Suggestions for wedding reception arrival drinks please!

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mollie_bud

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Hi guys, getting married this Christmas and tea, coffee, biscuits and a winter punch for the arrival reception are included in our hotel package. My boyfriend wants to have sparkling wine at the reception as well but I don't think there's any need for this. Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions from what they've seen done at other weddings? I feel that the tea and coffee and mulled wine are catering for the women and that there is nothing for the men but he thinks some of the men will drink the sparkling wine and not the winter punch and wants to give the choice. I feel having bottles of beer on offer might be better but we are trying to do things on a budget so this would probably cost too much. Also does anyone have any thoughts on the provision of a complimentary round of drink of your choice for all the guests for the toast? Is it still the done thing or are people cutting it out? A glass of sparkling wine for everyone would be more cost effective but I don't want to do this if we've already had it at the arrival reception. Does anyone have any budget tips?! Thanks in advance for any replies!
 
Personally I think the mulled wine will suit everyone. If it is a winter wedding everyone coming in will want a warm drink and mulled wine is perfect. You'll never suit everyone so just do what you want. if you want something different for the men what about hot whiskeys?

As for the drinks for the toast. We didnt give a choice just gave everyone a glass of sparkling wine, it was a personal choice as I hate ordering a drink before the meal and then when it comes you dont want it anymore, I always think there is loads of those drinks left behind as men order pints and they are dead by the time the actual toast comes around. Mind you we didn't have a champagne reception on arrival we had Kir royal (champagne and Chassis), and a summer wedding.
 
We had a drop of whiskey for the men on arrival and punch and tea and coffee. We didn't have a free round of drinks, just a top up of wine for the toasts.
If you're trying to cut costs just offer what's in the package, I don't think people appreciate the free drinks anyway.
 
I definitley wouldn't bother with sparkling wine as well as punch for arrival drinks, from events i've been at men don't seem to be too mad on this either, most of them will probably just go for a pint.

A sparkling wine toast is included in our package but if i wasn't i'd probably pick sparkling wine for the toast anyway. I know it probably seems a contradiction to what i said above but i'd either have sparkling wine or more of the wine you're having at the meal, a round of drinks can get messy and awkward as pints can be poured and left sitting until all the drinks are ready and it could cost a fortune, there'll always be people who start ordering doubles and all sorts when a free round is on offer, sticking to wine in some format will be more reasonable and imo opinion will look nice and classy for the toast!
 
At a wedding last Sat there was sparkling wine on arrival and while the ladies enjoyed it (although half just had a cup of tea), the men mostly went and got themselves a pint. Noone would expect bottles of beer on arrival so don't go to the expense I think. I'd stick with the tea, coffee, punch on arrival. For the toast you could opt for sparkling wine there. It might keep costs down too, we had a toast drink and the whole table ordered a short and mixer which to be honest must have cost the couple a fair bit. The wine was lovely (it stopped flowing during the main course) I wouldn't necessarily expect a toast drink so if the budget is tight you could cut it out.
 
Thanks for replies! I like the idea of the hot choc with whiskey-don't know would many men go for it though. I think sparkling wine for the toast is the most cost effective way to do it but my other half is still sticking to his guns on providing a drink of choice so I don't think I'm gonna be able to convince him otherwise :-(
 
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