If you’re about to hold an event where you are having a drinks reception, here are a few tips that may just help you…

When thinking about a drinks reception for a large number of guests, the best saying is “keep it simple!”. If you want to serve a champagne cocktail, bottled beers, soft drinks, Pimm’s and some wine “because your friend only drinks wine”, you may be setting yourself up for problems!

Firstly that is a lot of different glasses and stock to have to carry to the reception area. The most important part of a drinks reception is to have your guests served quickly when they first arrive and to keep them topped up and too much choice complicates and slows down this process.

If you really would like all those drinks then to do this properly you will need to have additional staff, so if you do not want to spend lots of money on extra staff simple limit the choice to two or three drinks in total: your guests will be looked after more attentively and should not have to go and find a top up. If the drinks are free, people will not mind!

If you are worried about the choice of drinks you may be better to have your bar open on arrival and put some cash behind the bar so that guests can have exactly what they want.

Many people research their events and weddings on Pinterest to get some unique ideas, whilst this is great and can help with creative ideas especially for country events down here in Devon and Cornwall, some can be impractical if you have lots of guests. For example, if you are wanting to serve a continuous gin cocktail from a hay bale bar that has all been dressed the day prior for 110 guests, this will look amazing and the first 10-20 guests will appreciate collecting their glass from here, the remaining guests may not see the WOW factor as it is already depleting. Then and most importantly from our point of view, how do the staff top the drinks up on hay bales or if you want your guests to keep coming back for fresh drinks and you are having a two hour drinks reception, that will be an awful lot of glasses that will have to be prepared and then washed!

Following is a picture of a pre drinks station half way from the church to the marquee, the guests had a choice of prosecco or elderflower. This looked amazing,was relatively easy to service and the main drinks area was in front of the marquee where staff were ready to pour more bubbly or change drinks to beers or orange juice for those guests that preferred.

Wedding and Corporate catering in Devon and Cornwall

Another way of creating a “WOW” factor but also making it easier for your guests to be served professionally and in a timely manner would be to, set your glasses on a table in a pretty pattern, such as a circle, diamond or even a heart – it can be done hours before the event and covered. This does two things: it ensures your glasses are out and ready, and when your guests arrive they will see you have put some thought into the lay out.

To give them even more WOW factor, garnish the glasses with fresh strawberries if serving champagne or sparkling wine. If you are serving Pimm’s you can add cucumber, strawberries and oranges to the glass as well as lots of ice and fresh mint on the top. If you have ladies attending buy some funky striped straws to add to the glasses.

In short, do not over complicate a drinks reception whether for a corporate event or a wedding. The most important thing is to offer a choice of drinks that ALWAYS includes a soft drink with not too many choices so that the staff can look after your guests easily.