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How important is drinks with dinner?

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Comments

  • #212
    lazygal
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,644 ✭✭✭✭lazygal


    January wrote: »
    If you were throwing a 40th birthday party, or a 21st, would you provide all the drink there too?

    Yes, any time we host a party we provide all food and drink. I don't think we're unusual in that either.


  • #213
    Electric Sheep
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,114 ✭✭✭Electric Sheep


    January wrote: »
    It's never costed me a fortune to attend a wedding, except for the gift... but giving a gift is all relative, you can spend as much, or as little as you want.

    Wear clothes you've worn before, hair and make up done by yourself, a taxi too and from (you'd probably do that at a 21st anyway?) or some people lay on busses and drink for the night. You're not obliged to stay over, buy a new outfit, give €200+ as a gift... etc.

    With the current fad for having receptions 2+ hours drive from the ceremoney, I think the taxi is not an option for most people. I agree about the clothes and makeup - only in Ireland have I encountered the idea of wedding guest having to have a brand new outfit, and professional makeup and hairstyling. It's ridiculous, really.


  • #214
    username123
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,484 ✭✭✭username123


    January wrote: »
    Wear clothes you've worn before, hair and make up done by yourself, a taxi too and from (you'd probably do that at a 21st anyway?) or some people lay on busses and drink for the night. You're not obliged to stay over, buy a new outfit, give €200+ as a gift... etc.

    huh? Are you serious? Most people dont get married anywhere I could get a taxi to. The most expensive wedding I ever attended was in Connemeara (I came from Dublin), it was a winter wedding so I had to get an outfit as my only weddingy outfits were summery. It was a 5 or 6 hour drive, and the ceremony was at midday so I had to drive down the night before, and stay 2 nights and there was no alternative accomodation as the hotel was remote. Between petrol, clothes, accessories, staying over for 2 nights and drinks etc on the day I spent the guts of 1000 euro. I think the room alone was 300+ euro.


  • #215
    Electric Sheep
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,114 ✭✭✭Electric Sheep


    lazygal wrote: »
    Yes, any time we host a party we provide all food and drink. I don't think we're unusual in that either.

    It's a regional thing - in most parts of the US, a cash bar at a wedding would be considered extremely tacky, if alcohol is served it is paid for by the host. On the other hand, nobody would raise an eyebrow at an alcohol-free reception. In parts of the US, a simple Cake and Punch (non-alcoholic punch) reception is the norm.


  • #216
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 1,040 ✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    January wrote: »
    It's never costed me a fortune to attend a wedding, except for the gift... but giving a gift is all relative, you can spend as much, or as little as you want.

    Wear clothes you've worn before, hair and make up done by yourself, a taxi too and from (you'd probably do that at a 21st anyway?) or some people lay on busses and drink for the night. You're not obliged to stay over, buy a new outfit, give €200+ as a gift... etc.

    I totally agree with you about saving yourself a lot of expense at weddings, I do wear dresses I wore before and always do my hair etc but at the end of the day it is still way more costly to attend a wedding than a 21st or function like that.

    I've never had to take a day off work (which I begrudged a few times)to attend a 21st, and when I'm at a 21st it's only a couple of hours, where as a wedding is a n all day function which is more expensive when buying drinks. Also people don't mind as much if you don't attend their 21st. They tend to do at a wedding. At a 21st You can stick 21 Euro in a card but you might come across as stingy if you put the same in a wedding card ( btw not my opinion)
    So I do think it's way more expensive and a complementary glass of wine should be provided


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  • #217
    Addle
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,809 ✭✭✭Addle


    January wrote: »
    If you were throwing a 40th birthday party, or a 21st, would you provide all the drink there too?

    The thread isn't about all drink, just wine.


  • #218
    January
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23,862 ✭✭✭✭January


    username123 wrote: »
    huh? Are you serious? Most people dont get married anywhere I could get a taxi to. The most expensive wedding I ever attended was in Connemeara (I came from Dublin), it was a winter wedding so I had to get an outfit as my only weddingy outfits were summery. It was a 5 or 6 hour drive, and the ceremony was at midday so I had to drive down the night before, and stay 2 nights and there was no alternative accomodation as the hotel was remote. Between petrol, clothes, accessories, staying over for 2 nights and drinks etc on the day I spent the guts of 1000 euro. I think the room alone was 300+ euro.

    I must be very lucky in the fact that most of my friends have had their wedding close to where they live. The furthest I've had to travel for a wedding was to the City North hotel in Garristown(?), just past Balbriggan.

    My own wedding is less than five minutes drive from my house, within a 20 minute drive of most of my guest, and the ones that are coming from afar can travel that morning if they like because the ceremony is not until 3.30pm.


  • #219
    January
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23,862 ✭✭✭✭January


    Addle wrote: »
    The thread isn't about all drink, just wine.

    The thread title specifies drink...


  • #220
    Addle
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,809 ✭✭✭Addle


    January wrote: »
    The thread title specifies drink...

    With dinner.
    Apologies.


  • #221
    username123
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,484 ✭✭✭username123


    January wrote: »
    I must be very lucky in the fact that most of my friends have had their wedding close to where they live. The furthest I've had to travel for a wedding was to the City North hotel in Garristown(?), just past Balbriggan.

    My own wedding is less than five minutes drive from my house, within a 20 minute drive of most of my guest, and the ones that are coming from afar can travel that morning if they like because the ceremony is not until 3.30pm.

    In fairness the last wedding I attended was only in Naas so I drove to it, didnt drink and didnt stay over. I also wore a previous outfit. However - most of the guests had travelled.

    The furthest Ive travelled for a wedding was Greece. It actually wasnt as expensive as a remote one in Ireland because the price of flight + hotel was about the same as the price of an Irish hotel (it was off season in Greece). Plus the booze was much cheaper.

    Another cost involved is if you also have to attend the hens or stags. My own hens was just in Dublin city centre - basically a night out. But so many people want you to get a party bus to somewhere else in the country and stay for 2 nights and go out for expensive meals and drinks each night! Its crazy!

    Sorry Ive wandered off topic, I just wonder of people actually take into account the cost of attending a wedding. I turned down the last wedding invite I received purely because I just couldnt afford to go as it would have been a 2 nighter in a remote hotel in Ireland.


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  • #222
    lazygal
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,644 ✭✭✭✭lazygal


    January wrote: »
    I must be very lucky in the fact that most of my friends have had their wedding close to where they live. The furthest I've had to travel for a wedding was to the City North hotel in Garristown(?), just past Balbriggan.

    My own wedding is less than five minutes drive from my house, within a 20 minute drive of most of my guest, and the ones that are coming from afar can travel that morning if they like because the ceremony is not until 3.30pm.
    We had a similar arrangement. We still provided all food and drink to make sure our guests were looked after, as we would if we asked them to any other party.


  • #223
    January
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23,862 ✭✭✭✭January


    username123 wrote: »
    In fairness the last wedding I attended was only in Naas so I drove to it, didnt drink and didnt stay over. I also wore a previous outfit. However - most of the guests had travelled.

    The furthest Ive travelled for a wedding was Greece. It actually wasnt as expensive as a remote one in Ireland because the price of flight + hotel was about the same as the price of an Irish hotel (it was off season in Greece). Plus the booze was much cheaper.

    Another cost involved is if you also have to attend the hens or stags. My own hens was just in Dublin city centre - basically a night out. But so many people want you to get a party bus to somewhere else in the country and stay for 2 nights and go out for expensive meals and drinks each night! Its crazy!

    Sorry Ive wandered off topic, I just wonder of people actually take into account the cost of attending a wedding. I turned down the last wedding invite I received purely because I just couldnt afford to go as it would have been a 2 nighter in a remote hotel in Ireland.

    I've already had pressure put on me to have a hen weekend away down the country somewhere but it's not what I want at all. A night out in Dublin CC is all I want.

    lazygal - I'm still providing food and drink also. It wasn't my first choice of venue but my first choice is in receivership and I just would not take that chance. I was at a wedding evening where we booked tonight and I am now in love with the place. It was set up beautifully and I really cannot wait to be married there now :D


  • #224
    April O Neill
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,305 ✭✭✭April O Neill


    January wrote: »
    If you were throwing a 40th birthday party, or a 21st, would you provide all the drink there too?

    You'd provide some, usually.


  • #225
    April O Neill
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,305 ✭✭✭April O Neill


    Electric Sheep wrote: »
    I agree about the clothes and makeup - only in Ireland have I encountered the idea of wedding guest having to have a brand new outfit, and professional makeup and hairstyling. It's ridiculous, really.

    I know, I was chatting about this in my last job with some female colleagues, and they could not get why I wouldn't buy a new outfit for every wedding I'm invited to.

    Their reasoning was that there are photos being taken so people would notice. :confused: As if people are going to be comparing pics of you at one wedding with pics of you at another!

    And I'd much rather do my own make-up. I always think professional make-up looks so overdone.


  • #226
    Frank Black
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,296 ✭✭✭Frank Black


    January wrote: »
    If you were throwing a 40th birthday party, or a 21st, would you provide all the drink there too?

    Not all, but some.
    Weeding days usually go on for well over 12hrs. I don't think it's unreasonable or unusual for you to provide food and drink for your guests in such circumstances. In fact I would think it's only common courtesy.


  • #227
    theproud
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5 ✭theproud


    We had tea and coffee on reception and then (half a glass of!) wine with dinner. And went just fine. We would have liked to have provided more but the budget just didnt stretch that far. Everyone still had a great time, I'm sure some people made private remarks but I can live with remarks for €500


  • #228
    Frank Black
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,296 ✭✭✭Frank Black


    theproud wrote: »
    We had tea and coffee on reception and then (half a glass of!) wine with dinner. And went just fine. We would have liked to have provided more but the budget just didnt stretch that far. Everyone still had a great time, I'm sure some people made private remarks but I can live with remarks for €500


    Please tell me you mean half a bottle?


  • #229
    cmbutterfly45
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 402 ✭✭cmbutterfly45


    Frank Black wrote: »
    Please tell me you mean half a bottle?

    My first thought too!!!


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