Alcohol Ordering Guide for Wedding Receptions

Fall and winter weddings are being planned right now, which means it is not too early to place your wedding reception catering orders. When it comes to ordering enough alcohol for your wedding reception, there are some factors to keep in mind. If you order too much, you are taking away from your overall wedding budget, but if you order too little, you risk disappointing your guests and taking away from the overall experience.

To avoid this problem on your upcoming special day, scroll down to view a simple alcohol ordering guide that will help you calculate how much alcohol you need per guest at your wedding reception.

Wedding Caterers Peachtree City Georgia 678-340-0510
Wedding Caterers Peachtree City Georgia 678-340-0510

Wedding Reception Bar Planning

Planning the alcohol and bar element of a wedding reception can pose all sorts of challenges if you are not equipped with the right information. Preparation is key when it comes to organizing an efficient bar plan that falls within your budget while also meeting your celebratory expectations.

It is your aim to order just the right amount of alcohol, plus optimize the selections to best fit your wedding’s theme or agenda. You can achieve this objective with ease by using this basic guide to alcohol ordering:

How Much Alcohol is Enough for a Wedding?

Knowing how much is enough when it comes to bar planning is fiddly. Not everyone will drink alcohol, and those who do will have varying amounts in differing selections. Fortunately, there is a way around this chaos.

The general rule of thumb for wedding guest alcohol orders is decreed in a time-to-person ratio: For a 4 hour reception, plan for around 4 to 5 drinks per guest.

Using a base of 12 ounce beers, 5 ounce glasses of wine, and 1.5 ounces of liquor, this general rule of thumb should allow each guest to enjoy one drink per hour of your event. Not only is this sufficient for guest satisfaction, but it also abates over-drinking.

Just Serving Beer and Wine?

If you are planning to only serve beer and wine (including champagne) at your wedding reception, aim for a 60:40 ratio of 60% beer and 40% wine selections.

Serving All Selections?

If you wish to serve beer, wine, and mixed drinks at your wedding reception, use a 20:35:45 ratio of 20% beer, 35% wine and champagne, and 45% liquor.  

Additional Tips for Planning Your Wedding Reception Bar Order

When it comes to beer, kegs are great options. Not only are they economical, but they are readily available and easy to use. The average metal beer keg can serve between 140 to 165 12-ounce beers. Be sure to rent an extra tap in case the one you are given breaks.

As for wine, take note that one 750 ML bottle of wine traditionally serves 5 glasses. Magnum bottles, which are the much larger wine bottles, serve 10 glasses on average. Be wise on your scope of wine selections too. Merlot and chardonnay are the most popular wedding guest wine orders, as well as prosecco champagne.

Liquor for shots and mixed drinks mainly consists of vodka, tequila, scotch, and bourbon. Unless your wedding has a particular theme that includes rum-based cocktails like mojitos or pina coladas, rum is not usually a common wedding guest drink order. The same goes for gin. As for mixers, aim for 3 bottles per bottle of liquor.

Are you looking for professional wedding catering service? Contact Food for Thought Catering at 678-340-0510 to speak with an experienced catering manager about large group catering and weddings in Peachtree City, Georgia and its surrounding counties.

You Should Also Read:

How to Select Alcohol Service for a Catered Event
Do Not Make These 3 Wedding Reception Catering Blunders
Why Signature Drinks are a Big Hit at Any Wedding or Party

Do Not Make These 3 Wedding Reception Catering Blunders

If you are planning a wedding, you are well aware that the food portion of the evening is quite important. Not only do you have to plan for enough food, but you also have to make all sorts of other catering-related arrangements, such as linens, tables, chairs, dining ware, décor, tents, canopies, music, lighting, flowers, and of course, reception venue. With so many responsibilities piling up, it can be easy to drop the ball when it comes to catering a wedding.

Furthermore, your wedding is a special day, whether as a bride or groom, or even as the parents of either! So, you deserve to sit back, relax, and indulge in the wonderful amenities and events just as much as your invited guests. Stressing out over the catering menu for the reception should be the last thing on your mind. For the best experience possible, learn what you can do to make the wedding planning process easier.

When it comes to catering, just be sure you avoid making these top 3 catering blunders when it comes time to make final arrangements for your upcoming wedding reception!

Georgia Wedding Caterers 678-340-0510
Peach Tree City Georgia Wedding Caterers 678-340-0510

Top 3 Wedding Reception Catering Mistakes

Do-It-Yourself Catering

One of the most regretful blunders for a bride and groom is to cater their own wedding. Unless you are hosting a very small and simple backyard wedding reception, this is a major mistake. As mentioned, you and your wedding party already have your hands full of responsibilities, obligations, errands, deadlines, and more. Adding in the duty of catering can push even the most calm-minded person over the edge. There is just too many things happening on the day of a wedding; a family, bride, or groom should not have to worry about the food too!

Exotic or Gourmet Menus

When food is too exotic, spicy, uncommon, or simply too fancy, it is very unlikely that it will accommodate all your guests. Catered wedding food should be humble and neutral, but still delicious and full-fulling. Furthermore, large-scale catered menus generally lead to excessive food waste, which still has to be paid for by the client. To save money and make all your guests happy, choose a simple and classic menu that will please a wide range of palates.

Unqualified Service Provider

One of the biggest mistakes made when planning a wedding is failing to choose a qualified Georgia catering company that has experienced with weddings. Catering is a wide spectrum of service, amenities, and food quality. You can hire your local barbecue joint to whip up some smoked meats and southern side dishes for a family reunion in the park, but you probably wouldn’t hire the same company to cater your wedding reception.

It is vital to research your local catering companies, cross-check their references, read past client reviews, and even sample their food. Once you feel like you have found an experienced and reputable catering company, it is equally important to divulge, as frankly as possible, exactly what you need and expect from them.

Are you looking for a professional and experienced wedding catering company in Georgia? Contact Food for Thought Catering at 678-340-0510 for quality Peachtree City GA wedding catering. We also help with décor, themes, vendors, and more! Request a consultation, today.

You Might Also Read:

Always Ask a Wedding Caterer These 5 Questions
Catering Ideas for an Autumn Wedding
Projected Wedding Catering Trends for 2020

Georgia Catering Services 678-340-0510
Georgia Catering Services 678-340-0510

Projected Wedding Catering Trends for 2020

Are you planning a spring or summer wedding? If so, you are on the cusp of a whole new set of wedding trends. Of course, one of the most important factors of any wedding is the catering. So be sure to look to the future when arranging your 2020 wedding menus! Continue reading to learn what’s to be expected for wedding catering standards in the new year and gain some inspiration for your own nuptial celebration!

Georgia Wedding Caterers 678-340-0510
Georgia Wedding Caterers 678-340-0510

Catering a Wedding in 2020

Weddings have taken a far turn from conventionality. And that’s something to be excited about! No longer are there “rules” to planning a wedding, and couples are being more and more creative every season. As for fall, there are some incredibly-smart and tasteful food trends for weddings that have already been a huge hit within the catering industry.

Hors D’oeuvres

Cocktail hour should always be accompanied by some good appetizer foods. The problem is, no one wants to set their drink down to eat with a fork and knife. That’s what the reception dinner is for, after all. So miniature bites have been a huge hit for weddings. These hors d’oeuvres are perfectly bite-sized, making them enjoyable and convenient. They can be made to me as simple or as complex as you like, ranging from delicacies and shellfish, to small bites like sausages, artichoke hearts, pot stickers, salmon rolls, cheeseballs, quiches, crostinis, and more. Miniature bites are popular and tasty appetizers for cocktail hour.

Main Course Comfort

Trending right now is comfort food for weddings! Mini hot dogs, cheeseburger sliders, fried chicken, chicken and waffles, breakfast spreads, casseroles, and even tacos are becoming a favored menu selection for 2020 weddings. Although these foods seem non-traditional and ordinary, they can be made into elegant dishes by using gourmet ingredients and condiments.

Desserts

Traditional desserts are a menu item of the past. Couples have enjoyed a wide array of unique and delicious desserts that work for guests of all ages. For example, traditional tiered wedding cakes are being replaced more and more with fun cupcake towers, or massive displays of cookies, brownies, donuts, and even candy bars! In fact, actual candy “bars” have become very popular (tables filled with jars and displays of various confectioneries), allowing guests to make themselves a to-go bag of candy as a gift!

Another popular menu item has been milkshakes. These are great because they can be made on the fly, in endless flavors, and in custom sizes. And the best part is, they can go with guests on the dance floor! Parfaits have also been popular because they can be customized to match wedding themes and colors, and can be healthy too!

Georgia Wedding Caterers You Can Trust

Call Food for Thought Catering at 678-340-0510 for quality event catering in Newnan, Georgia. We offer a wide range of catering services for all industries, occasions, events, and more. Choose from our popular catering menu, or work with our catering coordinators to customize a menu according to your particular needs and interests. We can also provide assistance with décor, themes, vendors, and more! From wedding catering and formal events, to birthday parties, bar mitzvahs, holiday parties, family reunions, workplace events, and more, we are fully-equipped and staffed to undertake any catering job regardless of size, scope, race, religion, or ethnicity.

Food for Thought Catering 678-340-0510
Food for Thought Catering 678-340-0510

Why Do I Need Professional Catering for My Wedding?

There are thousands of reasons why any bride and groom should rely on professional catering for their special day. But when it comes down to sincerely considering whether or not professional wedding catering is something you want to move forward with, there are five important reasons you should know that will help you make the right choice.

Continue reading to learn the top 5 reasons why you need professional catering for your wedding.

Georgia Wedding Catering 678-340-0510
Georgia Wedding Catering 678-340-0510

❶ Resources

A professional catering company has the resources necessary to accommodate a large gathering of people for dining. Preparing food for a large crowd requires extensive preparation, research, time, and concentration. In order to do this correctly, particular resources are necessary. A catering company has these resources. Hiring a professional company avoids the high cost of purchasing all of these necessary items and staff and managing them all at once.

❷ Organization

Coordinating the food segment of a wedding reception requires a lot of work. Catering services provide a planned out itinerary for staff, guests, and venue managers. The catering company handles all the prior arrangements concerning the meal portion of the wedding. They supervise everything from the menu, food, cooking, dining set-up and breakdown, staff and guests. Outsourcing professionals eliminates the worry, time, and obligation associated with organizing meal time for weddings. 

❸ Menu Options

Another great advantage of hiring professional caterers is the menu options they provide.  Catering businesses typically have a wide variety of menu options for every type of event imaginable. Options generally include hors d’oeuvres, breakfasts, brunches, lunches, dinners, cocktails, beverages, desserts and more.  A professional company can put together a customized menu for any occasion.

❹ Leisure

Hiring an expert catering company to service a wedding is the key to a stress-free celebration.  Not only does a catering business handle every aspect of the catering process, they implement ways to allow your guests to sit back and relax as well. Caterers serve guests directly at their tables. This avoids guests having to wait in long buffet lines and eat cold food.  Everyone can sit back, eat, drink, and enjoy the evening without having to rush to the food buffet to get a hot meal. 

❺ Reliability

Outsourcing a food service company for a wedding is beneficial in the area of reliability. A person will not have to worry if someone forgot the wedding cake or napkins for the guests. They will not have to worry if there are highchairs in place for children or enough forks for everyone to eat with.  A professional caterer handles all of these aspects and more.

Trust Our Georgia Wedding Caterers

Call Food for Thought Catering at 678-340-0510 for Georgia wedding catering that will thrill you and your guests! We are skilled culinary professionals who specialize in full-service catering. You can customize everything down to the very last detail, from menus and service, to themes, décor, and more. Call 678-340-0510 to request a free consultation, today!

Food for Thought Catering 678-340-0510
Food for Thought Catering 678-340-0510