Cheers!!!

You’ve chosen the venue and selected the menu, but what about the bar service?   What are your options?

Cash Bar:  Guests pay for their drinks themselves.  While this may be the most economical option for the bride and groom, it completely defies the rules of etiquette as guests are being asked to pay for a portion of the wedding.  

Open or Host Bar:  Bar service is paid for by the bride and groom at a flat “per head” fee.  The bar is typically open for a 5 hour maximum throughout the evening.

Consumption Bar:  Operates the same as and Open Bar, however, the bride and groom are charged by the individual drink or bottle opened.

Now, don’t go crying over spilled tequila…… you can still save on the cost of alcohol at your wedding reception even though you are providing an Open or Consumption bar.  Here are some tips which you might find helpful:

·        Choose a venue that allows you to supply your own alcohol.  You’ll need to obtain a Special Occasions Permit which costs $25 to $35 (depending on the province) which then allows you to purchase your alcohol from the liquor and beer stores.  Any unopened bottles or cases can be returned for full refund.

·        Offer poured wine service during dinner rather than placing bottles on the tables.

·        Serve punch or signature drinks during the cocktail hour rather than full bar service.  It’s very chic to serve your very own special drink created just for you and your wedding!  

·        “Bottle Your Own”.  You can make your own wine and beer under your Special Occasions Permit at a licensed “Bottle Your Own” facility.  Reduce your costs even further by having your family and friends save their empty bottles for you to reuse.

·        Offer standard products rather than premium brands. 

·        Close the bar during the dinner hour.

·        Don’t bother with champagne for the toasts…….your guests can toast with whatever they are drinking.

·        Consider shutting down the bar an hour earlier (12am rather than 1am).  This would be the perfect time to serve your guests light snacks, coffee, tea and soft drinks before sending them on their way.  While it is illegal to announce “last call”, you can have your MC make an announcement at the beginning of the evening that the bar will close at midnight.        

Whichever bar option you choose, the most important thing is to ensure that your guests drink responsibly.  Remember, you have a legal obligation to your guests, which you share 50-50 with the venue, in the event of alcohol-related accidents or injuries.  Have the phone number to the local taxi company available for your guests and make arrangements with your venue for cars to be left overnight.

                          
                                            

                                                    Here’s to you!!!

                                                  

                                                      
                                                        

"Dinner is served"

                      

American, French, Family-style, Butler……… what’s the difference?  These are just a few of the most common dinner styles that you might experience at a wedding reception.  Let me try to make sense of them for you.

American or Plated

Food is plated and garnished in the kitchen and served to seated guests.

French       

Food is brought from the kitchen to the tables on platters and a white-gloved server then garnishes it and serves it onto the guest’s plates.

Russian/Family/Eastern European/Asian

Waiters deliver large platters of fully prepared, pre-sliced food and the platters are placed directly on the tables for guests to dish out the food for themselves, family-style.

Butler

Wait staff bring platters of fully-prepared, garnished and pre-sliced food to each individual guest who then dishes out their own portion.

Buffet

Buffet stations are set up in the reception hall and guests wait their turn to put together their own meals.

Keep in mind the number of guests you are expecting when deciding on dinner style.  Buffet style is not recommended for larger weddings unless you want the majority of your evening devoted to dinner.   And, if you’re having a formal wedding, family style is probably not for you.  Your venue coordinator and wedding planner will assist you in making the right decision so that you and your guests will savour the meal and be ready to party the night away.   Bon appetite!!!  

                                           
                                              

                                             

Limited budget? You can still have a "wow" reception...

There are many ways to reduce costs, and the obvious one is to cut your guest list.  But if that isn’t an option, how about having your wedding on a Friday instead of Saturday?  With Saturday being the most popular day for a wedding, most venues offer discounts for receptions held on Fridays.

Another cost saving measure would be to have a wedding brunch or luncheon rather than an evening reception.  Brunch or luncheon food generally costs less than dinner food.  Rather than spending a large part of your budget on full bar service, you can serve Mimosas (champagne and orange juice) and coffee and tea at a brunch reception and wine and beer and soft drinks at a luncheon reception.

  

Prince William and Kate Middleton had a brunch reception following their wedding which took place on April 29, 2011.  And while their budget may not have been limited, they certainly proved that brunch receptions are perfectly acceptable and can be done with elegance and class to rival any evening event.  So if it’s good enough for royalty, why not consider it?