to not provide loads of alcohol at a party?

[Scruffles]

We're having a christening party at home, there's going to be about 35 adults plus children. I have no idea how much alcohol to provide! When I was talking to a couple of friends about it they said that people will bring a bottle of whatever they drink so don't worry about it but I'm not sure. It doesn't feel right to assume people will bring a bottle and not provide much but I'm putting on a big buffet so don't want to spend loads of money on alcohol that won't get drunk.

Do people normally bring a bottle for something like this? Beginning to wish I'd just gone for somewhere with a bar now!

I'm from Irish Catholic stock been completely drunk at a funeral so drunk I couldn't even tell the taxi driver where I lived. Passed out drunk at a communion and puked in my brothers bath at my nephews christening. I control my drinking better these days lol but in my family there is a lot of drink at these occasions and parties can go on till were small hours

Tesco also do free glass hire.

Nobody will bring a bottle to a christening - they'd have to take it to church with them first!! I do think it is more hospitable to provide drinks, not just soft drinks. I have never been to a christening that didn't involve lots of nice bubbly. Just order on sale or return?

It's nice to have a drink at a celebratory occasion. Just stick to one or two types of alcohol - eg just Prosecco, or just wine and beer or just red or white wine. 35 adults means probably 15 driving, so say max 4 bottles for them and work on half a bottle each for the other 20? What do you like to drink? Hate to say it, but at this time of year any leftovers will keep for Christmas.....

I personally would never go to a party in someone's house without a bottle to 'add to the table'. That said, I wouldn't expect a christening to be a massive piss-up, so you'll probably get fewer contributions from guests than for a typical party.

Enough to give everyone a couple of glasses of wine, plus some beers for non-white drinkers, should suffice. Under no circumstances just serve tea and 'nice lemonade'. In years, even decades to come, whenever anyone in your social circle hosts any kind of event, at least two of the people you know will say 'Do you remember when Scruffles had baby christened and only had tea and lemonade?' and laugh pityingly.

Fenella it could be left in the car while the ceremony was on!

Also Irish here and would expect to booze at a christening. Would bring my own if necessary or just take what was on offer if not practical to BYO and then go to pub

See also: children's birthday parties n

I personally would never go to a party in someone's house without a bottle to 'add to the table'.

Yes, for an evening party - but not for a daytime event which starts in a church!

All the christenings I have been to are followed by a piss up at the parents home. We usually estimate a glass of fizz and 1/2 bottle of wine per adult for a celebration

SerenDippitee - I'm not suggesting guests sit necking meths in the pews and heckling during the ceremony. As someone else said, people who are driving can leave theirs in the car anyway. Or anyone who is really that bothered can stop off and buy it on the way back to the house.

Aren't weddings 'daytime events that start in a church'? No one seems to think drinking straight after a church ceremony is somehow inappropriate then.

" I'd feel cheeky suggesting that people bring anything so I'll plan to provide it all."

Nah, I don't think it's cheeky at all. Only freeloaders and really posh/rich types would be at the thought of taking their own booze.

I just think you might need to make it clear that you're planning an all-dayer for those who want to get stuck in.

Which'd be fine by me.

Tater oh yes - I find it completely normal to have alcohol at christening parties. We had a bar at both DCs'. But I wouldn't take a bottle to a wedding either!

For a christening party at home, I'd buy at least a bottle per two invited guests (and then even more). But I do generally over-cater for food, and I would also want to make sure there was enough alcohol for any guests.

We had a puppy party at my house tonight and managed to get through four bottles of wine, so I'm sure a party for a human child would be able to get through a lot more.

I wouldn't go too mad. Are you local to somewhere you can replenish the stocks if need be?

Majestic party planner and sale-or-return policy:

m.majestic.co.uk/services/parties#item-sale-or-return

I have a large extended Catholic family and go to a lot of christenings. I would never expect to bring a bottle to someone's house (or expect them to bring one to mine), but if the party was in a restaurant or function room I'd expect to pay for my own drinks at the bar, although paid-for bars aren't that unusual.

Evening parties/ dinner parties are different and I'd always take a couple of bottles along.

Without exception, every christening has turned in to a party and eyebrows would be firmly raised if only tea or soft drinks were on offer. That might just be my family and friendship circle though.

For 35 adults, I'd be providing several crates of nice beer and around 20 bottles of wine. It doesn't go off and what doesn't get drunk can be saved for the next party. Better than running out.

I'm Irish Catholic too, most christenings I've been to have been in a hotel or restaurant, paid for my the hosts including any drinks had during the dinner. Any drinks before or after that, you pay for yourself. If I was going to anyone's house for a party, day or evening I would definitely bring a bottle of something, probably something fizzy. Definitely rude not to imo. And I'd I arrived at someone's house for a christening and wasn't offered at least a glass or two of something I'd be shocked and would leave with the impression the hosts were tight. Wouldn't expect to drink loads though - say 3 glasses of wine tops. Also definitely wouldn't expect any spirits to be on offer.

Go to lidl/aldi and see what kind of wine you can get. There's a lovely £3 rose. For 35 people you probably need around 5-8 bottles as not everyone will drink . Like the others said make tea and squash and that should be enough

Really no booze? Must be because we are northern irish but somehow there's always a drink after although I think from memory a couple of people actually did byob from memory which I remember thinking strange (but nice)as we had everything you could think of food drink soft drink wise

For 35 people you probably need around 5-8 bottles as not everyone will drink

Wow, if you provided 5-8 bottles of wine for an Irish Catholic christening (or any other party) you'd get 34 people looking at you like this ---->

58 bottles would be closer to it!

Lol at Hedda

Christening a have always been a bit of a piss up round here, too.

I don't have a problem with byob, most parties I go to our byob other than lager and boxed wine...however, unless your house is close enough to drop of first, people may feel uncomfortable bringing bottles into church.

I think I would go with:
Enough fizz for everyone to have a toast - you get about 6 glasses per bottle so I reckon 7 bottles for 45 people max, but would probably go with six.
1 bottle of wine between three, on the assumption that not everyone will be drinking, so about 15 bottles. I'd probably go five each for red, white and rose, although you might get a discount for buying by the half case.
And probably six cases of beer split four lager, one beer, one stout.

If it's summer time, I would probably do a couple of jugs of pimms and lemonade. Tescos do a rip off version called Jeeves which is about half the price

And soft drinks,mod course.

Although if most guests will be driving, you'd get away with less.

We had a party after DD's christening (was a few years back now, I probably wouldn't have a Christening these days tbh as not particularly religious) which was in a sports club, so there was a bar. We provided food but not drinks - people paid for their own drinks.

And yes, some people had a reasonable amount of alcohol I guess - it was definitely a party rather than tea and cakes though. I didn't drink as was breastfeeding - and driving.

We got married recently, had the reception in a marquee in our garden and provided all the drinks. There were 41 people there including 5 children (and some who weren't drinking alcohol although most were). Wedding was at 3 and went on until about midnight.

We had 10 bottles of each red and white wine, about 8 bottles of Prosecco for speeches, 4 bottles of pimms and about 40 bottles of beer. We had various flavoured ciders although can't remember quite how much. Also a bottle of vodka and a bottle of gin. We still have left about 8 bottles of wine, 4 bottles of Prosecco, 1.5 bottles of pimms and about 10 bottles of beer as well as various amounts of cider. Also had lots of nice soft drinks.

I'd imagine at a christening you wouldn't find people would drink as much so maybe not quite as much although it depends how long people will be there for I guess.

We used nectar points for a lot of the wine as there was an offer on to double up our points. If we hadn't done that we might have done sale or return.

I would. BYOB is fine.