Wedding BYO - how does that work?

[DrinksAnxiety]

Been invited to a wedding, and it’s BYO booze.

I’m not being tight or anything, but how does this work? Do I bring beers, wine and soft drinks (children) and put it into the pot? Or do I carry a Tescos bag snd mind it with my dear life?

Seriously though, I only drink certain things and so don’t really want to pot luck and/ or end up with nothing to drink as surely some people will forget.

Also, AIBU to think that the B&G at a posh venue, with an expensive wedding, shouldn’t expect guests to bring their own.

If it reqlly is bring your own not buy your own i'd argue the venue cant be THAT posh...

Initially i thought this was shit... but then i remembered how many weddings id been to that made you buy your own overpriced drinks and endure terrible table wine

I'd actuall much rather spend £30 and have Tanqueray 10 all night long with leftovers.
Id take a big cool box and just shove everything in. People are less likely to help themselves

I went to a BYO wedding, they’d hired a giant fridge trailer which was a great idea until people started stealing my cider (which hardly anyone was drinking and so I knew who the culprits were - the bride’s family!).

Also, AIBU to think that the B&G at a posh venue, with an expensive wedding, shouldn’t expect guests to bring their own.

I wouldn’t expect a free bar all night at a wedding and would rather do this than spend bar prices all evening. I think it’s an ingenious idea! I’d take a cool box and pack ice packs or a frozen 2l bottle of Pimms or something like that which will slowly defrost and keep everything cold.

We went to one, there was fizz provided and some buckets of beers but we are quite particular about what we drink so happily took a cool box which we took and put next to our table with our chosen drinks in. I don’t mind if people share but we did have backups in the car as it didn’t all fit in the cool box anyway and that was useful. The venue did have ice.

Sounds like a great idea to me- weddings can cost so much money to attend so a great way to keep the cost down. I wouldn't worry about the details, take enough drink as you need and enjoy the day!

Omg how embarrassing for them, so will all guests rock up to the fancy venue with asda bags 🤣 imagine if there was the church first. Will they provide glasses 🤣 or do you bring those too? How do you keep everything chilled? I just have visions of this beautiful wedding with ever so expensive table decs and centre pieces and then a bunch of people drinking warm beer from the can stored under the table in a carrier 😆. If you can't afford a wedding in a nice venue, either trim the guest list or chose a venue within your budget, I'd cringe asking people to do this.

Is it a brand-new venue? Sometimes hotels and restaurants that have just opened haven’t be licensed for alcohol yet.

What a snobby judgemental post.

I think it's a shocking idea. The B&G should provide wine with the meal at the very least and guests pay for their own drinks at the bar afterwards.

This would actually annoy me. If they can afford a posh venue, then they should be able to offer wine with the meal. It would be very different if the B&G were on a very tight budget and getting married in a field or their garden.

Realistically, who wants to spend the entire time worrying that someone is pinching their drink or not wanting to move from the table because they don't want to get their drinks mixed up with someone else's?

I'd expect to bring what it is you want to drink. If you pool it on a table the nice stuff goes quickly and you are left with stuff no one wants to drink.

@Nodancingshoes , my family did the same at my sister's wedding.she'd gone full on posh, but only one drink for the toasts for the top table, and nothing for her guests. My sister, husband and dad planned to sneak a cool box in the boot of the car, thinking my mum would judge. She caught us, and joined the plan. Worked well as a family bonding thing , bride still doesn't know as far as I am aware. We were giggling like junior criminals in the car park...

Bit crap if you arrive by public transport-and not all of us have a cool box. I have got to 50 without needing one.

And then there is the logistics -I am all dressed in my finery but also carrying a Tesco bag of bottles of wine or spirits and mixers. So classy! (As most times you don't see "your table" until dinner time.

I've never been to a wedding where alcohol is provided, beyond a glass for a toast. I love the idea of bring your own. Much cheaper than buying at a bar.

for you

Take your own and keep it under your table: get a nice cool bag: I’ve been to these before people weee trusted to put them in the barn with their names on, well before the night do even came others were just helping themselves to whatever was in there.

I see your point, @burnoutbabe , but my dad was driving us from the church,while bride and groom went in their lovely car. My youngest sister and I were bridesmaids, and we had the plan to leave the car there overnight and get a cab back to the parental house as it was local, so in our case it worked well.

I went to a wedding like this

You brought whatever you wanted and put it on a big table and then went back to that table to get more... there was a bug ice bucket for white wine and beers. And then yes usually you went back to your own bottle but it didn't matter if you took from another glass. And made friends with fellow white wine drinkers at the same time
It was a pretty laid back affair where no one minded what people drink and it was all cheap to mid range stuff. No Uber expensive bottles of champagne or whatever

All the weddings I go to people bring boxes of wine, wrapped in wrapping paper to look like a gift and keep it under the table, but then I only associate with cheapskate's😂

OK as long as you also drink your own. Not OK if tightarse couples just bring a couple of beers or a very cheap bottle of wine, and then expect to raid what everybody else has brought.

I've been to a wedding like this. We took wine in gift bags so it wasn't in a carrier bag. Others brought theirs in cool bags with a bag of ice to keep it cold and then used the silver for their drinks. They also brought their own glasses and slices of lime. Some had their booze in carrier bags.

Last wedding I went to I took a demijohn of homemade wine and popped it in the middle of the table and everyone had a hoot. Cost me a bag of sugar to make it.

Where I'm from everyone sneaks in their own spirits anyway so this would be a dream come true. No sneaking or hiding bottles lol

I suppose you could take an ice bucket full of ice too. Otherwise I wouldn't want warm drinks.

I've been to 2 like this. Both worked very well

My advice would be to check with the B & G what the plans are exactly. Will there be things like water and soft drinks available; ice buckets; a fridge etc. etc.

Both that I was at provided some wine at the table etc for the meal - there was also a very limited amount of wine, beer and cider as well as soft drinks available for the evening do at one of them - but once it was gone it was gone. At one, we were supposed to hand over what we had brought to the people working behind the 'bar' with our names on them. We didn't do that though ( and neither did most people). Just placed them in a bag under our table. It worked fine

Saves a fortune to be honest

Have you never been to a BYOB party? It will just be like that.

You take your own, keep it on your table and they provide glasses. Its going to save you an absolute fortune.