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The Drink Dilemma
By Cathy Baldwin
You want everyone to have a good time at the reception, but you don’t want your Aunt Helga dancing the Macarena on the table tops. You envision a classy champagne-toasting, cosmopolitan-sipping reception; he’s thinking more along the lines of a tequila-themed margarita bash. What’s a bride to do?
Some of the most important decisions a couple needs to make about the reception involve the alcohol served. How much, what kind, who’s doing the serving – all are important issues to address. Do a little research, so that you can make informed choices on what and how much your guests will be imbibing.
How Much? There are a few tried and true calculations for how much alcohol to serve at a wedding. Your caterer is most likely privy to that magic number. It’s always better to buy more than you need, because running out of chardonnay might be really annoying to some guests. Ask your caterer if they charge for bottles that they don’t open.
What Kind? Do you really want your guests doing tequila shots at the reception? Probably not. Drunk guests often make for unruly guests and embarrassing situations, so do yourself a favor and leave out liquor you know guests will take as shots. That is, unless you don’t mind your brother-in-law making a horrifying drunken toast or your groomsmen passing out on the lawn.
Who’s Serving? In most cases, the person that’s serving the alcohol is the bartender who works for the caterer. If you choose to have your caterer handle the bartending, make sure you know how many bartenders will be working your reception. One bartender is not enough to serve a crowd of 200. If it means shelling out an extra couple hundred bucks to keep your guests from standing in line at the bar all night, then do it. The last thing you want is to spend half the night waiting for a vodka tonic. If you have expensive champagne that’s meant only for the wedding party, make sure the caterer and the bartender know who’s supposed to have what. Also, be sure that your bartenders and caterer know who is likely to drink too much. That way they can nip trouble in the bud.
How Do I Get an ABC Permit? Some reception sites require that you purchase your own ABC permit in order to serve liquor to your guests at their venue. Getting a permit is relatively easy, as long as you are of legal drinking age and meet the other qualifications listed on the website. The type of permit is called “Limited Special Occasion”, and the cost is $50. Look online at www.ncabc.com under retail permits.
Another big decision to make is what type of bar to have. The choices are open bar, cash bar, limited open bar, and of course no bar at all. This is a big decision, and will certainly set the tone of the reception.
Open Bar
Having an open bar is certainly the most guest-appreciated choice. Open bar doesn’t mean that as the bride and groom you have to supply every type of beer, liquor and wine that your guests might possibly desire. Buy an appropriate amount of vodka, rum, bourbon and gin, but omit less popular liquors like brandy, schnapps, triple sec, et cetera. If you want to have an open bar, but are working with a small budget, consider buying less expensive brands of liquor. You are under no obligation to supply top shelf liquors to your guests, and almost no one expects to receive top shelf liquors at a wedding. The same is true for champagne, wine and beer. Another idea for an open bar is to omit liquor entirely and serve only wine, champagne and beer. This way you can splurge on more expensive wine if you and your groom are oenophiles.
Cash Bar
While some may consider a cash bar a way to cut costs at a wedding, your guests might consider it tacky and even offensive. Still, if this is the route you choose to take, don’t be surprised when your guests leave early.
Limited Open Bar
If you are having your reception at a restaurant that has a bar, but you don’t want to foot the bill for everyone’s top shelf martini, make sure it’s clear to the caterer what drinks you are willing to pay for and what will be cash bar. In this case you and your groom will choose a selection of drinks that will be free to your guests. If they wish to purchase a more expensive cocktail, then that’s their choice. You can also limit the amount of time that the bar is open.
No Bar
Having a dry wedding is not for everyone, but it certainly doesn’t mean the reception has to be a bore. You can serve sparkling cider for your toast, virgin frozen drinks, non-alcoholic punch, coffee, tea, whatever. If you and your fiancé don’t drink alcohol, this is an appropriate choice.
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How About A Signature Cocktail
For the bride and groom who want to personalize everything at their reception, consider creating your own unique libation to serve to guests. You can name it after yourselves (Betsy’s Bellini or Mike’s Margarita); you can name it after the place where you’re marrying (the Corolla Cosmopolitan); or you can give a familiar cocktail a sweet new name like Love Potion. You might even want to choose a drink that signifies the season like Wassail or Lynchburg Lemonade. Serve the cocktail in a martini glass with a fancy garnish like a Hershey’s Kiss or a sugared rim, and it’ll be an instant hit.
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