How much drink to supply for the guests?

Saint Sonner · 27-07-2015 04:28PM #1

I have two parts to this question re alcohol supplied to the guests - my fiancee and I have been thinking about changing our minds.

Drinks on arrival - We have agreed with hotel to have some prosecco and beer supplied to guests for around 150 guests - this is as well as Tea & Coffee, biscuits & sandwiches on arrival. We have been to a few weddings recently were they haven't bothered with the drinks on arrival - do people even notice? People are content to buy their own tipples before the meal?

Wine with the dinner - We have agreed one glass and two top ups but the hotel seemed to think that one glass and a top up would be enough but when I asked him what happened if someone asked for some more wine and it was all gone he told me that they would be told that the wine was finished which I didn't like the sound of so I asked to have two top ups available if necessary. Would one glass and top up at dinner be enough do you think?

littlenubbin85 · 27-07-2015 04:47PM

For drinks on arrival, yes people definitely notice. They notice the food more than the drink I think. Or at least I do! I always think its a nice touch to provide something for your guests before the meal. What you've planned sounds lovely.

I think the average is half a bottle of wine per person. Which would be one glass of wine and two top ups. We've asked our venue to let us know if our wine runs out because we may want the option to buy more. Is that an option for you?

Dubl07 · 27-07-2015 04:51PM

There's a lot of variables there. The size of the glasses and at which point they're refilled. A 75cl bottle can pour between 4 and 6 glasses depending on the glass size and the pouring hand.

Are the hotel supplying your wine? I'd recommend allowing half a bottle of wine per adult guest and insisting on counting the empties. It can be a very sore point in some establishments with opened bottles leaving the hotel with staff. If you're supplying the wine, it's generally a good idea to have a small supply in the locked boot of a reliable guest's car to be used if necessary.

Clareman · 27-07-2015 04:57PM

When I got married we supplied the wine, made the most of the Tesco 25% offer at the time, home delivery as well, the driver let us keep the containers as well which made it very easy to ship to the hotel. I asked half a bottle per person and rounded up to the nearest dozen, we also got a very nice Cava as a welcome drink, allowed quarter a bottle per person.

A tip I got was to get the hotel to keep the corks so you can count them afterwards, this makes sure none go missing and you're only charged for what was opened.

Saint Sonner · 27-07-2015 06:21PM

Hotel don't allow me to take my own which was a big disappointment when I found out (probably should have checked). Hotel wine price is min €23 per bottle.

Re the arrival - there will definitely tea coffee, biscuits and sandwiches on arrival just thinking about forgetting about supplying a drink on arrival.

I must check the deal again when I get home just to check some of the points you are asking about here. I thought about asking for evidence of what was drank as I will only get charged for whats opened but thought it was a bit cheeky and didn't really want to ask maybe I should!

Clareman · 27-07-2015 06:23PM

At €23 a bottle I'd be looking for proof, I'd definitely be looking for them to ask permission to open after X number of bottles, X depends on the number of guests.

Saint Sonner · 27-07-2015 06:26PM

Clareman wrote: »

At €23 a bottle I'd be looking for proof, I'd definitely be looking for them to ask permission to open after X number of bottles, X depends on the number of guests.

€23 per bottle seemed like a lot to me as well.

Milly33 · 27-07-2015 07:10PM

Not sure how you would make sure the wine as they say was poured that's a tough one. but if it was me

I wouldn't bother with the beer on arrival just have the bubbles and teas and coffees.. To be honest after that everyone just buys their own.. One thing it might be nice to provide maybe have a non alco option like a lemonade... Suits then for those who don't want fizzy or tea and coffee

Then I would prefer to have the extra glass of wine with dinner. One glass and two top ups, jes id love ye!! haha

€23 isn't the worst price, if like that they don't let you do corkage sure think what ye will save in petrol transporting the wine

27-07-2015 07:47PM

€23 a bottle of wine?! That's insane prices for a wedding. Ours cost €6.50 a bottle (inclusive of petrol, ferry etc), got it in France, though with no corkage.

littlenubbin85 · 27-07-2015 08:19PM

Most venues keep the corks during wedding service and the bottles in case the bride and groom have issues.

Dubl07 · 27-07-2015 08:21PM

littlenubbin85 wrote: »

Most venues keep the corks during wedding service and the bottles in case the bride and groom have issues.

Neither here nor there if it's a label they serve every evening; it's partly why I'd insist on supplying my own and making sure it was a bit different.

annoyedgal · 27-07-2015 08:22PM

We had beer on arrival as well as prosecco and it went down a storm. Got the idea from a friends wedding where they did the same and the male guests in particular were loving it!
You should push for a half bottle of wine per head if you can. No fun to go dry in the middle of speeches and can't access the bar cause you don't want to be rude!

littlenubbin85 · 27-07-2015 08:27PM

Dubl07 wrote: »

Neither here nor there if it's a label they serve every evening; it's partly why I'd insist on supplying my own and making sure it was a bit different.

Which doesn't help with OP's predicament as the venue doesn't allow corkage.

wirelessdude01 · 27-07-2015 08:31PM

Never seen or hears of beer being supplied prior to the meal. Stick to the wine/prosecco.

Have heard of the families buying a round for everyone for the toasts.

Dubl07 · 27-07-2015 08:33PM

littlenubbin85 wrote: »

Which doesn't help with OP's predicament as the venue doesn't allow corkage.

True but if budget allows, a colour printer, a personalised label and some Pritt will identify the OP's stock and amuse their guests.

littlenubbin85 · 28-07-2015 08:41AM

Dubl07 wrote: »

True but if budget allows, a colour printer, a personalised label and some Pritt will identify the OP's stock and amuse their guests.

Ah I misunderstood. I thought label meant brand of wine! That's not a bad idea actually.

sm213 · 03-08-2015 12:59PM

Our venue is supplying bubbles tea,coffee, biscuits on arrival. 1/2 bottle of wine pp and a round of drinks for speeches. All for under 50 pp. I'd push for the half bottle tbh.

fits · 03-08-2015 03:54PM

We supplied beer, stout and cider before meal and it was a super popular touch. People loved it.

solerina · 03-08-2015 03:59PM

We had prosecco and a Heineken tap along with tea, coffee, sandwiches, canapés etc on arrival. With the meal it was half a bottle per person....this allowed for plenty of wine as there were a good few non drinkers

Callanutd · 05-08-2015 03:45PM

For our wedding in March we are supplying Prosecco and bottles of beer on arrival. The drinks reception and the chance for a glass or two of bubbles is one of my favourite parts of a wedding. I really notice when its not there. I was at a wedding on Friday and it was punch not prosecco available and it was barely touched. The beers I first saw at my future sister in laws wedding and they went down a storm with the men. We have around 180 going so having prosecco for 140 and 40 bottles of beer.
With the meal we have 1/2 bottle of wine per person. Which is your glass and two top ups we have been told.

NewCorkLad · 05-08-2015 04:43PM

Supplied 100 bottles of Miller for our drinks reception recently, which were spread around in buckets of ice and they went down a storm. Prosecco & Punch was also provided.

pooch90 · 05-08-2015 09:41PM

Callanutd wrote: »

For our wedding in March we are supplying Prosecco and bottles of beer on arrival. The drinks reception and the chance for a glass or two of bubbles is one of my favourite parts of a wedding. I really notice when its not there. I was at a wedding on Friday and it was punch not prosecco available and it was barely touched. The beers I first saw at my future sister in laws wedding and they went down a storm with the men. We have around 180 going so having prosecco for 140 and 40 bottles of beer.
With the meal we have 1/2 bottle of wine per person. Which is your glass and two top ups we have been told.

I was at a wedding on Friday that had punch too and it went down a storm within my group. I couldn't drink it cos I'm up the Damien but it smelled gorgeous. Wonder was it same wedding!!!

Pistachios & cream · 05-08-2015 11:57PM

For our wedding a couple of weeks ago we had prosecco, bottles of sol, Heineken and bulmers, brandy and Jameson and we paid for pints of Guinness from the bar for the drinks reception. For the non drinkers we had home made lemonade, tea,coffee and red and White lemonade. I'd been to a couple of weddings where beer was supplied and it was really appreciated.

For numbers we had approx 180 guests and about 220 bottles of beer and cider were used. 23 pints of Guinness, a litre of brandy and most of a litre of Jameson went. As well as 30 bottles of prosecco.

For the meal the hotel provided the wine and they budgeted 3 glasses per person. One friend said her glass never went dry.

We didn't do a toast drink as we knew people would have plenty of wine.

If you are planning on doing speeches after the meal I'd instruct the hotel to do one of the top ups close to speeches time.

stickybookmark · 06-08-2015 10:35AM

OP I would provide a drink for the drinks reception, it looks a bit stingey otherwise as it has become the norm.
As you can see from posters here some people go all out. I was at 3 weddings this year as well as my own. At ours we just provided champagne for the drinkers and mixed berry lemonade for the non-drinkers. No beer etc. We had 3 different canapes (1 salmon, 1 beef, 1 vegetarian). We didn't have sandwiches or biscuits
At the other 3 weddings I was at:
- one had canapes, beer, wine, prosecco, bucks fizz, spirits, tea, coffee
- one had capnapes and a full free bar for the 1-2 hours. You could get tea and coffee but you had to ask a bar staff for it
- one had a very limited amount of beer and cold punch, tea, coffee, biscuits, no canapes

I'd say a wedding with no drinks at all at the drinks reception would stand out

stickybookmark · 06-08-2015 10:47AM

For the wine definitely 1/2 a bottle per person.
There was a great post in here written by someone that had worked in the hotel industry, I can't find it now though. But they pointed out that 1/3 of any crowed are not drinking
(pregnant, sick, old, teetotallers, designated drivers)

The cheapest bottle of wine in our place was also 23 euro. We brought in our own wine and paid exorbitant corkage, I only saved 300 euro by bringing in my own wine as the corkage was so high but still a saving is a saving.
I estimated 1/2 bottle per person of my original numbers. We ended up having less people come in the end than we had invited so I just calculated it there and I had 0.7 bottle per adult.
Everyone has been saying to me that the wine was absolutely flowing at my wedding and their glass seemed to be hardly empty when it was topped up again.
And on check out they gave me the remaining wine back - 1 bottle of red and 6 bottles of white.

I'd go 1/2 per adult and you should be grand. Same happened me at a wedding I was at this year where on the 2nd top up I was told there was no red wine left but I could have white? Don't think I've ever been told that at a wedding before. Not something I would want happening at my wedding tbh

How much drink to supply for the guests?

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