Whats is the Best Wedding You Have Gone to or The Best Bits

lazygal

mrsbyrne wrote: »

So there was no heading off to the local beauty spot to take photos for 4 hours while your 120 guests amuse themselves then!? How strange!

We didn't do that. Had food and drinks straight after the ceremony and spent half an hour on photos. I hate those weddings where the couple leave everyone hanging around for hours and don't bother feeding them.

mrsbyrne

lazygal wrote: »

We didn't do that. Had food and drinks straight after the ceremony and spent half an hour on photos. I hate those weddings where the couple leave everyone hanging around for hours and don't bother feeding them.

Sounds lovely lazygal. Here they seem to be obsessed with the photos. Mind you its very scenic. I know there has to be a record of the occasion but some of the photographers lose the run of themselves. If the bride and groom scaled back on the main meal and had that at say, 7pm ( 1pm wedding) and provided a light lunch at say 3pm, would it be much more expensive for them? No more food of any kind after dinner has been cleared away. So I'm saying lunch instead of late night food. Would it also stop people going to the pub after the ceremony and gettingblathered?

Toots

mrsbyrne wrote: »

Well where I live its pretty much accepted that you can wave goodbye to the bride and groom immediately after the wedding and you'll next see them possibly 2 1/2 hours later. You can see the guests crowding into Subway and any pub that serves food because there's never now any less than 3 1/2 hours between signing the register and food being
served. The photographer is king.

I reckon it's probably due to the fact that any weddings I've been to have either had lovely grounds in the venue to get the photos taken, or else they've been in winter so the photos were being taken indoors due to inclement weather conditions! :pac:

Milly33

Love reading all the stories..Having high hopes now for out own.. Must say it seems to be a trend of a lot of the good ones are when the bride and groom do not leave the guests for too long.. Suppose it does take it away from the thrill of the day when you are left and not knowing what is happening next

Deer

My favourite wedding was held in Tuscany. Bride and groom hired out a huge farmhouse / villa type thing and all guests spent the weekend there. When we arrived we all had pizzas and wine at the courtyard.

The day of wedding we drove in buses to church which had the most beautiful frescoes and murals, got married with a string quartet playing in the background. Between the visuals and the music it was just a lovely experience. Then back at the villa they had canapés on this beautiful lawn with statues, fruit trees and Cyprus trees overlooking Tuscan hills all the way down to Sienna. Again the quartet were in the background and the canapés were hunks of cheese, cold meats, deep fried zucchini flowers (yum) and just amazing fresh bread. We had dinner in a converted barn which again was lovely.

The next day the b&g were friends with local hunters who laid out this humongous buffet with wild boar, pastas, salads, gelato, fresh bread and amazing wine.

Best wedding I have ever been to - better than my own!

keeponhurling

lazygal wrote: »

a free bar. And no skimping on food.

This

Milly33

Do people take advantage of the free bar then!! We were thinking of having an honesty box but then we could do a bring your own aswell

Shedite27

Milly33 wrote: »

Do people take advantage of the free bar then!! We were thinking of having an honesty box but then we could do a bring your own aswell

I've never seen an open bar pre-dinner being taken advantage of. Post-dinner I've seen them abused (get a drink, leave it down after two sips while you go dance, then instead of searching for the pint just go back and get another)

Milly33

Never even thought of that having one half free and the other not. thank you

lazygal

Milly33 wrote: »

Do people take advantage of the free bar then!! We were thinking of having an honesty box but then we could do a bring your own aswell

Either do a free bar or don't but please don't do an honesty box. I find it really patronising and I'd rather pay for my drinks than have a couple try to do a free bar while expecting people to subsidize it.
No one abused our free bar before or after dinner apart from one or two relatives we knew would overdo it no matter what. Everyone else appreciated the gesture.

Milly33

Really why would it be patronising. Sure most weddings you go to you would have your free bubbly and then the bar on the evening so, would it not be the same. I wouldn't be bothered at all by it to be hones (get it haha) sorry I had to.

But lets say if we went to the bar we would not be paying for all the drink for the night so the same goes for this really. The other option was to bring your own but I can see that being to messing keeping track of who owns what..

Jes I could imagine the outbreak if one of the aunties took the others brandy!! Entertainment for the evening

lazygal

Are you buying and then supplying the drink at the venue? If so either set up a proper bar or provide all drink free. Honesty boxes are a pain because of change, not being able to use a card and I find it patronising being asked to be "honest" at someone's hosted event. It went down like a lead balloon at a family wedding in a marquee where the couple wanted it to see like a free bar but the suggested"honesty" tab was quite expensive for bottles of beer and wine.

Milly33

No it would be nothing like that now.. There is a bar in the venue but there is no licence (money cannot exchange hands) and you have to stock it.

So we will be buying all the drink to stock the bar and having a bar man or woman to serve. Now the options are really

1. you buy tickets from a certain person ,for a certain price, and each time you go to the bar you swop a drink for a ticket with the barman. Flaws that people will be chasing around one or two people for the night looking to buy tickets and then in turn they will be walking around with a pocketful of money..

2. Is to buy a ticket at the bar - Flaw the bar man cannot take the money

3. Free bar - Flaw people go mad and just end up drinking too much.

4. Which is what we were thinking is you have an honesty box at the bar with a price list of drinks nothing crazy something like all pints €3 and then a bottle of wine €10 softdrinks €1. People order their drink and just pop in then what they owe, or even just drop in €20 to go towards what is spent no one will be guarding the box so it is up to people what they put it really...Fine some could take the piss but I think it avoids people going yeah free booze for the night lets get sloshes..

5. You can ask people to bring their own- flaw others end up drinking others and auntie one, gets auntie b in a headlock for drinking her drink!! Love it..

thanks for the card reminder too we must put that in the invites to let people know their wont be one

clint_silver

Milly33 wrote: »

No it would be nothing like that now.. There is a bar in the venue but there is no licence (money cannot exchange hands) and you have to stock it.

So we will be buying all the drink to stock the bar and having a bar man or woman to serve. Now the options are really

1. you buy tickets from a certain person ,for a certain price, and each time you go to the bar you swop a drink for a ticket with the barman. Flaws that people will be chasing around one or two people for the night looking to buy tickets and then in turn they will be walking around with a pocketful of money..

2. Is to buy a ticket at the bar - Flaw the bar man cannot take the money

3. Free bar - Flaw people go mad and just end up drinking too much.

4. Which is what we were thinking is you have an honesty box at the bar with a price list of drinks nothing crazy something like all pints €3 and then a bottle of wine €10 softdrinks €1. People order their drink and just pop in then what they owe, or even just drop in €20 to go towards what is spent no one will be guarding the box so it is up to people what they put it really...Fine some could take the piss but I think it avoids people going yeah free booze for the night lets get sloshes..

5. You can ask people to bring their own- flaw others end up drinking others and auntie one, gets auntie b in a headlock for drinking her drink!! Love it..

thanks for the card reminder too we must put that in the invites to let people know their wont be one

if theyre the type to drink too much, they'll do it free bar or no.

Milly33

true

kkcatlou

clint_silver wrote: »

if theyre the type to drink too much, they'll do it free bar or no.

Another suggestion (what we're doing) - free drink up til dinner that we provide ourselves...not in a bar, just in buckets, wheelbarrows, on tables, etc.

Then after dinner we have a licensed barman coming in to run the bar for us. He's promised he won't fleece our guests (max €4 a pint and €5 for spirit + mixer). He brings his "license" with him as such and uses their fixtures. Would you look into that? Maybe ask your local publican is it something he can do for you? Or I could give you the number of our guy, but he's based in Dublin so it mightn't be worth his while.

kandr10

kkcatlou wrote: »

Another suggestion (what we're doing) - free drink up til dinner that we provide ourselves...not in a bar, just in buckets, wheelbarrows, on tables, etc.

Then after dinner we have a licensed barman coming in to run the bar for us. He's promised he won't fleece our guests (max €4 a pint and €5 for spirit + mixer). He brings his "license" with him as such and uses their fixtures. Would you look into that? Maybe ask your local publican is it something he can do for you? Or I could give you the number of our guy, but he's based in Dublin so it mightn't be worth his while.

I've seen the beers in a wheelbarrow thing . It's cool. I think with a free bar you'll get one or two abusing it but that's it. Most people are just honest anyway!

Milly33

Yeah I have the beer thought in barrows aswell. Himself does a bit of homebrewing so we were thinking of having a few of these free to anyone who wants and then for anyone who wants to pay there is that option too.. Was thinking homebrew beer, homebrew elderflower cordial for the kids. Wed have it free alright or well we will have champers before the meal and then wine at dinner and then after the pay for your own will come in.. I really didn't think twas a bad idea

kandr10

Milly33 wrote: »

Yeah I have the beer thought in barrows aswell. Himself does a bit of homebrewing so we were thinking of having a few of these free to anyone who wants and then for anyone who wants to pay there is that option too.. Was thinking homebrew beer, homebrew elderflower cordial for the kids. Wed have it free alright or well we will have champers before the meal and then wine at dinner and then after the pay for your own will come in.. I really didn't think twas a bad idea

That seems reasonable cos it's the usual wine/ reception drink followed by paid bar. I think it's a lovely touch to have home brew . People will appreciate it.

Neyite

Milly33 wrote: »

Yeah I have the beer thought in barrows aswell. Himself does a bit of homebrewing so we were thinking of having a few of these free to anyone who wants and then for anyone who wants to pay there is that option too.. Was thinking homebrew beer, homebrew elderflower cordial for the kids. Wed have it free alright or well we will have champers before the meal and then wine at dinner and then after the pay for your own will come in.. I really didn't think twas a bad idea

Homebrew craft beer and cordial are a lovely lovely touch!

And balancing the free bar with a barman later is both generous and sensible. Yours sounds like a lovely wedding. Are you doing a marquee or outdoor venue?

Milly33

Yeah!! I was getting worried there for a while when a few were saying no not to do it.. We are having I suppose a rented estate type wedding there is lots of room outside so we are hoping to take full advantage of this and have things indoors and outdoors, but mostly outdoors as it will be fun...

The home brew if any of ye ladies are into it or men would be interested in it. It is actually not that difficult, himself makes it not me but the most time tasking part of it is putting it into bottles.. Nice stuff you by a pack boil it up leave for a while, bottle and hello beer.. Its great!!


I never thought of the bar man being licenced that is the first time now kkcatlou we were told that the local bar would have contacts for people to work on the night but nothing like you mentioned. Might be another option thanks if it all gets too much

amdublin

Milly33 wrote: »

1. you buy tickets from a certain person ,for a certain price, and each time you go to the bar you swop a drink for a ticket with the barman. Flaws that people will be chasing around one or two people for the night looking to buy tickets and then in turn they will be walking around with a pocketful of money..

Why not have someone sitting at a table/booth "selling" the tickets i.e. someone goes to the booth to buy their tickets.

Obviously you don't want one person sitting there all night so ask friends to cover it for an hour each - arrange a schedule, and one person to co-ordinate it all night.

Suggestion you do a flat rate of a fiver a drink.
Plus a bar I was at that had that used "casino chips" as the tickets - felt cool kind've like a coin.

Do not do an "honesty box". I've never heard the like of it :rolleyes: And it'll be a nightmare counting it up the next day (a) you're going to get loads of ten cents and 20 cents and 50c's, not to mention the 1's, 2's and 5's!!!! and (b) chance's are it won't add up to what you are expecting and you'll be all mad and it'll become an issue for you and your husband to sort.

Frankly though do you really want to be "collecting money" on your wedding day. I think you should either do a free bar or a regular bar.

Milly33

Were not doing it for the money so that side doesn't bother me, defo sticking with €3. €5 id be like feck that and be bringing my own vodka haha.. I could not bring myself to ask someone to sit in a corner selling tickets for the an hour or a few hours would feel like I am overasking, for a kids party maybe but for a wedding nope defo not..

amdublin

Milly33 wrote: »

Were not doing it for the money so that side doesn't bother me, defo sticking with €3. €5 id be like feck that and be bringing my own vodka haha.. I could not bring myself to ask someone to sit in a corner selling tickets for the an hour or a few hours would feel like I am overasking, for a kids party maybe but for a wedding nope defo not..

If you're not doing it for the money then don't do it all!!

Why would you charge if you don't need the money?!

Milly33

To stop people going crazy, ah tis grand was just looking for a few tips that's it...

amdublin

Milly33 wrote: »

To stop people going crazy, ah tis grand was just looking for a few tips that's it...

Are you are underestimating your friends?

Milly33

Nope not in the slightest but I would prefer to see them up doing the duckie dance than sitting behind a table for a few hours

amdublin

Milly33 wrote: »

Nope not in the slightest but I would prefer to see them up doing the duckie dance than sitting behind a table for a few hours

Agree. Just do the free bar I reckon.

Gatica

Best wedding was in the US, short 20 min outdoor ceremony, no boring mass to sit through, personal and meaningful... Glorious sunshine helps I'm sure.
Food wasn't of note but for once didn't feel stuffed after dinner and but the atmosphere was great. Outdoor seating and dancing, free drinks. Shame it ends earlier than here. Stayed up late though singing and drinking.
It's a shame it's difficult to do that here.