Should You Serve Alcohol At Your Wedding Reception? Here Are Things To Consider

Alcohol is pretty much expected during a wedding reception. From the traditional toast to the open-bar setup, serving booze is a tried-and-tested way to make your special day even more awesome for your guests. However, as what Gettysburg PA catering companies can attest to, many couples find it challenging to ace this aspect of their reception.

If you’re one of these couples, we will help you get out of trouble as we give you seven things you need to take into account when serving alcohol at your wedding reception.

The time of day you are holding your wedding. Some people who are tying the knot in the morning or during lunchtime totally opt-out for a dry wedding. But to cater to that notion that weddings aren’t complete with booze, you can still serve “light” alcohol like mimosa and a bloody mary.

Your booze budget. When creating your budget plan, it’s important that you allocate something for your alcoholic beverages. And make sure you stick to it once you’re actually executing your plan. You also have to relay it to your Gettysburg PA catering company so they will know what to recommend to fit best in your budget without compromising the quality of their products and services.

Your guests and attendees. How many are attending? How many among those people are huge fans of alcohol? Depending on this data, you can work and decide smartly on how to serve your drinks. Will you just offer a signature cocktail? Or will you set up an open bar? For how long will your open bar be open?

Your caterer’s services. First off, you’ll need to hire a Gettysburg PA catering company that can actually offer the services you want for your special day. Hire them in advance and as mentioned, coordinate with them about the set-up you want for your wedding reception booze.

The types of alcoholic you will be serving. Like what we’ve stated, the time of your wedding hugely affects your booze offering. If you are holding it late in the afternoon with your reception taking place early in the evening, your attendees will expect that you will be serving relatively “harder” alcoholic beverages.

The option for guests to bring their own bottle. Some couples allow their guests to bring their own preferences when it comes to alcoholic drinks. This is also one way to decrease your booze expenses. Just make sure that you’ll still offer something to those who can’t afford to bring their own drinks.

Keeping an Eye on Tipsy Guests

At the end of the day, it’s your responsibility as hosts to make sure that your wedding runs as smoothly as possible.

But to tell you the truth, it’s not impossible to have someone within your circle who can get a little bit “wild” or tipsy after drinking alcohol. This is why many people recommend couples not to invite that someone to their wedding day at all. If it’s someone so important, you can ask your wedding coordinator and close guests to help keep an eye on that specific guest.

Are you planning a themed wedding or party? If you need amazing food that goes well with your team, contact our team at Altland House Catering & Events today for Gettysburg Pa catering!