Really a personal choice. We didn’t do it for D’s wedding as D and SIL mostly drink wine…but we did pay for an additional bartending station as I don’t like when there is a line for drinks.
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Our kids had His and Her cocktails. Our converted farm venue provided a bartender ($600), we had to supply the ingredients. The younger crowd really enjoyed their capirinhas and old fashioned before dinner while family pictures were being taken elsewhere on the farm. This was a really good deal, a cocktail hour for less than $1,000 (and the bartender also served wine and soft drinks- at the bar and tableside).
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I did two specialty cocktails for the Friday night event I hosted for my son’s wedding. The party was at a brewery with limited cocktail options so I just picked my favorite two and renamed them the kids’ dogs’ names. I did a special presentation for the bar with pictures of the pups. It was SO cute, minimal work, and it was a surprise for the kids. They loved it so much they asked to take it home, and it’s hanging in their dining room.
The drinks don’t have to cost more. Are they saying that it will? At most decent-sized bars/restaurants, they make batches of all the drink bases and then the bartenders/servers add the final alcohol or garnish or whatever. I suppose that if they require you to ensure XX number of drinks will be bought it could be a waste of money if it all doesn’t get bought.
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Love that!
Our bride drew pictures of the drinks and put them in frames. The pictures now decorate our wine room. 
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We had specialty cocktails and they were good conversation starters for the guests. For the first D’s wedding, they were batched. I don’t remember if they were batched at the second.
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D1 and her fiance are still deciding whether they want to have a signature cocktail. Bartenders are already provided by the caterer and we are providing all of the alcohol so it won’t really be that much more expensive if they decide they want one.
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Anyone see the bridesmaid skit on SNL last night? I’m usually asleep by the time SNL comes on but happened to catch it last night. Cracked me up! Sent the link to my daughter this morning who is getting married this fall.
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Yes, I thought the skit was really funny.
We had dinner with friends last night and they were talking about a relative’s fancy/black tie wedding. The women are expected to wear long gowns, and they think black is actually a preferred color. I was surprised by that.
My daughter has been talking weddings for 2 years, and is now engaged. The day is 10/3/25 (or 10/30? something to do with the inverse of when they started dating?). My niece visited this week and already knows that she can’t do it in Oct '25! Niece works for an oil refinery and that is a month where a cleaning or transfer or something is already scheduled (niece basically lives at the refinery for that month and makes and extra $20k).
Can’t please everyone (but there aren’t that many cousins)
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Wow, it’s been over 3 weeks since anyone posted in this thread.
Here’s a silly first world question for you…
Is it OK send a card that starts “To the Happy Newlyweds” when you’re sending a check before the wedding? I asked my husband to pick up cards and both say something similar to that.
TIA
Not something I would send.
But here’s another question: is it good etiquette to post on Twitter about how you used a wedding present (six weeks before the wedding) when you haven’t sent a thank you for the gift yet? (The tweet did not mention it was a wedding present.) I think there should be a rule- no social media on use of gifts until thanks have been sent!
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D1 and fiancé had engagement photos taken yesterday. She sent me some sneak peak pictures and since I can’t post anywhere else I had to secretly post this one here!
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Well…they won’t be happy newlyweds until after the wedding.
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I don’t think it’s right to post anywhere until you have sent thank you notes.
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Were you listening to the conversation I had with my husband? 
I keep a stack of informals around and always hand-write a short personal note to go with gifts. I just don’t like most “Hallmark” type cards so this is easier for me. But agree that they are not newlyweds until after the wedding takes place.
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Exciting times! A whole year away but depending on the wedding plans and what is going on between now and then.
DD2 has a Siberian Husky and her BF has a smaller dog. They are quite a way away from engagement/wedding as BF needs to establish his career and I suspect they have some things to work out before they go beyond BF/GF. Not sure if BF is as committed as DD2 is.
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My daughter, who is a minimalist, got a congratulations card today for her engagement. She didn’t see the point since she had already received a phone call and a text.
She would have been okay with it if there had been a check enclosed…
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You could amend the card, insert “soon to be” or put a note…
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