12
Tips For Planning A Wedding Reception Beverage Plan
- by KissMeGoodnight.com
Your
beverage tab is another big portion of your reception expenses, and it is also a place where you can
find great savings with the right decisions and right resources.
Many established reception sites and hotels do offer an open
bar with your choice of premium liquors or a more limited selection
of drinks, and they remain in control of the price per bottle.
At your reception site, ask about the types of liquors available,
the vintages chosen, even the number of bottles opened. One
of the most colossal wastes of money at any reception is when
the bar staff opens too many bottles of wine or other liquors,
and at the end of the night, even though they weren't used,
you still have to pay for them. On your dime, the wait staff
might be sipping your Chardonnay and gulping down the cheese
platter after the party ends.
Clearly, you can save a bundle by talking with
the reception manager, caterer, or bartender to establish
clear guidelines
on the liquors you'll stock at your bar. Take a look at their
itemized order list, ask them to explain their estimates of
how much each guest is likely to drink, and state your preferences
for the uncorking of bottles of wine. Most couples request
that bottles be opened on a need-only basis and that they not
be charged for all unopened bottles. This keeps the "corkage
fees" to a minimum.
Your first concern might be which kinds of drinks to offer.
Many open bar arrangements do allow for unlimited use of premium
or top-shelf liquors, several different kinds of wines, soft
drinks and fruit drinks for mixes, and bottled water. Do not
just accept a site's stated list of liquor in supply; ask to
have some say in what's offered and what's not. One couple
saved a fortune and prevented misbehavior by their younger
guests by instructing their bartenders not to serve shots of
hard liquor. Mixed drinks were fine, but no shots. Their theory
was to stop their younger guests downing shot after shot of
vodka or tequila and get them to slow down their pace with
larger, mixed drinks. Their strategy worked and earned them
a lower bar tab and more in-control guests.
One of the smartest things you can do before you sit down
with the bartender or reception hall manager is to learn
a bit about the price ranges of liquors, wines, and champagnes.
You don't need to take an expensive wine-tasting course to
find out the real price range for a good Chablis or a good
Riesling. You may go online and view some reviews and price
ranges; and even receive updated lists of the best-rated vintages
around.
Once you have your lists in hand, see if the reception hall
manager can order some of your chosen vintages as replacements
for his list. In some cases, the site may allow you to bring
in your own supply of liquor rather than use their stock. This
can add up to some great savings if you go about it the right
way.
Ask your bartender for an outline of how much liquor you'll
need for your guest list and then seek out great choices and
great prices at a discount liquor store or wholesale liquor
supplier. Buying in bulk may net you even greater savings.
This is a great job for the bridal party to help out with,
as you'll certainly need the extra bodies to carry those cases
of wine and liquor into your reception site.
The following are recommendations from wine merchants and
liquor suppliers for their top tips on choosing more economical,
but still pleasing, beverage options for weddings on a budget.
1.
Serve top-shelf liquors at the beginning of the evening and then serve call bar, or less prestigious,
liquors the rest
of the night. "Your guests won't be able to taste the
difference once they have a few good drinks in them."
2.
Limit the menu of drinks, offering only a few top-shelf
liquors such as vodka, gin, and rum, and only a few selections
of white and red wines.
3.
Put a restriction on the types of mixed drinks your bartender
will prepare. Drinks such as Long Island Iced Teas and Cosmopolitans
use more liquor than most choices, so leave them off the drink
menu. Print up a list of drinks the bartender will make, such
as martinis, gin and tonics, and the like.
4.
Find great-tasting yet inexpensive wine vintages during
a thorough search at your liquor store. A well-trained wine
expert can help you find the best choices at a discount.
5.
Offer micro-brew beers instead of big-name imports and
watery domestics.
6.
Serve after-dinner drinks by way of a strolling waiter
in tuxedo, who pours the cognac right from the bottle with
a white-gloved hand.
7.
Limit your international coffee bar to include only espresso,
cappuccino, and standard coffee. Eliminating the more exotic
Chai teas and Jamaican and Irish coffees will cut down on your
supply expenses.
8.
Offer a wide supply of nonalcoholic drinks for your teetotaler
friends, underage guests, and children.
9.
Close the bar during dinner, and close it for good an hour
or two before the end of the reception, while the coffee is
served.
10.
Be sure your site has a liquor license before you stock
up on wines, beers, and champagnes! Double-check so your purchases
don't go to waste.
11.
Have a nonalcoholic reception. Some couples choose a liquor-free
reception if they have major budget concerns, religious beliefs,
or they're supporting a relative who has stopped drinking.
In place of liquor, provide pretty punches and soft drinks.
12.
Skip the champagne. Guests can toast you with whatever
drink they have in their hands.
Click
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It answers over 250 of your top questions, 150 cost saving tips and
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by KissMeGoodnight.com
: 2007
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