The Drink Dilemma
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. Ask your caterer if they charge for bottles that they don’t open.
Who’s Serving? 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.
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. Look online at www.ncabc.com under retail permits. The type of permit is called “Limited Special Occasion”, and the cost is $50.
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. Buy an appropriate amount of vodka, rum, bourbon and gin, but omit less popular liquors like brandy, schnapps and triple sec. If you want to have an open bar, but are working with a small budget, consider buying less expensive brands of liquor. Another idea for an open bar is to omit liquor entirely and serve only wine, champagne and beer.
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.
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.
Sidebar: 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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