BYO to a marquee

fruitandnut

Hi guys, just really looking for a general opinion on this! we are planning on having our wedding in a marquee, and instead of hiring someone to come set up and do the bar, as in pay bar prices for drinks we were thinking of just asking the guests to bring their own drinks! so basically thats all the money they'd spend on the day. i don't really want an outsider coming in and making a profit from our day, and you prob need a lisence to sell alcohol in your garden!! we will provide some but couldn't supply to the whole crowd of possibly 250-300!
what do you think?

mikeanywhere

When I got married recently we had a marquee too and it was fab.

However, we went the route of having www.home-kegs.ie come and do everything for us. We didn't want the aggro or hassle of doing it ourselves or having a family/friend being a bar person. To be honest the prices were still better than pub prices so I cant see what the issue is. We all know how much drinks get consumed at weddings and what happens if people haven't brought enough, do you start sharing out from other people's, start a bus run to the pub/off licence/supermarket every hr to get bits.

We were their first wedding they did and they went all out, brought in a proper bar, pumps, kegs, glasses and they co-ordinated with us the drinks before hand so we weren't short of anything. They provided the staff, glasses and the clean up afterwards too. I cant praise the lads for the service they provided that day for us as they were just amazing!!

Sorry if it wasn't what you wanted to hear but thats the way we did it.

Cheers

mikeanywhere

...........

NinjaTruncs

I wouldn't go asking people to bring their own drink, also having people drinking from cans will lower the whole atmosphere of the day.

Perhaps arrange your own bar, find a people to act as barmen and go buy a shed load of beer. Even if you get cans get them poured into glasses and servered to the guests.

fruitandnut

well, mikeanywhere, your option sounds way easier on us! but we want to keep the cost down! but saying that we were thinking of suppling a certain amount of drink! we were going to hire a bar with taps and buy a few kegs!
and get a friend of a friend to pull the pints and hand out the drink! if guest bring there own they can add them to the barrells of drink or keep them to themselves, just like a normal party!
so much to think about tho, and your right it could end up with trips to the town! but any party we've had before people have all brought enough, and the rest!
so how did your day go? you would obviously recommend the marquee thing!?
thanks for replying anyway. i might look into that as an option!

fruitandnut

NinjaTruncs, its not the drinking from cans, that doesn't bother me at all. but just would people mind being asked to bring their own! i would supply the whole bar if we could afford it but there may be 300 at the party in the evening! and you know irish people to drink! but i appreciate your opinion!

NinjaTruncs

It wouldn't bother me, but some older people may not like it.
for what its worth I think it's a great idea for cutting costs for everyone.

fruitandnut

you could be right, but if someone doesn't want to bring their own, they can drink whats supplied! i know all the young crowd would be happy enough with it! and sur i suppose who cares whos not happy!
but i will look into the home kegs option. it could be easiest all round.
thanks guys

mikeanywhere

fruitandnut wrote: »

so how did your day go? you would obviously recommend the marquee thing!?
thanks for replying anyway. i might look into that as an option!

Day went brilliantly. Typical irish weather where it started to rain a bit but it didnt stop or put a damper on the day. The nicest part was sitting in this marquee and hearing the pissing rain outside and it not bothering anyone at all. The highlight of the day was the rain stopping for when the fireworks were to start, talk about perfect timing!!

We also had a slight leak during the week and the marquee guys came straight out and fixed it (we didnt know about this until afterwards) so they did us very proud.

If there is anything specific you want to know then email me at mike@mikepatterson.com

TutuKaka

What would happen if people started to drink other peoples drinks? Always happens at parties and people can get pretty annoyed.

Enii

Would you supply clean glasses? How would you open bottles of wine - would people bring their own bottle opener or would you pass an opener around? Would you supply ice for your guests gin & tonics? Would you supply a fridge for people to keep their beer cold? How would you stop peoples drink getting mixed up? What if someone forget their own drink?

Personally I am all on for cost cutting in weddings but I don't know if BYOB is the best way to do it - unless you are students and you are having a "student-style" party (I mean wedding;)!!!)

Aquitaine

I have a funny image of people sitting in the church with a 4 pack beside them

I guess you are getting married in the marquee aswell?
personally i would perhaps get someone in to manage the bar such as the company one of the other posters mentioned. i just think overall it might be less hassle

Swampy

In my opinion, if you are having a Marquee wedding, you should be supplying the booze. Definatly not BYOB. Big no no.

If not, just hire a bar. It wont cost you if people are paying their way.

mikeanywhere

Dabko wrote: »

And Mike, thank you very much for a great review, much appreciated -it must be time to get a couple of kegs again:)

Cheers
Keith

Pleasure matey - glad to see things are going leaps and bounds for you two!!

kizzyr

I think its a dreadful idea to ask people to bring their own drinks to a wedding.

No wedding I've ever been to has had an open bar, the first drink for the toast and wine for the meal was supplied and after that people paid for their own drinks at the bar. So its not that people object to paying for their drinks but having to stop off at the off license on the way to the church or reception is just ridiculous IMO. I know the OP said if people don't want to bring drinks they can just make do with whats supplied but it would be the sign of a really bad party to run out of either food or drinks.
OP I'd suggest you find some other way to cut costs e.g. make your own mass booklets, get a friend to take the photographs, don't hire an expensive car for the day, spend less on your wedding dress etc. I think its really tacky to ask people to bring drinks to a wedding.

fruitandnut

hey, thanks for all the advice/opinions! you really have me thinking! it does sound way easier just to hire in a bar etc, i just wanted to try make it an inexpensive event for guests for a change! we were going to supply a bar and a certain amount of drink, with ice, plastic glasses etc. but i think we have loads to think about! thanks again

Clink

I've been to a wedding where it was BYOB and it was great! Made for a v.chilled out day. The couple provided many kegs and bottles of wine, then got a relative to be barman for the night. When that ran out people started into their own supply and I didn't hear any complaints.

The only problem that I could foresee would be that people who didn't drive would have to turn up to the church with bags of cans in toe???? The one I was at, the actual ceremony had been the day before for immediate family only, then the party was in a marquee in the garden the next day.

fruitandnut

hey, Clink, thanks for that. was nice to hear a positive side to what we were planning and maybe we arent bonkers after all! we are only inviting family and a few friends to the ceremony and to a small dinner after. then the main celebration is at about 6 in the evening where everyone comes to. so it wont be like people will have to bring drink to the church. any family wont mind dropping it to the house before the day itself, i dont think anyway! i guess it'll be like any other party people go to!

thanks guys, this has been really helpful. there was so many different aspects to it so it was good to look at them all!
thanks again

Clink

That sounds like a great idea to me- the marquee BYOB that I was at was one of the better weddings I've been to as it was completely different and didn't break the bank to go to. Went on til 8am the next morning too :pac:

fruitandnut

thats the plan! ha ha, thats great to hear! just want something different, that doesnt cost a lot for everyone else as well as us!

Marvinj

Could you maybe sell raffle tickets? So €3 each or something. You buy in a load of drink, get the bar set up and then when your guests buy tickets they can exchange them for a drink. Think that there is some way around needing a licence.

fruitandnut

Could you maybe sell raffle tickets? So €3 each or something. You buy in a load of drink, get the bar set up and then when your guests buy tickets they can exchange them for a drink. Think that there is some way around needing a licence.

good thinking! but i had actually thought of that! so would us buying a load of drink and selling it at say E3 or whatever be a better option than asking people to bring their own? it would mean we weren't out of pocket but wouldn't like to be mean either!
thanks for that though Marvinj