Wedding! Where Dreams Truly Come True in Paradise As a travel professional considering an exotic island wedding was a logical choice, but having to convince a strong Catholic family was the challenge I faced! I was never a traditionalist in the sense, and I have attended so many conventional weddings with a church ceremony and post-reception in the past, I wanted to do something different and special for the most important day of my life!Island weddings have been around for quiet some time, but in my opinion, they seemed to be perceived more for renewal of vows and second marriages, however, as our lifestyles change, we separated ourselves from tradition, and an exotic wedding on a spectacular island seemed like a dream in paradise for me.I met the love of my life a few years ago in travel school, and as our love for each other became apparent my only thought was, what if she doesn't want to have an island wedding? Knowing that her family is Catholic, and tradition is very important to them, I thought to myself, was my ambition of having a romantic wedding on an island not going to be a reality?Even though I expected the worst-case scenario, the family was very understanding and accepted both our wishes with open arms, so the rest was history! The planning for our special event had begun, and with some consideration we both agreed on having our anticipated wedding on the exotic destination island of Cuba. Wedding Planning: Involve your Fianc in 10 Easy Steps He's popped the question. You've chosen a date. Outdoor Wedding Ceremonies - Keeping Your Guest Comfortable According to a survey conducted in 2003 by Bride's magazine, 15% of all couples choose an outdoor wedding, and that trend is growing. But with a all of the beauty and simplicity that an outdoor wedding brings, it also brings added anxiety from the force known as Mother Nature. Faulty Expectations: 4 Essential Don'ts The more realistic you are as you prepare for marriage, the more likely you are to have a successful one. Therefore, it is incumbent upon you to give serious consideration to your expectations of your fianc. Anniversary Gift Guide An anniversary gift is the opportunity to show your loved one precisely how much they mean to you and how special you think they are.The list at the bottom of this post shows the traditional anniversary gifts for each of the major wedding anniversaries. The Beautiful Bride To Be - Beauty Tips For The Big Day It goes without saying that we all want to look our best for the big day. So preparation is the key. Get Organized for Wedding Planning! You've had friends to your home for dinner. Maybe you've hosted a Super Bowl party or two. Mindfulness and Marriage: Moving Along Marriage has to be the greatest opportunity for mindfulness on the planet.I used to think that parenting took top honors, but really, a good marriage lasts a lot longer than a good childhood. Bridezilla Bride!? Nobody, I repeat nobody likes a bridezilla bride. If you feel this feeling taking hold of your higher thinking processes fight it! Fight it will every fiber of your being, if you don't your friends may never forgive you. Marriage Advice: Ten Ways to Add Romance to Your Marriage Every marriage needs a healthy dose of on-going romance to add spice, delight, and fun to the relationship. It's not enough to just start out with a sizzling romance. Searching For A Discount Mother Of The Bride Dress You can look fabulous at your daughter's wedding in a discount mother of the bride dress. There's no need to spend a lot of money on an expensive dress if you don't have to. Restore Your Marriage - 5 Ways to Feel Connected to Your Spouse Even on Opposite Schedules We've all been through times in our lives when it was so busy we would rarely have time to ourselves let alone time to contact our family and friends. With every day life moving as quickly as it is, there just seems to be no time to do everything in one day and get a decent amount of sleep so you can do it all over again the next day. How to Have a Sizzler of a Honeymoon! Article No. 6 It wasn't the wedding of the century. Six people in all arrived at St. Choosing The Right Music For Your Wedding OverviewI suppose a typical Christian wedding in the UK can be divided into 4 main sections and these are:The ceremonyPre-meal drinksWedding breakfastEvening receptionI suppose about half of the weddings I come across have the ceremony in a church so this means that if they do require me to provide live music; it will be during the drinks before the meal and the wedding breakfast. Everyone's requirements are different so don't be afraid to discuss any special requirements with whoever your hiring. Wedding Photography - Tips for a Wonderful Session Every couple wants wonderful photos of their wedding day that capture the celebration, details, romance and beauty. Here are a few tips for a successful photo session:1.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
