How Much Alcohol to Purchase for Wedding Reception with Teatime Catering
Congratulations to you both if you are just getting engaged. One of your first tasks will be to sit down and start working on a budget. Pretty overwhelming stuff, isn’t it? One of the first things the newly engaged couple will discover is what things cost. Here is Washington DC the venue is by far the biggest expense and pretty much right along with will be the catering budget. Yet many of the lovely wedding reception venues here and in the surrounding Northern VA suburbs offer off site catering and with that you can often provide your own alcohol.
How much can this save you? In the restaurant business alcohol is where money is made. The mark up for wine and beer is astonishing. If you hire a caterer who allows you to provide your own alcohol, you will save not just hundreds of dollars, it could be thousands.
You do not need to provide a full bar – wine and beer is very popular as shown in the above photo, taken at the Lodge at Little Seneca Creek in Boyds MD. www.montgomeryparks.org/event_centers/seneca.shtm Even if you want to go with a full bar, keep it simple with Vodka, Rum, Gin, Bourbon.
Another option is to serve wine and beer with a signature drink. Often a couple will serve a “bride’s” drink and a “groom’s” drink or a “couple’s drink”. You can serve it during the cocktail hour, and when it’s gone your guests are more than happy to drink your wine and beer selection.
A tented outdoor wedding reception at Riversdale Museum serving wine/beer and soft drinks keeps it simple. www.pgelgantsettings.com
A stunning backdrop for an outdoor bar again serving wine and beer only at Sunset Crest Manor in Chantilly VA www.sunsetcrestmanor.com
If you are getting married in Virginia, you may need to obtain a one day permit for the serving of alcohol, and you can do this directly on line. You would need to check with the venue’s requirements. In the District of Columbia, you need to apply in person to the ABC in Washington DC to process the paperwork. PLEASE make sure you allow enough time for the paperwork to be processed; allow at least 6 weeks prior to your event.
Keep it simple, two red wines, two white wines, 3-4 different beers. Total Wine in Northern Virginia offers an excellent variety as does any Wegman’s grocery store.www.wegmans.com
For 100 guests, 5 cases of wine and 5 cases of beer is a middle of the road estimate. If you know your guests are a hearty party, by all means up this amount. It’s far better to have too much than too little. You do not want to have to make a booze run in the middle of the wedding reception!
Wine and beer bar set up at St. Francis Hall in Washington DC www.myfranciscan.com
If you select Teatime Delicacies, Inc. to cater your event, we will provide you with the very best bartenders as well as any mixers, garnish and ice. Using Teatime, we provide you with everything except the alcohol. Great food and great drink, sounds like a party to me!!
www.teatimeinc.com