Smuggling alcohol into a wedding reception?

[jessie777]

Would you? Have you?! Did you get caught?!

This is fairly standard behaviour amongst people I know! I can't really see a problem in venues that charge £££ for booze. Most people have already paid for accommodation etc to be there, and the couple would have paid thousands to hire the place too.

I smuggled booze into my own wedding. We'd spent £1.5k on free booze for guests (prosecco on tables in day then £800 behind the bar at night). It was all we could afford and it certainly helped to get guests on their merry way, but I'd have liked to offer more. Venue charged extortionate corkage so we bought a few extra bottles of the same prosecco and got them in easily. Venue didn't notice as they were identical. DH also bought groomsmen hip flasks with their favourite tipple in as a gift. Vague memory that this may have been noticed but no issue re charging.

I can't paste the link but look on Amazon and search for ' umbrella drinks flask' Genius!

I went to a wedding which had essentially taken over the hotel and in each room was a folder with itinerary etc and it said that if any guests were found consuming their own alcohol the bride and groom would be charged literally hundreds of pounds (think it was 500). How they planned to enforce this I have no idea. I sat in the reception wondering if someone was rummaging through my case upstairs or they were just eagle eyed and hovering around looking for offenders!

This is very much standard for me. Hotel prices are extortinate, and the beer is quite often foul so me and DH will share hip flasks with bought mixers.
Mixers are still pricy, and if the booze wasn't so damn expensive we'd happily pay for it!

I've obviously led a sheltered life as I have never known of anyone doing this, or done it myself. Having said that, I don't go to many weddings these days (though starting to increase after several years without going to any, as the next generation start getting married) and I don't drink. My husband does drink, but not much in one go.

I wonder whether people take their own drinks because the venue charges so much, or wedding venues charge so much because they know that a substantial proportion of the guests will take their own. I suspect that both are true.

Years ago we were at a hotel that was so expensive it charged for ice a round of drinks would make your eyes water soo dh who was driving went to the local spar and bought me a quarter bottle of vodka it fitted in his suit jacket and i just ordered sodawater and lime all night (no ice) so yes I would do it. Wine is always expensive at 'Do's" not sure why

A hotel wedding*

Look closely at the girl in black.

You could get one of these OP https://www.amazon.com/WineRack-200-008-Wine-Rack-Medium/dp/B001FYZZI2

But as it looks like it has more coverage than the average maternity bra it may be hard to find an outfit to cover it fully

I haven't been to a wedding in years but I've never been to one where you had to pay for drinks, and it certainly sounds expensive. I have however been to a lot of funerals lately. One was in a religious community and a handful of us were not of the religion. One guy asked me if I wanted a top up on my water and when I said yes he said he bet I wished it was vodka. I didn't but I shared the joke with him and he followed with offering me a drink from the stash he'd brought with him! I just thought this was funny.

Always do it and never been caught. Don't bring it out at the reception but certainly the evening do. If staying in the hotel ( which we usually do) we keep wine and beer in the room, usually in a cold bath and buy first drink then top up.
We've also taken wine in gift bag and done that. Hip flask in bag/ suit pocket, empty water bottle full of vodka in bag etc.
Only ever been to one wedding with a free bar.

Speaking from a hotel perspective. Its cheeky as anything for guest to do it and some of your are beyond obvious; I had a couple of guests order a pint of coke and an extra glass then sit down on the table opposite where i was standing to start pouring their spirit of choice from the flask....they couldnt even be bothered to buy two cokes or move away from the bar, i took great joy in confiscating from them!!!

Outside food and drink affects a venues licensing and can lead to monstrous fines if in breach.

Nope it's rude.. also if you get caught the venue runs the risk of huge fines

Absolutely! I wrap it in tissue and put it in a gift bag, although I have known a distant cousin to turn up with a huge wrapped present which turned out to be a 12-pack of beer!!

I'd never do this, and I hate it when other people do. Rude, cheap behaviour.

Pallisers, fwiw I think you were fair enough.

Fgs she didn't smash a bar stool over his head, very much doubt her telling him off for being rude wrecked the wedding! She was sticking up for the bride and groom.

One thing discreetly smuggling alcohol in but to sit there with a bottle of your own wine because you don't trust the quality of the wine being served (ironically, the opposite of classy!) makes you a bit of a brazen fucker if you ask me.

If you do please be discrete - we got charged £700 after our wedding after hotel found empties left by our guests - after much correspondence we settled on half that price to save going to small claims court.

There was plenty of free booze laid on in the day, but we couldn't stretch to a free bar in eve (which wasn't extortionate) some people just wanted to get legless I guess

I have smuggled a hip flask into several venues that bag search by having a black bottomed handbag and wrapping the flask in a black scarf or sock then laying it flat at the bottom. Put purse, fags, makeup etc on top. Some places make you open your bag for a look but don't often poke around in it.
Also - buy men's jackets as they have inside pockets which are basically designed for half bottles of spirits. I actually prefer these for my purse as well.
I have also carried three miniatures into somewhere in my bra before... one down each side and one in the middle.

I have! Vodka in a water bottle. No one noticed!

Saw this and thought of you

DHs friend is pretty skint and does the wrapped box of wine in a gift bag trick for every wedding they go to.

We specifically discounted some wedding venues due to their bar prices as some of them just totally take the piss!

So if you're planning a wedding always ask the venues what their bar prices are people!

Good morning! Reading through the many replies now!

Of course! Take wine in a gift bag. Drink it yourself.

It's a pity that hotels charge such ridiculous prices for their drinks, but I would feel uncomfortable doing this.

Smuggling alcohol into pubs, however, is a despicable thing to do. This has probably contributed to some pubs closing down. After all, selling drinks is the pub's main line of business, unlike hotels who can make money elsewhere.

I don't blame people for doing this, weddings already cost guests enough to attend without having to pay for drinks etc on top as the couple aren't catering the whole event to keep their own costs down.