Advertisement
Help Keep Boards Alive. Support us by going ad free today. See here: https://subscriptions.boards.ie/.
https://www.boards.ie/group/1878-subscribers-forum

Private Group for paid up members of Boards.ie. Join the club.
Hi all, please see this major site announcement: https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058427594/boards-ie-2026

How important is drinks with dinner?

124678

Comments

  • #92
    username123
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,484 ✭✭✭username123


    lazygal wrote: »
    I don't remember the dress or romance of the first dance, but I remember thinking I'd kill for a plate of chips.

    I actually bring a bag of trail mix or similar now to weddings having had this experience at so many. Particularly if its an isolated venue.


  • #93
    Berty
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 26,198 ✭✭✭✭Berty


    We have 1/2 bottle per person included with our meal so when it runs out it bloody runs out and tough if people didn't get their wine when they were asked.

    Also charging the OP to cut the cake is mean. Our hotel/package does it for free and even gives us an engraved Newbridge Silver cutting knife as a gift.

    We have food in the evening as well but now have to decide whether to buy a round or have a cava toast for speeches. They are both more or less the same price so maybe the round would be better because the cava might go wasted and I fookin hate waste.


  • #94
    January
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23,862 ✭✭✭✭January


    Beer Baron wrote: »
    We have 1/2 bottle per person included with our meal so when it runs out it bloody runs out and tough if people didn't get their wine when they were asked.

    Also charging the OP to cut the cake is mean. Our hotel/package does it for free and even gives us an engraved Newbridge Silver cutting knife as a gift.

    We have food in the evening as well but now have to decide whether to buy a round or have a cava toast for speeches. They are both more or less the same price so maybe the round would be better because the cava might go wasted and I fookin hate waste.

    This is why we're going for the round "toast drink", would hate for anybody to think they have to drink what is provided or to buy their own drink to toast our marriage. At least everyone can get something they like that way.


  • #95
    ABajaninCork
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,411 ✭✭✭ABajaninCork


    If you're having wine with the meal, then allow half a bottle pp. You don't have to go mad with the wine. A decent house red and white will do.

    We served mulled wine as well as tea and coffee with canapes before the meal, and were thinking of having sparkling wine for the toast, until we went to another wedding where there was a round of drinks offered for the toast instead. I'm not ashamed to say I nicked that idea for my wedding! I think it's a great idea and the guests can choose what they want to drink. Hotel only allowed single measures for shorts, and no champagne. It went down a treat. Much cheaper too, if you think about it. Our guests then bought their own drinks after.

    Mind you. I've been to a wedding which was alcohol-free (:eek:!!), and I've been to weddings where there was no drinks offered with the meal or the toast. Guests had to buy their own. And the reception was held in a very expensive venue.


  • #96
    January
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23,862 ✭✭✭✭January


    ABajaninCork wrote: »
    If you're having wine with the meal, then allow half a bottle pp. You don't have to go mad with the wine. A decent house red and white will do.

    We served mulled wine as well as tea and coffee with canapes before the meal, and were thinking of having sparkling wine for the toast, until we went to another wedding where there was a round of drinks offered for the toast instead. I'm not ashamed to say I nicked that idea for my wedding! I think it's a great idea and the guests can choose what they want to drink. Hotel only allowed single measures for shorts, and no champagne. It went down a treat. Much cheaper too, if you think about it. Our guests then bought their own drinks after.

    Mind you. I've been to a wedding which was alcohol-free (:eek:!!), and I've been to weddings where there was no drinks offered with the meal or the toast. Guests had to buy their own. And the reception was held in a very expensive venue.

    I've been to one of those alcohol free weddings too... fun times.


  • Advertisement
  • #97
    Malari
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 18,150 ✭✭✭✭Malari


    Wait, they don't serve any complimentary alcohol to the guests or they don't allow guests to to consume alcohol at all?!


  • #98
    January
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23,862 ✭✭✭✭January


    They didn't allow guests to consume alcohol at all.

    Most guests ended up in the normal hotel bar for half the night.


  • #99
    Malari
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 18,150 ✭✭✭✭Malari


    Yeah, that seems like a disaster waiting to happen.


  • #100
    movingsucks
    Closed Accounts Posts: 534 ✭✭✭movingsucks


    I was at an alcohol free wedding before and it was a lovely day.


  • #101
    username123
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,484 ✭✭✭username123


    movingsucks wrote: »
    I was at an alcohol free wedding before and it was a lovely day.

    Yeah I wouldnt mind that at all. What I wouldnt enjoy would be being the only sober person at an alcohol fuelled wedding. But an entirely sober day for everyone would be fine. Tea and little fancy cakes, nice.


  • Advertisement
  • #102
    Gatica
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,302 ✭✭✭Gatica


    Samhain wrote: »
    I was at a wedding recently where there were wine glasses on the tables but there wasnt any sign of wine being served. I thought "fair enough, the hotel must have put down the glasses by mistake" until i saw that the top 3 tables for the bridal party and family etc had wine. I thought it was one of the stingiest things i had seen at a wedding....either have wine or dont, segregating it is bad form imo.

    oh that is really really bad form... the "paupers" looking on so-to-speak, I would not like that atmosphere...
    January wrote: »
    I've been to one of those alcohol free weddings too... fun times.

    Friends of ours went to one recently up north, father of the bride was a pastor or something like that. They said it was the most boring wedding they'd ever been to. People were starting to head off by 11pm. Mind you, for all we know the B&G were ok with that.
    username123 wrote: »
    At a wedding you are being forced to eat someone elses food choices. Unless its absolutely amazing chances are, its just alright and not memorable.

    While in general couples choose a menu to please the most people, occasionally something will stand out, however it's probably a coincidental matter of taste. Was at a wedding on Inishbofin and thought the food was wonderful, still remember it, goat's cheese with onion marmelade tartlets for starter and monkfish wrapped in serrano ham for main. However I can see how someone else may not like goat's cheese, and hence the starter.

    We had a choice of starter, main and desserts at our wedding. We had lots of family/friends flying over and wanted to be sure to offer as wide a choice as we could afford. We still get comments on the food, mostly the chocolate fondant.


  • #103
    January
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23,862 ✭✭✭✭January


    The starters offered with our package are just not catching us at all... We can't decide on one and while we've 18 months to go I just don't see us going with any of them. I'm going to ask our co-ordinator if the chef can come up with something else for it...

    We've decided on the main already.


  • #104
    ABajaninCork
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,411 ✭✭✭ABajaninCork


    username123 wrote: »
    Yeah I wouldnt mind that at all. What I wouldnt enjoy would be being the only sober person at an alcohol fuelled wedding. But an entirely sober day for everyone would be fine. Tea and little fancy cakes, nice.

    If the wedding breakfast is done as 'afternoon tea' from the start, then nobody minds, and know what to expect. Quite a few weddings at home were done as afternoon tea affairs and went down really well.

    The alcohol-free wedding was in Barbados (!!!). We couldn't even buy drinks at the bar as the B & G told the venue not to serve them. Well - you can imagine. I was really embarrassed for the couple. The place literally emptied after the first dance. People were heading off for the nearest rum shop...
    Me? My brother, cousin & I had a bottle of rum hidden under the table, so we were able to have drinks! :D

    Slightly O/T, but I've also been to an after party (the wedding was abroad) where we came all the way from Ireland and wasn't even offered a glass of water! The food ran out too. Not nearly enough food for the guests.

    Even now, my husband's still cussing about that. Can't say I blame him.


  • #105
    username123
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,484 ✭✭✭username123


    ^^ Sounds bad, what was the reasoning behind it?

    Running out of food is AWFUL!! It's really the worst thing that can happen.


  • #106
    ABajaninCork
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,411 ✭✭✭ABajaninCork


    They are friends of mine. My husband reckons they only put on the party so's they could get the presents. He was so mad, he wanted to take back our gift vouchers! :D

    Everything was done on the cheap and sadly it showed. When the 'food' was served, everyone made a mad dash. The queue was long, so we decided to wait. My husband looked and said the food was running out. I didn't believe him, thinking the caterers would bring out more. They didn't. We left soon after and had fried chicken at my brother's. He took pity on us, and got the pan on!!

    Drinks? When we got there, off we went to see the B & G. We of course, bought them a drink. Nothing was offered in return. So rude...

    Definitely wasn't a West Indian or Irish wedding. If the food didn't taste good or wasn't enough at a West Indian wedding, you'd never hear the last of it. People would go to their graves still cussing you!!!


  • #107
    username123
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,484 ✭✭✭username123


    What was the story with the one that the venue wouldn't serve alcohol?


  • #108
    ABajaninCork
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,411 ✭✭✭ABajaninCork


    The Barbados one??

    The venue were told by the B & G NOT to serve alcoholic drinks to any of the wedding guests. My cousin went to the bar to buy a beer, and was refused. We thought it was because he looked underage (he wasn't), so I went up. I was also refused and it was then I was told why. I mean - fruit punch, 7-Up and Coke are nice, but not all bloody night!!!


  • #109
    January
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23,862 ✭✭✭✭January


    In my case the couple were Christians and didn't want alcohol served at the wedding.


  • #110
    ABajaninCork
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,411 ✭✭✭ABajaninCork


    January wrote: »
    In my case the couple were Christians and didn't want alcohol served at the wedding.

    That was the reason why, too.


  • #111
    Senna
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,800 ✭✭✭Senna


    ABajaninCork wrote: »
    If you're having wine with the meal, then allow half a bottle pp.

    Just be careful if you are buying your own wine, then 1/2 a bottle per person may be too much.
    Where I work offers free corkage and some couples go crazy buying wine and they normally end up taking bottles home with them.
    150 persons, offering wine 2 times will be 50 bottles in 95% of cases.
    Many hotels like to advertise 1/2 bottle of wine included, but that normally means wine would be offered at a minimum of 4 times, some hotels will advertise it but still only offer the wine twice, the B&G aren't counting bottles so who's to know.


  • Advertisement
  • #112
    ABajaninCork
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,411 ✭✭✭ABajaninCork


    That's why if you're getting your own, you should get the wine on a sale or return basis. You should also assign someone reliable (either family or the venue supervisor) to count the bottles in and out and certify the same.

    I still say that half bottle pp is the norm. That's what I always worked to when I worked in events.


  • #113
    Cienciano
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,208 ✭✭✭✭Cienciano


    January wrote: »
    In my case the couple were Christians and didn't want alcohol served at the wedding.

    A christian? Should have told him if Jesus was at the wedding, he would have turned the 7-Up into wine.
    I think I'd leave after the first dance!


  • #114
    Gatica
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,302 ✭✭✭Gatica


    ABajaninCork wrote: »
    That's why if you're getting your own, you should get the wine on a sale or return basis. You should also assign someone reliable (either family or the venue supervisor) to count the bottles in and out and certify the same.

    I still say that half bottle pp is the norm. That's what I always worked to when I worked in events.

    agreed. Best to over-estimate than leave people waiting for more.
    We calculated at 1/2 bottle per person and still took a dozen bottles back. Gave a bottle of each wine to the parents and kept one each ourselves for our 1 year anniversary. Plus was nice to get some cash back after the honeymoon as we got ours as sale or return from Cases!
    We also calculated at half the people drinking 2 glasses of sparkling wine at the reception and and half drinking 3 glasses. We were generous in our estimations it seems as we took lots of those back too. The good thing though was one of the aunts said, "I knew it was gonna be a good wedding when I saw how generous the servings of bubbly at the reception were!". Thrilled!


  • #115
    chickenbutt
    Closed Accounts Posts: 594 ✭✭✭chickenbutt


    I'm going to throw this out there, for whatever it's worth. I work with a wedding coordinator/decorator. We just did a big wedding this past weekend and one of the things I learned was that champagne tends to go to waste the most at weddings because it's used for a toast, not everyone likes it and so has a sip or two, sets it down and walks away. I was told the best way to get value for money if you buy champagne is to use it in a punch. It was true for this particular wedding anyway as there were 3 trays of champagne glasses leftover from the toast! (It didn't go to waste, we finished it off :) ).


  • #116
    danois
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,440 ✭✭✭danois


    I'm not serving wine at my meal. And I'm really surprised at people saying they expect it!! I will provide a glass of sparkling Rosè for the toast but apart from that people can buy their own. Weddings are expensive and I'm doing mine as cheaply as I can. No way I could afford to supply wine. I will be supplying drinks for the kids tho. I am buying robinsons and sparkling water and the hotel have agreed to put it in jugs on each of the children's tables. Also no desert using the cake instead. People don't have the cash for lavish weddings anymore. In my opinion wine is an unnecessary extra expense.


  • #117
    niallers1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 798 ✭✭✭niallers1


    If you are that concerned about the cost why don't the two of you + witnesses go to the registry office. It will cost about 150 euro.

    You are correct about weddings being expensive. Weddings are expensive for your guests..

    Buy them a couple of drinks, they probably have to take a days holiday from work, possibly buy a new suit/dress and hotel room and give you a gift.


  • #118
    lazygal
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,644 ✭✭✭✭lazygal


    danois wrote: »
    I'm not serving wine at my meal. And I'm really surprised at people saying they expect it!! I will provide a glass of sparkling Rosè for the toast but apart from that people can buy their own. Weddings are expensive and I'm doing mine as cheaply as I can. No way I could afford to supply wine. I will be supplying drinks for the kids tho. I am buying robinsons and sparkling water and the hotel have agreed to put it in jugs on each of the children's tables. Also no desert using the cake instead. People don't have the cash for lavish weddings anymore. In my opinion wine is an unnecessary extra expense.
    Better to hear it from a stranger than a friend. People will think you're scabby with diluted drinks for kids tables only and nothing for your other guests. It'll be the main memory of your day for your guests.


  • #119
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 1,040 ✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    danois wrote: »
    I'm not serving wine at my meal. And I'm really surprised at people saying they expect it!! I will provide a glass of sparkling Rosè for the toast but apart from that people can buy their own. Weddings are expensive and I'm doing mine as cheaply as I can. No way I could afford to supply wine. I will be supplying drinks for the kids tho. I am buying robinsons and sparkling water and the hotel have agreed to put it in jugs on each of the children's tables. Also no desert using the cake instead. People don't have the cash for lavish weddings anymore. In my opinion wine is an unnecessary extra expense.

    no offense but most people will expect wine as a part of the meal they are sitting down to, you will risk looking stingy if you don't provide it. Of course weddings are expensive but if you include wine "as standard" you won't need to provide a drink for the toast, there are other ways of cutting corners. Supplying a glass if wine for your guests does not mean it is a "lavish wedding" as you say, a chocolate fountain and the like maybe, but not the wine, people won't forget it.


  • #120
    username123
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,484 ✭✭✭username123


    Can only agree with the above comments. And a lot of people wont want or drink Rosè - particularly if they are drinking something else all day, so that will really just go to waste.


  • Advertisement
  • #121
    solerina
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,442 ✭✭✭solerina


    I am not a big drinker but I have never been to a wedding that didnt have wine with dinner (I have been to 20+ weddings in the last few years)...to be honest I would agree with others here who have said wine is one of the most important elements of a decent wedding


Advertisement
Advertisement