Seating cards double as drink tickets?

janelpariseau · August 2010

I am planning on having our seating cards (simple tent cards) double as our two drink coupons. The plan is to have each coupon printed on the inside, that way people can tear the tent card at the seam and use each of their coupons when they want. I am really confused as to how to let people know that the coupons can be found there... any ideas!?

trix1223 · August 2010

This isn't going to exactly answer your question, but I wouldn't have drink tickets at all. Drink tickets are just nms at all. I think they're in pretty poor taste. Sorry.

MyNameIsNot · August 2010

There's no good way to have drink tickets. It's horribly tacky any way you look at it.

vsgal · August 2010

This is a horrible idea. Drink tickets scream hole-in-the-wall dive bar and not classy wedding reception. Either have free beer and wine or skip alcohol all together if it is a budget concern.

schadbourne · August 2010

I do not agree! This is a neat idea and if it is what you want go for it!

What about having the name on one side and the ticket on the other, maybe having a small sign near the seating card table (if your having one) writing something like Make sure to use your placecard as your ticket to get our signature drink and one drink on us ect ect

word of mouth before the wedding should do a fine job as well

banana468 · August 2010

Ugh. I hate drink tickets.

I also hate the notion that "friends and family won't judge you". Friends and family should be treated better than receiving rations.

If you're having a five hour reception, two drink tickets means that you're intending not to provide enough refreshment for your guests. THAT Is inappropriate etiquette.

And your friends and family ARE important people. I can't imagine saying, "If you were the senator then you wouldn't need to pay for drinks but since you're my (best friend, Godmother, Grandfather, mother in-law) then you do."

trix1223 · August 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_seating-cards-double-drink-tickets?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:5Discussion:d82f74b2-fdd7-426f-ad3a-6a54bf39eb17Post:f4a4ccac-a8a1-4cb1-ae33-6535a6d7586a">Re: Seating cards double as drink tickets?</a>:
[QUOTE]I think that it's a great idea! Since people have limited amount of free alcohol, they'll be less likely to overdrink, and they'll be more responsible. One way to do it is to have the bartender mark the inside of the seating cards as they order their drinks. If you have a DJ at your wedding, he can also announce it to the crowd. I hope you'll have close friends and family at your wedding, they wouldn't judge you for having drink tickets - hey.. it's better than no drinks at all. But if you have a bunch of important people such as the senator, the governor, etc at your wedding, drink tickets are inappropriate.
Posted by flo85[/QUOTE]

If people want to get drunk at a wedding, they'll get drunk whether the alcohol is free, they get two free drinks, or they have to pay for it themselves.

Things like drink tickets and cash bars don't keep people from over-indulging. They'll just pay for the liquor after their tickets run out.

As for the last statement: really? Really? it's okay to charge your friends and family for a beverage, but gosh: invite the governor and the rules of etiquette change? That's just silly.

janelpariseau · August 2010

Thanks to those of you who gave me suggestions as opposed to your opinion on having drink coupons. I don't really feel like I need to defend my decision, but I decided to do the drink tickets because for our crowd, it will work and our friends and family love that sort of thing... something different! They'll be happy with two free drinks (plus champagne toast and a wine pour during dinner) and I'm making the coupons fancy

I think I'll take the suggestion of having the DJ make an announcement and I've told a lot of friends/family so they can help spread the word. Again, thanks for the suggestions and for being open-minded!

vsgal · August 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_seating-cards-double-drink-tickets?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:5Discussion:d82f74b2-fdd7-426f-ad3a-6a54bf39eb17Post:053b77cf-649e-4300-bdff-b86a7a382ae6">Re: Seating cards double as drink tickets?</a>:
[QUOTE]Thanks to those of you who gave me suggestions as opposed to your opinion on having drink coupons. I don't really feel like I need to defend my decision, but I decided to do the drink tickets because for our crowd, it will work and our friends and family love that sort of thing... something different! They'll be happy with two free drinks (plus champagne toast and a wine pour during dinner) and I'm making the coupons fancy :) I think I'll take the suggestion of having the DJ make an announcement and I've told a lot of friends/family so they can help spread the word. Again, thanks for the suggestions and for being open-minded!
Posted by janelpariseau[/QUOTE]

That's fine that you are going to go this route. Just don't come back here crying to us that your wedding was ruined because your mother said to you that she overheard guests at your wedding laughing at how completely absurd this idea was. Or how your MOH heard a guest complain that having drink tickets is carnival. Or how when you ask if people had a good time, they tell you they did, but then they post on FB the tackiness of the wedding they just went to.

janelpariseau · August 2010

Alllllllllright time to put down the swords ladies... This is really nothing to get all up in arms about. Wishing you all best of luck with your weddings

banana468 · August 2010

Well, if the coupons are super fancy then that changes everything!

::eyeroll::

vsgal · August 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_seating-cards-double-drink-tickets?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:5Discussion:d82f74b2-fdd7-426f-ad3a-6a54bf39eb17Post:f4a4ccac-a8a1-4cb1-ae33-6535a6d7586a">Re: Seating cards double as drink tickets?</a>:
[QUOTE]I think that it's a great idea! Since people have limited amount of free alcohol, they'll be less likely to overdrink, and they'll be more responsible. One way to do it is to have the bartender mark the inside of the seating cards as they order their drinks. If you have a DJ at your wedding, he can also announce it to the crowd. I hope you'll have close friends and family at your wedding, they wouldn't judge you for having drink tickets - hey.. it's better than no drinks at all. But if you have a bunch of important people such as the senator, the governor, etc at your wedding, drink tickets are inappropriate.
Posted by flo85[/QUOTE]

Really?? Not it is not. If the bride and groom can't afford to host their guests, then they don't have liquor. Free beer and wine is cheap to provide. Drink tickets at a wedding is basically telling a guest, you get two drinks because that is all I think you can handle. It is even worse if the bride is running around in a $5000 dress or you are sitting on fancy chair covers that are unnecessary or you have a crap favor at the table or the centerpiece is a huge, overpriced branch, or the OOT guests have bags in their rooms full of pretzels and water, or the bathroom has a basket that has mints and tampons. The priority of the day is to get the marriage certificate signed and to host and thank your guests properly. That means feeding and liquoring them at the reception before adding all the extra stuff.

And the fact that you are putting people that you don't even know, i.e. senators and govenors, over your friends and family is redonkulous! Your sense of priority is whack.

danieliza1127 · August 2010

vsgal - YGPM

alithebride · August 2010

make sure that people only get 2 carrots on their plates!!

wow 2 drinks of my choice for a 4 hour wedding. frankly to me that's not 'unique' it's jsut plan cheap.

gottahavashorti · August 2010

If it's a 4 hour reception, skip the champagne toast and put it toward the bar budget. At about 1 drink per person per hour, 4 drinks per person would be perfect and that is what you have alredy budgeted for.

Knot Annie · August 2010

It’s perfectly fine to disagree about a subject on the message boards, but please keep your comments constructive. Rude behavior will not help any of our brides.

Thank you.

CA2MT4EveR · August 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_seating-cards-double-drink-tickets?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:5Discussion:d82f74b2-fdd7-426f-ad3a-6a54bf39eb17Post:f4a4ccac-a8a1-4cb1-ae33-6535a6d7586a">Re: Seating cards double as drink tickets?</a>:
[QUOTE]I think that it's a great idea! Since people have limited amount of free alcohol, they'll be less likely to overdrink, and they'll be more responsible. One way to do it is to have the bartender mark the inside of the seating cards as they order their drinks. If you have a DJ at your wedding, he can also announce it to the crowd. I hope you'll have close friends and family at your wedding, they wouldn't judge you for having drink tickets - hey.. it's better than no drinks at all. But if you have a bunch of important people such as the senator, the governor, etc at your wedding, drink tickets are inappropriate.
Posted by flo85[/QUOTE]

So then why is a flask like the only thing some people can think of as a WP gift? Pretty sure I get good use out of that thing...

janelpariseau · August 2010

It's so unsettling how snarky all these comments have been. I've already expressed that this WILL work with our crowd in that they're an open-minded bunch of people who don't EXPECT to be boozed up and will ENJOY the flexibility to get their complimentary drinks anytime throughout the night that they choose, not during a short 1-hour period, and not all night. Have you guys ever heard of "middle of the road?" There's NO correct ettiquette for alcohol at weddings. I've been to three types this year: open bar during cocktail hour, no alcohol or cash bar offered at all, and open bar all night. Each had their pros and cons. And ya know what? I was supportive of all of them. Doing two free drinks per person was suggested by our reception venue... which by the way is NOT a "hole in the wall dive bar." (That's just rude) If people want to get drunk, they most certainly can, I'm just not going to pay for it all. In fact, if you all INSIST that people only drink one drink per hour, then for a four hour reception, they can have one before dinner (on us), a glass of wine during dinner (on us), and one after dinner (on us)... Then people must (oh my) pay for their last drink of the night themselves - my gosh that sounds SOOO unreasonable and tacky. My friends and family are supportive of us AND our budget and would RATHER the two free drinks (any free drinks) than NOTHING AT ALL. I'm sorry but if you don't know me or my family or my friends, you are not in a place to judge and be snarky when I'm NOT EVEN ASKING you for your opinion, nor do I care. I just needed to take this opportunity to let you all know how absolutely ridiculous you sound. OK... it's just booze... which is an ADDED EXTRA for a celebration in my book.

And by the way, the point of these message boards is to HELP other brides, not try to add stress by trashing their ideas. I'm sorry but COME ON. Grow up and lend support, not judge people you don't know.

I'm unclicking "email responses" and not checking this post anymore because you ladies have been SO unhelpful (besides flo85 and schadbourne - thank you ladies)... the rest of you need a clue. Trash me as much as you'd like, ladies, and thanks for making my first posting experience such a helpful one. Peace out.

ps. Sorry Knot Annie, but even after two moderators wrote on this message board, there were still snarky comments... what's with these women?

danieliza1127 · August 2010

I'm with Janel here guys.

Those of you that are regulars need to understand that if you want your opinion to be taken and heard, you need to say it with a little compassion and understanding. Snarky comments are not necessary or appreciated.

banana468 · August 2010

Janel, I apologize for the snark.

I will say that I don't agree with some of the sentiment. The idea that "our friends and family love us and understand" may work if that's what's expected for your crowd. And in this instance, it sounds like what you're doing is quite OK.

But my friends and family are actually more likely to be the first people to judge. That doesn't mean that I expect them to be rude to me as they express their opinion, but it also means that I'm going to stick within the boundaries of etiquette as I host them. That does mean that anything I'd serve them is on me. So limiting how much they can consume just wouldn't be appropriate at all.

Personally, I don't view booze as an extra. It just isn't for my crowd (again, I know this varies). Some type of alcohol - even if it's just beer and wine - is available at every family function in DH's or my family - even a 5 yo's birthday party would have beer available if the dads wanted one. Not having it isn't 'bad' but it also is viewed as not really doing what you're supposed to as a host.

When it came to our wedding, the idea that we'd ask closet friends and family to pay for anything they were to consume wasn't even on the table. The last thing we wanted was to make Grandma upset if she couldn't have a 3rd Manhattan.

BUT, I will recognize that what works for my crowd doesn't mean that it has to be the way for your crowd. And if you are usre that your guests and your FI's guests (and their guests) are comfortable with this arrangement then it doesn't matter whether it's appropriate etiquette - the crowd will be OK with it.

rozmopolitan · August 2010

Janel,

I can completely understand where you are coming from. As you stated, you are providing complimentary beverages, but offering the option of when and what type to choose. In our case, we are having an At Home Reception 3 days after arriving back from our destination wedding...which has been built into a family vacation that my side of the family is treating us to. The At Home Reception is being held in my fiance's tiny rural hometown with 130 guests, most of whom consume alcohol on a regular social basis. Having complimentary beverages will be absolutely appreciated and even unexpected. Most of the people from the area wouldn't consider an open bar at their own wedding receptions, simply due to cost, yet be surprised and even disappointed if there wasn't an option to even purchase a beverage if they wanted to when attending someone else's. So, open bar or dry reception are not options for us in this case. We have decided on the middle ground as you have.

I did have some reservation having come from a more traditional upbringing than my fiance (where the steadfast rules of etiquette almost always applied), however, for this crowd it will be a great idea. There won't be wine at the tables as there are not enough wiine drinkers to merit that...champagne either. People will raise their glasses in toast filled with the drink of their choice.

Congratulations to you, and to all of the other brides on this board. I am sure that your weddings and receptions will be just as you envision them

Take good care.

rozmopolitan · August 2010

P.S: Our escort cards are going to be sweet little tiny envelopes and inside will be 2 fun, customized tickets.

FYI: I have seen customized drink tickets in different wedding magazines, I'm pretty sure one of them was Martha Stewart Weddings.

Seating cards double as drink tickets?

Re: Seating cards double as drink tickets?

Choose Another Board

Search Boards