WeddingGuideUK.com - Catering For Your Wedding Reception

The low-down on drink
Whether you want the alcohol flowing or to provide an interesting mix of tasty soft drinks, no-one wants to keep their guests thirsty.
Start by checking out exactly what drinks are included in your wedding catering packages. Most venues can include a basic reception drink (Bucks Fizz or sparkling wine) one or two glasses of house wine and a glass of champagne or sparkling wine for the toasts per person. You will then need to pay for any drinks above this quota and if you want to offer a bigger variety or better quality tipples. Just as with your food, it is better to provide enough drink from a limited choice of brands than scrimp over quantity in order to set up a dazzling array of choice in your bar. Stick to the most popular types of drink - water, wine, beer and fizzy drinks.

When catering for your own wedding you need to provide your own drinks. Your reception venue may be able to give you a deal or have a local contact that can help. If not, you can get bulk discounts from off-licences, supermarkets and vineyards or even abroad on a 'booze cruise'! France is a popular choice destination, but make sure you are prepared with a smattering of French and a calculator to help with exchange rates. Do add up the extra costs you may encounter such as hiring a larger vehicle and the cross-channel ferry tickets. Compare these expenses with the amount you actually save per bottle.

If a trip to the continent does not work out to be cost effective, try looking for local vineyards in the Yellow Pages. These establishments are often in a position to offer quite a substantial discount for bulk buying, especially if the order is placed well in advance. A locally produced wine will provide a conversation point at your wedding. The amount of drink you need is explained later. You can find a list of drink suppliers in the Confetti Supplier Directory.

Welcoming your guests to the reception with a drink
It is usual to offer guests a drink as they arrive at the reception venue. This could be a glass of sherry, Bucks Fizz or champagne. Alternatively have some fun with alcoholic or fruit cocktails. If you are having a summer garden wedding then serve Pimms or go for a warming glass of mulled wine for a Christmas-time reception. For those guests who are driving, are non-drinkers and for children, offer soft drinks or interesting alternatives like Elderflower pressé that look like champagne.

Drink to serve with the meal
Wine is the most popular choice to accompany your wedding breakfast, but beer could be served as well if you prefer. One groom could not stand wine, champagne or any grape-based drink, so served jugs of his native Yorkshire bitter to his guests. Make sure you provide a selection of non-alcoholic drinks, perhaps a mixed fruit punch or unusual fruit juices as an alternative to standard orange juice. Water should always be available, and may be included in the package your venue or caterers provide. When choosing wines, select one that will complement the menu you have chosen and make sure you taste it before the day.

Which wine with what meat?
Red wine should be served with red meat, and white wine with white meat, fowl and fish. White wine for the main course should be reasonably dry, while a sweet wine may be served with dessert. A white wine may also be served with the starter. Red wine is never served before white, because it overpowers the palate, similarly sweet wine should never be served before a dry variety.

Drink for the toasts
Traditionally, the newly-weds are toasted with champagne but if you have a small budget then why not serve a good quality sparkling wine which may actually be preferred by some guests?

Drink for the evening
There are three options when deciding who will pay for reception the drinks. If your venue has a bar then you could pick up the tab for all the drinks although this can be difficult to budget for. A better idea may be to put a set amount of money behind the bar so that some drinks are free for your guests, or offer either wine, beer or soft drinks for free and anything else is to be paid for. You can also provide several mobile bars throughout the reception venue.

Quantities of drink
Allow roughly half a bottle of wine per guest. The true number of bottles required will also depend upon whether your guests are heavy wine drinkers, or if there is a greater proportion of drivers attending. If your guests will be dancing the night away make sure you provide plenty of soft drinks to quench their thirst. Placing jugs of iced fruit cordial or lemonade around the room may cut down on the amount of alcohol drunks, as guests who are thirsty from dancing prefer a refreshing soft drink to a dehydrating alcoholic one.

If you are providing drinks yourself then try to get as many bottles as possible on a sale or return basis. This way you will not run out of drink but you will only pay for the bottles that are used.

Use this handy guide to work out how much drink to order:

Small wine glass = 2 fl oz
Cocktail glass = ¼ pint
Sherry glass = ¼ pint
Large wine glass = ¼ pint
Tumbler = ½ pint
6 glasses of wine per bottle
6 glasses of champagne per bottle (12 glasses if serving Buck's Fizz)
7 schooners (large glasses) of sherry per bottle

Pints are easier to estimate, and guests either drink pints or halves of bitter or lager. Don't forget to allow for those who drink shandy, as this is a popular option for drivers.