Getting married at a venue in the south of France in August 2027. It’s a 3-day affair — Friday welcome dinner, Saturday wedding, Sunday brunch — with about 80 guests, ~37 of them staying on-site.
We’re still figuring out the bar/drinks situation and would love to hear what actually worked for other couples. Here’s everything currently on the table:
For the alcohol itself:
• Buy our own wine/beer/spirits in bulk (venue allows BYO, no corkage)
• Buy through the venue (they sell wine and supply beer kegs with returns on unopened stock)
• A mix
For bar service:
• Use our caterer (they’ve offered to run the bar on the wedding day, but we haven’t committed)
• Hire a mobile/cocktail bar for the whole weekend
• Hire a cocktail company just for cocktail hour as a fun moment
• DIY / self-serve for the casual bits (Friday dinner, Saturday daytime, Sunday brunch)
What I have no idea about:
• Bulk vs. venue buying: Anyone compared the two? Was the saving from BYO worth the logistics hassle, or did the venue route win once you factored in storage/transport/headache?
• Storage: If you bought your own, where did you actually keep it across the weekend? Hired a fridge? Big coolers? Just trusted the venue’s kitchen?
• Ice: Bought huge bags on the day? Rented big tubs/buckets/troughs locally? How much ice does 80 people actually need??
• Glassware: Venue, caterer, or rented separately for the non-wedding moments? Ballpark cost if you rented?
• Service & clean-up across the weekend: Self-serve, hired a bartender for the whole 3 days, roped in a friend?
• Cocktail hour splurge: Anyone hire a cocktail company just for that one moment? Worth it?
Bonus question for anyone who DIY’d: how much did you over- or under-buy? Every “alcohol per person” calculator gives me a different answer and I have no idea what’s realistic for a French wedding where wine flows freely.
Any horror stories, hacks, or “I wish someone had told me…” tips welcome 🙏
u/Cool-Knowledge-9304 — 16 days ago