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Alcohol And Wedding Receptions--everything You Will Need To Know
By Jean Bachcroft, Sat Dec 10th
Sure you want your guests to enjoy themselves at your weddingreception, but if you don’t want to break the bank or the lawhere’s what you will need to know, including how to calculatehow much to buy. Unquestionably, one of the hottest topics that must be dealtwith when planning a wedding reception is whether to have anopen bar or a cash bar. Why does this particular topic tend tobe so controversial? Well, for one thing, some people will tell you that it would berude to invite guests to your reception, then ask them to payfor their own drinks. On the other hand, an open bar—at whichyour guests drink for free, perhaps into the wee hours of themorning if they last that long—could leave you with a bill thatwill forever remain etched in your memory.
Both points of view are well taken. It’s true that one wouldn’tordinarily invite people to dinner or a party with theexpectation that they will pay for what you serve. But it isequally true that people tend to be overly indulgent, not tomention downright wasteful, with alcohol they aren’t paying for.They will take a sip or two, set their glass down and begintalking, then walk away. Later, instead of returning for theirglass, they will head for the bar to order yet another drink.So, what’s the answer? Options, Anyone There really isn’t a correct answer, but there are options. Youcould: *Serve free champagne punch. Since it is relatively light interms of alcohol content, your guests aren’t as likely to becomeobnoxious, even if they’ve had more than their fair share. *Have an open bar for the first hour or two. This approach willprevent you from feeling, and looking, like a cheapskate butwill allow you to keep your bank account in the black. *Have each table set to include the allocated bottles of wine orchampagne. For example, a table seating six to eight peoplemight be decked with two bottles of wine or champagne. Since youcan expect each bottle to hold between 4 and six glassfuls,everyone will have one to two glasses for dinner and the toast.(Obviously, you will want to have the toast as early as possibleto avoid an embarrassing situation in which guests will beforced to hold up empty glasses.) *Use the open-and-shut-case approach. This requires purchasingbeer kegs or cases of good-quality beer, plus several cases ofgood-quality wine. Since you have purchased the supply inadvance, you will determine just how much is being spent ondrinks. For guests who insist upon drinking until the cows come home orwould like something stronger, make a cash bar available. *Have waiters and waitresses serve drinks from a tray. Thisapproach is not only stylish, it is also quite cost effectivebecause you remain in control of how much is consumed. Choose a few different drinks to be served, including andwine. Then have the staff circulate throughout the receptionarea at pre-scheduled intervals. Perhaps the waiters andwaitresses might offer drinks when the reception starts, thenjust before or during dinner, then a few times later in theevening but not throughout the night. With tray service, youguest will not pay for their drinks, but this will still be alot cheaper than having an open bar. At-home Receptions If you are planning to have your reception in a home or backyardand you will not be using a caterer, here is what you will needto know. In this situation, a cash bar is simply not one of the availablechoices. It is against the law to sell alcohol without a liquorlicense. (You wouldn’t want to spend your honeymoon in thepokey.) If the home is not equipped with one, you will need a rented bar(or a sturdy table or two, dressed to the floor or ground withlinen). Plan to stock the bar or table(s) with beer, vodka, rum,whiskey, tequila, cordials
(liqueur), brandy, gin, wine,sparkling juice, and possibly punch. Offering a sparkling white wine is also nice. If you areplanning to serve champagne (Although only a sparkling whitewine made in the Champagne region of France can be truly calledchampagne, people often refer to any bubbly by that name.),expect to pay more. A decent bottle (You will only disappointthe true connoisseur, and they are a dying breed.) will costbetween $10 and $12 and will serve seven to eight glasses. Evenat these prices per bottle, you may want to reserve it for thetoast. Borrow or shop for a bartender’s guide (Mr. Boston DeluxeOfficial Bartender’s Guide, for example). For your mixologist,you might also stock such things as lemons, limes, celery,maraschino cherries, and olives. You’ll also want to have sodawater, tonic water, sparkling water, coke, ginger ale, and a fewother soft drinks, plus swizzle sticks and cocktail napkins,Last, but not least, remember to have an ample supply of ice(crushed and cubed) on hand. Standard Guidelines for Consumption Expect each guest to have four to five drinks at the reception.You’ll get twenty-five drinks from a fifth of liquor, providingyou’re using a one-ounce pony to make them with one ounce ofalcohol each. Using one and a half ounces of alcohol (that is, aone-and-a-half-ounce jigger), you’ll get eighteen drinks perfifth of alcohol. A single case of alcohol contains twelvebottles. Assuming that you’re using one ounce of alcohol to makeevery drink, then one case will yield 300 drinks. If you would like to serve on tap, half a keg will yield260 eight-ounce glasses of beer. Seven cases of will yieldthe same amount. With regard to unopened bottles of alcohol, don’t be tooconcerned about over stocking. It is better to have too much,rather than not enough. Besides, unopened bottles of alcohol canusually be returned to the store. The Law and Your Liability Needless to say, it is against the law to serve alcohol toanyone under the legal drinking age. The sobering fact is thatcourts have consistently ruled that restaurants, caterers, andhosts are financially liable when minors who are served alcoholare injured, become involved in a car accident, or break thelaw. You can also be held liable for an adult who suffers an injury,become involved in a car accident, or step outside of the lawafter drinking too much in your home. Caterers and restaurantsare subject to the same liability. Your best protection against legal liability involving alcoholis to plan ahead and react sensibly. If your reception is to becatered, discuss a plan of action with the caterer before hand.He or she undoubtedly will cooperate. Avoid serving salty foods since they make people thirsty. Foodshigh in protein—such as meat, fish, eggs, and cheese—will helpto keep your guests sober. Once a person is drunk, it’s too late to reach for the pot ofcoffee. Giving your happy drunk coffee will only make him or herhyper and jittery. If you need to sober someone up, try to getthe person to drink water, which will dilute the alcohol intheir system and flush it out. By no means, let that person drive—no matter what they say.Instead, call for a taxi or find another driver to take theperson home. © Copyright 2005 Bachcroft.com. Permission to reprint thisarticle, as is, is granted as long as the proper attribution(author's biography) is given and all active hyperlinks remainintact. About the author:Jean Bachcroft is a former public relations director, founder ofBachcroft and Aloha Labels, and the publisher andeditor-in-chief of Town and Country Shopping Bargains Magazine.For designer wedding, holiday, and year-round mailing and returnaddress labels, you can visit her web sites athttp://bachcroft.com and at http://alohalabels.com. For shoppingbargains from around the world, visithttp://townandcountryshoppingbargains.com
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