Beverage Issues

SarahPLiz

I am a horrible party planner. I know this already. Tonight I am trying to figure out how much of each thing we need for the bar so I can go order it this weekend. Excuse the excessive information, but I have been over thinking this for weeks.  We are serving 2 local wines (1 red, 1 white), champagne, and 2-3 local beers. No liquor. I also need to figure out sodas. Tea is included with catering.

I went through our guest list. With 100% attendance, we have 83 drinkers (22 underagers), for about 5 hours. I already own 96 wine glasses, and enough water/tea glasses that I bought on clearance for cheaper than renting. Please tell me that is enough, and I don't need more. It wouldn't be the end of the world to make a trip to dollar tree, but I have no more room in my spare room.

I used a beverage calculator and it told me to order more white wine than red, but our main course is beef. I am questioning this logic, so I assumed even amounts (21 bottles of each). Is that reasonable?

If we go with Kegs, I will have to get 2 full kegs, one dark, one light, and will have to rent or buy glassware for service. This is the only thing we would need to be renting. Is it ok to serve in bottles? It will be more economical, and we can provide more variety (maybe 3 types) because I can buy in cases.

I don't drink beer, but I know that people have favorites and preferences. We want to go with Shiner because it is local and lots of our friends like it. Does anyone have any insight on Shiner beers? I was thinking the regular Shiner Bock, maybe their seasonal Oktoberfest one if its available, and  then do we go with the Light or the Blonde? I have no idea. Also, we could add another of my friend's local faves, Firemans 4 if we wanted to. They are priced similarly.

Then I have the soda question. FI loves Mexican coke, and we can get the bottles. Is it ok to do sodas in cans, if there are glasses on the tables, or should I go ahead and get glasses for soda as well? What other sodas should we do? I'm thinking Coke, Diet Coke, Dublin Dr. Pepper (uses real sugar, produced locally) and Sprite. But how much of each? I can't find any non-alcoholic beverage calculators. 

Sorry for the wall of thought here, but I really need help sorting all this out, and FI is no help. 

TIA!

nda_roxybabe

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_beverage-issues?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:9e53dbf8-a799-453c-bb93-b95f2cf7879aPost:d426b2f3-b580-472c-924d-8ca285165434">Beverage Issues</a>:
[QUOTE]I am a horrible party planner. I know this already. Tonight I am trying to figure out how much of each thing we need for the bar so I can go order it this weekend. Excuse the excessive information, but I have been over thinking this for weeks.  We are serving 2 local wines (1 red, 1 white), champagne, and 2-3 local beers. No liquor. I also need to figure out sodas. Tea is included with catering. I went through our guest list. With 100% attendance, we have 83 drinkers (22 underagers), for about 5 hours. I already own 96 wine glasses, and enough water/tea glasses that I bought on clearance for cheaper than renting.<strong> </strong><u><em>Please tell me that is enough</em></u>
<strong>Yes, I think it is.</strong>
and I don't need more. It wouldn't be the end of the world to make a trip to dollar tree, but I have no more room in my spare room. I used a beverage calculator and it told me to order more white wine than red, but our main course is beef. I am questioning this logic, so I assumed even amounts (21 bottles of each). Is that reasonable? If we go with Kegs, I will have to get 2 full kegs, one dark, one light, and will have to rent or buy glassware for service. This is the only thing we would need to be renting.<u><em> Is it ok to serve in bottles?</em></u>
<strong>I think so.
</strong> It will be more economical, and we can provide more variety (maybe 3 types) because I can buy in cases. I don't drink beer, but I know that people have favorites and preferences. We want to go with Shiner because it is local and lots of our friends like it. <u><em>Does anyone have any insight on Shiner beers?</em></u>
<strong>Sorry, nope
</strong> I was thinking the regular Shiner Bock, maybe their seasonal Oktoberfest one if its available, and <u><em> then do we go with the Light or the Blonde?</em></u>
<strong>I like Blondes better?</strong>I have no idea. Also, we could add another of my friend's local faves, Firemans 4 if we wanted to. They are priced similarly. Then I have the soda question. FI loves Mexican coke, and we can get the bottles. <em><u>Is it ok to do sodas in cans, if there are glasses on the tables, or should I go ahead and get glasses for soda as well?</u></em><strong>
There are glasses that would be free for soda? </strong><u><em>What other sodas should we do?</em></u> I'm thinking Coke, Diet Coke, Dublin Dr. Pepper (uses real sugar, produced locally) and Sprite.<strong>Yes, yes, yes</strong> <u><em>But how much of each?</em></u>
<strong>Hmmm, 2 cans pp?</strong> I can't find any non-alcoholic beverage calculators.  Sorry for the wall of thought here, but I really need help sorting all this out, and FI is no help.  TIA!
Posted by SarahPLiz[/QUOTE]

number55

I want to answer your questions but I feel like I don't know nearly enough about weddings/etiquette to know the right answers.

Is your wedding very formal? I would say if it is, beer in bottle probably a no. But if it isn't formal, why not?

I tend to think more red than white personally but again, that's just me.

96 glasses WILL NOT be enough unless you are expecting people to keep the same glass all night.

number55

See! I am already wrong...maybe 96 glasses is enough...sigh...I take back all of my advice. I know nothing.

nda_roxybabe

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_beverage-issues?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:9e53dbf8-a799-453c-bb93-b95f2cf7879aPost:14a1d0d2-5cf4-4a17-876a-34fbe7e3d6ac">Re: Beverage Issues</a>:
[QUOTE]See! I am already wrong...maybe 96 glasses is enough...sigh...I take back all of my advice. I know nothing.
Posted by number55[/QUOTE]
Hahahah I might be wrong. I should have mentioned, I'm just guessing/ giving my opinion. I'm assuming people are keeping their glasses.

Is it a seated dinner? Will people have to go to the bar to get their wine?

Blueyed228

I dont drink beer but my friends like the seasonal stuff so Ocktoberfest sounds great to me.

SarahPLiz

Thanks Roxy!

Number, its not formal, but its not casual either. I'm leaning towards the bottles because its cheaper, and its easier to send people home with leftovers than kegs. 

CS, I'm going to take your soda calculation and run with it. 

I guess I do need more glasses for soda and those people who don't like to drink beer from a bottle. 

Would it be really tacky to have all normal glassware and then have plastic champagne flutes? I think FI would roll his eyes at the mere suggestion, but now I realize that  I need more glasses for champagne. 

SarahPLiz

We are serving dinner family style at round tables of 10 people each, and all alcohol has to be served from the bar. 

nda_roxybabe

Yea, if alcohol needs to be served from the bar I'd get more glasses. People wont necessarily think to take their glass up

SarahPLiz

Ok. I can do that. We plan on selling them later, so having too many is not really an issue except for storage space and cleaning. 

SarahPLiz

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_beverage-issues?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:9e53dbf8-a799-453c-bb93-b95f2cf7879aPost:de042e87-2136-4929-904a-2bbeb3de816a">Re: Beverage Issues</a>:
[QUOTE]<strong>If you get kegs, are you open to doing clear plastic cups (16oz ones).  </strong>Not the red Solo cups we used in college. :) I'd get more red than white wine.   However, I may be biased because my circle is mostly red wine drinkers.
Posted by ILoveMilkDuds[/QUOTE]

<div>I am, but I don't think FI is. I had a hard enough time convincing him to use the really nice real-looking plastic plates for cake. </div><div>
</div><div>I was thinking more red as well. now I'm starting to doubt that calculator. </div>

Wrkn925

You can buy solo cups in your wedding colors.

I think you need a lighter, regular beer in the mix.
I like the local idea, like the seasonal, but throw something normal in there like Bud or Bud light.

Go to the dollar tree and buy too many glasses.  Return them if unused, sell them if you do.

[Deleted User]

Some venues don't allow beer to be sold in bottles in case of breaking (at least I've found that in the occasional place).  So something you might want to look into if you are considering that (I personally am pro-bottle..pouring into cups all night sucks!! lol)

SarahPLiz

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_beverage-issues?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:9e53dbf8-a799-453c-bb93-b95f2cf7879aPost:86474635-a656-4a9a-815b-c062fb08acaf">Re: Beverage Issues</a>:
[QUOTE]Some venues don't allow beer to be sold in bottles in case of breaking (at least I've found that in the occasional place).  So something you might want to look into if you are considering that (I personally am pro-bottle..pouring into cups all night sucks!! lol)
Posted by tiffbot1985[/QUOTE]<div>
</div><div>Logically speaking, glasses break just as easily as bottles, but i know most places aren't logical. I'll have to rememebr to ask.</div><div>
</div><div>I think I am going to wait to purchase the glassware until we start getting RSVPs back. That stuff I can pick up anytime. </div><div>
</div><div>Thanks for all your help ladies. I think I have it all straight now. 

</div>

julezlee

If you have leftover Shiner, I'm your girl

SarahPLiz

Thanks Julez!