One of the things that was most important to the husband and me when planning our wedding was that it be the Best Party Ever. We didn’t want a stuffy wedding full of boring traditions and room temperature beer self-served from a keg. We wanted non-stop fun.
To us, non-stop fun basically meant endless alcoholic beverages (along with a kick ass DJ and some AWESOME fireworks). The need for endless FREE booze was the second major reason we decided to have the wedding at my parents’ place. We wanted everyone to be able to drink to their heart’s content, but there was no way we could have afforded that if we used an official venue.
We bought case upon case of champagne, vodka, gin, and rum in addition to the many many cases of red and white wine that we made ourselves (and was delicious, cost effective, AND a great souvenir). Plus, we had a keg trailer that kept 4 kegs of 2 different types of beer cold. Our wedding guests had nearly endless alcohol options in addition to the barrels of pop and water we had spread out throughout the property.
Not only did this set just the right tone for our party wedding, but it ensured that all our guests had a good time without breaking the bank.
And yeah, yeah, yeah, maybe some of you can have a good time without alcohol, but for most of us, an open bar is the only reason to go to a wedding.
Oh, unexpected bonus? Since no one had to pay for any drinks, our bartenders (my younger brothers’ friends) made mucho buco in tips. Find a way for some poor college kids to earn easy cash (and allow them to drink on the job) and they’ll be devoted to you for life. Fact.
- jess
