Non-alcoholic options

baby and crumble

Hi guys, just wondering if anyone has experience with asking hotels to provide a non-alcoholic option for wine etc on tables? Our package comes with 1/2 a bottle of wine per person which is grand (although I hate the idea of having to pay for someone elses drink, but sure look, it's kinda mean not to, I get that so no major issue!) but I don't really drink too much (and definitely not wine) and a fair few of our guests would probably be the same. Just wondering (before I go to my venue) if anyone's successfully negotiated a substitution for a few of the wine bottles and/or prosecco (we have a processo reception included also) for say a few bottles of Scholer or something similar?

I don't think it's fair on our guests who don't drink to either have to have boring water with their meals or pay for soft drinks etc. I also don't think it's fair on us to have to pay for a non-alcoholic option to be substituted for wine (which will actually be cheaper for the hotel to provide). I'm not asking for all the wine to be provided AND extra stuff. Just to be clear.

Atomic Pineapple

Entirely up to your wedding venue, you're only going to get differing experiences here based on venue so you are best just to contact the person who is coordinating your wedding at your venue.

baby and crumble

I know, I was just looking for peoples experiences so i can see if it's even done anywhere, that's all.

Sunny Dayz

Probably not the same thing, but might be some help none the less... Whatever non alcoholic option you pick, please have yourself or someone else taste it before hand. When a friend got married, many of the immediate bridal party were non drinkers. They organised with the hotel for a bottle of non-alco champagne/sparkling for them on arrival. They said afterwards that it didn't taste nice at all.


Would big jugs of soft drinks on the table be an option? Could the hotel organise that two staff serve the table and have a large tray or a trolley and give the guests the option of red or white wine or a small bottle of soft drink.
To be honest if this was done at a wedding I know my own husband would select a soft drink rather than a glass of wine, even though he drinks he doesn't like wine.

stickybookmark

My venue provided jugs of summer cordial (or similar) at the drinks reception and jugs of diluted orange for the kids at the main meal. There was also a silent bar tab for anyone that ordered a non-alco drink at the table during the meal. So we didn't advertise it but if someone ordered a non-alco drink instead of wine we paid for it (one drink each).
We paid per jug for the summer cordial and per jug for the diluted orange though. And we paid whatever the bar tab cost for the non-alco drinks.
That was all on top of paying for the wine.

stargazer 68

Our hotel are providing jugs of cordial also. We have about 10 kids - all over 10 though but some of the adults will have it as well.

Milly33

You should ask them if you provide it would they use it, I would say tis fine..

Ours was different as we had free run what to do at the wedding, but like this I wanted to make sure people who didn't drink had something.

We had bucks fizz which was forgotten about but for others we had this really yummie lemonade cordial to serve had some made up with water and fizz which was nice

baby and crumble

They have given us he option of jugs of cordial for €10 which tbh I think is nonsense. Plus it's a bit childish in some ways for a wedding, you know? I'm more than happy to bulk buy bottles of schloer (I absolutely love it!) myself and just plonk them on tables. Thanks for the feedback guys

Milly33

Jes €10 is crazy for Cordial and yes I get what you mean a little childish. Like the stuff we had we kinda of prettied it up for the tables and it was more a relaxed dinner...

You should say that if you offered to buy the Schloer yourselfs would that be ok...

XxMCRxBabyxX

baby and crumble wrote: »

They have given us he option of jugs of cordial for €10 which tbh I think is nonsense. Plus it's a bit childish in some ways for a wedding, you know? I'm more than happy to bulk buy bottles of schloer (I absolutely love it!) myself and just plonk them on tables. Thanks for the feedback guys

Maybe it's a bit snooty (? - I can't think of the word I really want!) of me but, as a non-drinker, I would feel a bit put out and feel like a child if cordial was the only option given to me except for wine. I'll take just water over that! I'd love to see Schloer as an option. At the weddings I've been to there hadn't really been many options. I think one provided 7Up at the drinks reception and other than that it was water or pay at the bar!

baby and crumble

XxMCRxBabyxX wrote: »

Maybe it's a bit snooty (? - I can't think of the word I really want!) of me but, as a non-drinker, I would feel a bit put out and feel like a child if cordial was the only option given to me except for wine.

Yeah that's what I want to avoid really. I feel the same. Every single thing I go to for work or whatever is rubbish for that reason and i also don't really want to be drinking mad sugary drinks all the time!

I'm also not a tea or coffee drinker so I'm slightly militant about decent "other" options at things!!! It's like "oh, great coffee break. Water in a tiny paper cone for me so, how relaxing!"

stickybookmark

Mixed berry lemonade was what my venue had for the non-alco option for the drinks reception, just remembered the name of it now! They made it themselves. I just saw some people with purple stuff in a glass, hopefully it was ok!

Milly33

Sounds like you are hard to please baby and crumble but then tis all what you would like yourself...

I get mi wadi now is a little cheap but getting nice cordials like the homemade lemonade or elderflower is quite yummie I would think.. And dress up the jugs to make it look nice... Or as you say just say to the venue your bringing in your own bottles. Put one red and one white Schloer and bobs your uncle.

Toots

If they're charging a tenner per jug of cordial, you'd want to double check they wouldn't charge "corkage" if you bring in bottles of Shloer.

We paid a fiver per jug of cordial, but that was unlimited refills so when the waiters were going around with top ups for the wine, the jugs of cordial were also filled up.

baby and crumble

Milly33 wrote: »

Sounds like you are hard to please baby and crumble but then tis all what you would like yourself...

I hope I'm not. It's just that I'm aware how awkward it is to go to a wedding and there be no nice option if you don't drink alcohol. I just want myself no my guests happy on th day, you know? I just think its a sign of how alcohol is seen in Ireland that having half a bottle of one per person and prosseco is fine but some cordial is mad expensive?? Seems weird to me.

wokingvoter

I'm happy to drink water or preferably miwadi with my meal
A lot of people find "fizzy" anything makes them "gassy" when eating
OP you don't want the after dinner speeches punctuated by thunderous belching!

Atomic Pineapple

wokingvoter wrote: »

I'm happy to drink water or preferably miwadi with my meal

I'm the same, some coffee on arrival and water with the meal is what suits me when I'm not drinking, I'd imagine that would be what most non drinkers would normally do anyway and something like cordial or schloer would only be a nice extra and not a must have

emzolita

I had a table at the bar with those big Mason jar type coolers that have a tap on them. It was refilled filled with real lemonade and fruit ( l brought the lemonade to the hotel) I had little milk bottles and paper straws beside the dispenser so people could just help themselves at the bar. It went down very well with kids and non drinkers.
We gave everyone a drinks voucher after the meal but specified on it it's "for any alcoholic beverage, soft drink or tea or coffee" so non drinkers didn't feel like the couldn't use it.

SarahMollie

emzolita wrote: »

I had a table at the bar with those big Mason jar type coolers that have a tap on them. It was refilled filled with real lemonade and fruit ( l brought the lemonade to the hotel) I had little milk bottles and paper straws beside the dispenser so people could just help themselves at the bar. It went down very well with kids and non drinkers.
We gave everyone a drinks voucher after the meal but specified on it it's "for any alcoholic beverage, soft drink or tea or coffee" so non drinkers didn't feel like the couldn't use it.

That sounds like a good idea (although dangerously close to DIY for my taste!)

Did your venue supply the coolers or did you have to source them and bring them on the day? My only concern would be adding stress of having to set stuff up if its outside of the normal wedding package.

I'd love if venues made it easy to do stuff like this Real lemonade is delicious and even though I'm not a non drinker, I can't resist the stuff when I see it!

emzolita

SarahMollie wrote: »

That sounds like a good idea (although dangerously close to DIY for my taste!)

Did your venue supply the coolers or did you have to source them and bring them on the day? My only concern would be adding stress of having to set stuff up if its outside of the normal wedding package.

I'd love if venues made it easy to do stuff like this Real lemonade is delicious and even though I'm not a non drinker, I can't resist the stuff when I see it!

I bought the drinks dispenser, paper straws (colour themed ) and milk bottles and bought the lemonade in Avoca. I dropped them all up to the hotel a few days before the wedding with a few other decor bits. The hotel set them all up.
I had a little vintage frame with a sign about helping yourself to lemonade.
I didnt do much DIY at our wedding, but these are the kind of extras that couples need to organise for themselves if they want them.

SarahMollie

emzolita wrote: »

I bought the drinks dispenser, paper straws (colour themed ) and milk bottles and bought the lemonade in Avoca. I dropped them all up to the hotel a few days before the wedding with a few other decor bits. The hotel set them all up.
I had a little vintage frame with a sign about helping yourself to lemonade.
I didnt do much DIY at our wedding, but these are the kind of extras that couples need to organise for themselves if they want them.

Fair enough if you can organise it a few days in advance and then let them deal with it on the day. I'd just hate the thought of dealing with it on the day itself.

Were the dispensers expensive and have you managed to find another purpose for them after the wedding?

emzolita

SarahMollie wrote: »

Fair enough if you can organise it a few days in advance and then let them deal with it on the day. I'd just hate the thought of dealing with it on the day itself.

Were the dispensers expensive and have you managed to find another purpose for them after the wedding?

I got it for sale somewhere a few months before the wedding. I think Homestore and More maybe. I had asked the hotel staff to keep refilling the dispenser with the bottles of the lemonade and it was full most of the evening.
Here's one online that looks almost identical to what I did


Oh I've just remembered I seen smaller ones for pretty cheap in Tiger recently. And I havent had much use for it since the wedding, but i'm using it at my mam's 50th party with a cocktail in it soon. I suppose it's one of those things you'll always have if you need it.

emzolita

Tiger has one for 15e but it's smaller

Heatons has the 8 litre one for 30e

5 litre one in Woodies for 20e

ElleEm

I don't drink fizzy drinks, and love plain water but I always love getting "fancy" water in places. I have had water with sprigs of mint in or sliced oranges in water is lovely too. You could have a lemon, lime and mint one or even a cucumber water could be really refreshing!

Keane2baMused

emzolita wrote: »

Tiger has one for 15e but it's smaller

Heatons has the 8 litre one for 30e

5 litre one in Woodies for 20e

These are amazing. I'm going to get 2 of the woodies ones.

Where did you get the lemonade bottles?

OP 10 euro for cordial is absolutely crazy!! And I don't agree at all with the Milly33 saying you're hard to please, very unfair comment :-/ I agree there should be nicer options for those who choose not to drink alcohol. People shouldn't be given any old drink just because they don't drink wine!

emzolita

Keane2baMused wrote: »

These are amazing. I'm going to get 2 of the woodies ones.

Where did you get the lemonade bottles?

OP 10 euro for cordial is absolutely crazy!! And I don't agree at all with the Milly33 saying you're hard to please, very unfair comment :-/ I agree there should be nicer options for those who choose not to drink alcohol. People shouldn't be given any old drink just because they don't drink wine!

I got my bottles in Tiger. They're for sale everywhere though, all the favour shops sell them

Gatica

We were at a summer wedding a couple of years ago that provided jugs of summer punch - there was an alcoholic and a virgin version. It seemed like a good idea to me as no one would feel like they were the odd one out drinking non-alco. Don't get me wrong, non-drinkers shouldn't be judged for it or anything, but there were a couple of girls with early pregnancy there and it was the perfect cover up.
There are also warm versions of the same that could be done in winter, similar to a mulled wine. I think they're a nice alternative to just fizzy drinks. If I'm on a night out and not drinking, I absolutely hate the fact that I'm usually confined to fizzy crap, cordial, horrible Finche's OJ or water. It's quite limiting and you'd get sick of fizzy stuff after your second glass. Well done for thinking of all your guests.

SarahMollie

emzolita wrote: »

I got it for sale somewhere a few months before the wedding. I think Homestore and More maybe. I had asked the hotel staff to keep refilling the dispenser with the bottles of the lemonade and it was full most of the evening.
Here's one online that looks almost identical to what I did


Oh I've just remembered I seen smaller ones for pretty cheap in Tiger recently. And I havent had much use for it since the wedding, but i'm using it at my mam's 50th party with a cocktail in it soon. I suppose it's one of those things you'll always have if you need it.

Lovely and not as expensive as I'd thought! I guess I expected the jars to be more expensive but at that price, it doesnt matter if you don't get too much use out of them.

baby and crumble

SarahMollie wrote: »

Lovely and not as expensive as I'd thought! I guess I expected the jars to be more expensive but at that price, it doesnt matter if you don't get too much use out of them.

Thing is though if you have the odd bbq sure you can whip them out and look awful fancy!