Wedding color cocktail?

Question

I'm getting married August of 2009. My fiance and I don't drink. My entire family does, and my mom told me that I should have an open bar otherwise people may not want to come. (which imo if people wouldn't come because of something like that, than they don't deserve the invitation in the first place). Anyway I was wondering would it be cheaper to maybe have 1 type of beer and a cocktail colored the same colors as my wedding. (pink and aqua). I would like to know how much this would cost and if it would be cheaper. Like I said, I don't drink so I have no idea of prices.

Answer 1

Its your wedding, they are there for you, not to get wasted!!  And also, do the coctails if you want!  You may also want to do what that one person said in addition to your color coordinated coctails whaich is to provide white wine as well (maybe not so much a second beer - they WILL be alright with just one (take it or leave it!)

Answer 2

A pink and aqua cocktail?  No thanks!  Something like that might be OK for 22-year-olds at the beach in the Bahamas, but not for adults who drink.

If you don't have access to a fully stocked bar at your reception, and you don't care much about the drinking preferences of your guests, I'd recommend getting 2 kinds of beer (regular and lite), and some white wine  (pino grigio or chardonnay).  Naturally, you should also have a selection of non-alcoholic beverages:  soft drinks, water, coffee, tea, etc.

I think, however, that I side with your mom.  Go for the open bar.  The day is all about you, of course, but when you invite people to a party of this size, you should try to do your best in terms of hospitality.

  

Answer 3

Terry Y is right, people are there for you, not the bar.  I'm not sure on prices, so I can't really help.

I just wanted to let you know that I love the idea of drinks matching the colors. I'm getting married in Nov. 09. My colors will be dark reds, so it will be easy to match the drinks.

I also don't really drink & I don't want people going overboard at my wedding, so it will be available, but pretty limited.

For kids & non drinkers, you could always do a touch of grenadine (just a little or it will be red) or food coloring (pink or aqua, or both for boys /girls?) in clear sodas.

Good luck & thanks for the idea

Answer 4

Hi and congratulations!

Question:  who is paying?

If you and your fiance are paying for your wedding and reception and you do not drink, nor do you want the expense of having alcohol, then you shouldn't!  It's that easy!

If your mom is paying and she wants alcohol, then it is her choice.

If you do decide to have alcohol, I wouldn't do the pink or aqua drink.  It sounds like it would be something exotic and possibly expensive.  Most people will drink beer or wine.  If you want to only have beer, wine and champagne....then you could do that.  But, again, I wouldn't try to have a drink in your "colors."  

Answer 5

Have a cash bar instead. Or, offer one drink ticket per seat as a "favor" on the tables.

Answer 6

Well I think you are better serving beer and wine and champane. That will keep the cost down. You could do the colored cocktail, but most people like a certain drink. We are going to serve beer and wine, the coffee with baileys with the cake {carrot}. People are there for you not for the bar.

Answer 7

If you want to do a cocktail do a blue lagoon...sooo good and I know alot fo adults who like them as well.  I would definitely have some kind of alcohol.  as much as you want to say people should be there for you and not the bar....most people go for the food and the drinks.  its sad but true.  any cash bar or no bar weddings I've been to or people I know have been to have been talked about in bad ways by other guests.  as for the cost...that depends on your venue.  my reception was at my parents home so I got to buy all the booze at the liquor store.  for 50 people it was like $250-$300 I think, but I had lots left over.  

Answer 8

my bf and i don't drink either and i know when we get married there wont be any alcohol what so ever.  we don't have to drink to have a good time.  i think you should do whatever you and your finance want.  who cares if everyone else needs alcohol

Answer 9

people are there for you, do what you want

personaly i'd not even serve alcohol at the resception as its a family thing, and there will be kids there, a glass or two of wine beside the dinner, but otherwise non alcohol all the way if it was me, drunk people and kids is a no no

if you have a party in the evening after kids gone to bed or someting, then tell people to bring their own merchandise for that, then they get to drink what they want.

Answer 10

Pink and aqua drinks are usually very sugary drinks, and people get trashed on those very quickly. Unless you want guests throwing up, skip the sugary drinks. Plus, they tend to be expensive because you have to use several different types of alcohol to make them, and cheap alcohol= bad hangovers and sick people.

If you aren't comfortable having alcohol at your wedding, just skip it. If your parents insist on having an open bar, have them pay for it and have them worry about what to serve. If you have to pay for it, you can skip the alcohol all together.

Personally, I would just go with a bottle of champagne/ nice sparkling wine per table for toasts. You can find very affordable sparkling wines that taste much better than the sparkling grape juice. That way, everybody will enjoy a glass or two of wine, you won't spend an arm and a leg, and nobody will get trashed. Whatever you do, don't use fake wine- that stuff tastes gross and it leaves a nasty aftertaste.

Answer 11

I found that the open bar was WAY expensive, so we chose a tab bar.  We set a tab that we would pay for (we set ours at 1K) and then when we got close to that tab, they asked me or my husband if we wanted to add to it.  You can get a pricelist from the hall about what each drink costs.  You can limit drinks that are too expensive (like Long Island Iced Tea is really expensive - at my wedding it was like $8!).  And if you want, you can use bottom shelf (lower end) liquor and let the hall sell other liquors that they may want.  Or, just keep it bottom shelf.

I did read that you should have some sort of liquor at your wedding just becasue a lot of people expect it and you don't want to be "that wedding with no bar" but you can adjust it to help meet your budgeting needs.

Oh, I had 78 people at my wedding and approx. 20-30 didn't drink.  Our 1K lasted the whole night.  That might give you a little bit of an idea.

Congrats & good luck!

Answer 12

For my sisters wedding - she doesnt drink either, there was one type of beer & instead of cocktails with spirits, they had wine & champagne cocktails which was just lemonade in it with some colouring & a strawberry on the side of the wine flute. looked really classy & was a lot cheaper than using spirits for cocktails.

=)