You get what you paid for......

We had a wedding reception over the weekend, in one of the large banquet rooms. When planning one of these events, just like you get to pick the food, you can select different types of bar service depending on how much you want to pay. This particular group selected a service that included draft beer, house wine and well brands for alcohol. Meaning, you’re not going to get Tanqueray Gin or Grey Goose Vodka. You’re going to get the brands we pour when no one specifies a brand.

If you run upstairs to the bar, tell me you’re with the wedding, and order Jack Daniels on the rocks, unless you pay for it, you’re not gonna get it. Don’t blame me, I’m not the one who chose this service, but it’s all that’s being paid for, and that’s all you get. And they got a LOT of it. This group drank like there was no tomorrow. In fact, I’m amazed at how much they, and I’ve been doing this a loooooong time.

There is also a time limit on all this drinking. They got a four hour bar period. Towards the end of this period, more and more folks were running upstairs to the bar to get drinks. They were getting impatient, couldn’t wait the few minutes it took one of the servers to come and get the drinks. They’d tell me, “I haven’t seen a server in a really long time.” Bull shit.

“Give me a rum and coke, make it a double!” “No, no doubles.” At this point in time, no one needed a double.

“Alright, then give me two drinks.” “Nope.” Again, no one needed to stand there and pound one down in a single gulp, to be immediately followed by another.

Then they wanted Long Island Iced Teas. I probably shouldn’t have poured any of those, but I did, however they were not the booze filled glasses that one would pay for. I used smaller glasses, and far less alcohol than if you were paying for it. It was all well brands, but I kept getting the feeling they thought they were pulling on over on us. Not gonna happen.

For some reason people seem to think it’s their God-given right to get as ridiculously drunk as they want at a wedding.

We all breathed a sigh of relief when the end of their four hour drink-a-thon came to an end. Then they came up to the bar again, and ordered more drinks, I told them I had to charge them for the drinks now. (It was the same one’s running to the bar all night long.) Just because I’m not in the same room as you, doesn’t mean I can’t tell that you’ve had a lot to drink. Half an hour later, all bar service ended. “We’re closed.”

It’s usually the one’s who have had the most to drink, who argue the loudest. Like I said earlier, I’ve been doing this a long time, in fact I’ve been pouring drinks longer than the wedding party has been alive!

When you tell them, “No more drinks,” their behavior becomes so predictable, first they try and bargain with you, not buying it, then they get indignant. Been there, seen that, not gonna change my mind.

Sometimes it feels really good to say “NO!”