Wedding drink ware elegance.

Since I started private bartending I have been striving to add value for my clients.  I'm constantly looking for ways to offer better service, better options, and better products.  

One area of concern has been the cocktail cups I use.   I like the cost effective 9oz cocktail cups available from stores such as Sam's Club, and Smart and Final.  My only issue is the image of the cup I have.  They are a little too soft and pliable when you pick them up.  They are easy to squeeze and this can cause the drinks to spill out when guests pick them up.   They are also susceptible to warping from heat if left in the sunlight directly or in a car on a hot day.  I've had full sleeve partially melt and become unusable.  Lastly I have also had the cups become cloudy looking and scuffed.   This just makes the general appearance less than the quality image I try to deliver.  

I'm not bashing them and taking away from them as I will most likely continue to use them as a budget friendly option for clients.  

Normal 9oz cocktail cups used. Available at most supply stores. 

Recently I have come across these cups that have great promise.  They are from the company Tossware.  The cups are really incredible.  They have a great strong feel to them.  They do not flex and squeeze as easy at the other cups.  They plastic feels thick and solid in the hand.  The liquid inside is visible and clear.  The plastic of the cup is is clear, almost as clear as glass is.   

The best part about this drink ware is that it is RECYCLABLE.  Thats right, a high quality plastic glass that is earth friendly.  This is exactly what I've been looking for.  

I contacted the company through their website, Tossware.com and requested some product samples.  In reading the website and the literature on line, I really wanted to have them in my own hand to see if they meet my standard.   I received the product samples 2 days ago and made a few drinks in them.  

I'm beginning to really love using these cups.   I made my wife and myself some drinks to test them out.  

Tossware products and the normal plastic cup I use.

The feel of the cups are firm and strong.  Great tactile feeling. 

Whiskey Sour Cocktail in the tumbler cup.

 In the next set of photos I poured 5 ounces of liquid into each one to see where the line would be in it.

12oz tumbler

18oz glass

9oz champagne flute

12oz of beer in the 18oz beer glass.  

I think that I will add these cups to my available options for higher end events.  Weddings, anniversaries,  high important events.   I feel the higher quality is well worth the price.  These cups are roughly $1.00 USD versus 20 cents each for the other cups.  

I'm estimating that for initial couple hours for an event, these cups will be used.  They can be reused a few times during the night as opposed to just 1 time.  I feel that when people are holding these they won't want to throw them out as easily.   I think that at the end of the night they can be collected in a recycle bin and disposed of responsibly.  

Another aspect is events that are outside and glass is just not allowed.  Such as pool parties.  You definitely don't want glass near the pool or outside in high walking traffic areas.   

If you have any questions about these or anything else for your wedding please feel free to contact me.  Visit bartendervince.com for more information on our services.   

My own wedding

Roa/Mouret wedding May 21st, 2016

On May 21st 2016 my now wife and I exchanged our rings and commited our lives to each other. We wanted to celebrate with our immediate family and friends and have a small backyard party.

Our goal was to have a small backyard I Do B Q wedding.   We did the set up and prep ourselves and were so happy with they way everything came out.

We made most purchases on Wish, Amazon, or our local Goodwill.

Wish.com is a pretty cool site with discounted just about everything.

We purchased a 10ftx20ft canopy for shade.  It was pretty adequate for the price and worked extremely well.  It came with 3 sides to close it off as well as zippered sides for the 4th side.  The canopy and sides are made from a thin plastic sheet material so be careful not to tear and rip during assembly.  The poles made of thin wall tube so they will bend if your not careful.  When I assembled it, I used some tape wrapped around the joints so they don't slip out while assembly or if it is windy.   I had to purchase more stakes to hold down the canopy because it was a windy day for us.  But overall we are both very happy with it.  

We also purchased this 10ftx10ft pop up canopy to put on the side of the patio to set up the bar area.  We put the bar here so guests could sit and stand under the shaded patio.   This was the best value I thing.  The canopy canvas is pretty thick and solid.  The frame was pretty solid too.    

We also shopped at our local Goodwill second hand stores to purchase many of the items we had.   The 3 wicker chairs in the  previous picture were purchased for cheap and then we repainted them.  They came out awesome.  We also purchase the bar height stools and placed them at the bar for guests to sit and socialize.  They also worked out great.  

We purchased a new BBQ from our local Home Depot.  It is a 4 burner and worked great.  Had great surface area to cook all the food.    

The back yard needed to be cultivated and made presentable.   We decided to use a combination of artificial grass and plastic paving tiles.  In this picture you can see the pavers I set down in the back yard.   

In this photo you can see some of the pavers and  artificial grass we set down.  I used artificial grass so we would not have to maintain it.  Living in Arizona, I didn't want to have to water it or cut it.  I found a company called Artificial Grass Recyclers. http://artificialgrassrecyclers.com They were awesome to work with.  They delivered the roll of grass to the house.  I had to cut it to size and cary the pieces to the back, but it was worth it because the price was so good.  

I purchased pavers to put down on the dirt floor so guests would not have to walk in the dirt and we could dance if the mood hit us.  I had to level out the ground as best I could be it was still a little wavy.  But it worked awesome.  Everyone love how it looked. 

 We also made this trellis on our back patio.  It came out awesome.  It was the hit of the party.  I made it myself.  Over the months leading up to the party, many our friends new about the project and would bring us wine bottles.  It was cool.  My wife and I are both bartenders so we would also bring bottles from work to help fill the spots.

 

 We are pretty crafty and have access to lots of bottles so my wife made home made tiki torches to place around the yard.  We bought the wicks and oil from the Home Depot store.  Used old 3 Amigos tequila bottles and some aluminum foil.

We decided to order our save the dates and the invitations from Vistaprint.com.  We were really happy with the outcome. 

As the evening went on we started dancing and then my wife and her friend wanted karaoke.   So I hooked up my tablet to my portable radio and they sang their hearts out.  It was so much fun.  

Block rocker from Ion.

Venue: our house.
Vendors used -  Bartendervince.com, wish.com, amazon.com

Etiquette during toast / speech

Over the last couple months I've been working on my own wedding plan and began thinking about some of the little details I would like to have.   One of them is to have no drinks being served during the time of the speeches/toast.   You may wonder why it think it is redivulous.  

Well there is a reason.   Personally I feel this time in the wedding is dedicated to the bride and groom. People are telling stories  or sharing experiences.  

How would I feel if during that time I hear in the background ice being scooped, then a drink being shaken.   To me it is distracting from the person talking and for the listeners.   

I feel it is a respectful courtesy to wait till all the sharing is done so as not to interrupt anyone.   

At a previous wedding event, a guest requested a drink during the time the brides father was talking.  I could here the father speaking so I politely told the guest that service was stopped I till the speaking was finished.   If I'm close enough to hear the speaking, then I'm positive I'm close enough for them to hear me shaking the cocktail or opening a can of soda or scooping ice.

She however felt that was unacceptable. She left my station.  I then looked around and saw her ordering her drink from another one of my bartenders.   

As the bartender hired to serve at the event by the bride and groom, I feel it is my duty to make the wedding the best experience for them first, then the guest. Even grabbing a bottle of water make that krinkling sound.  Sure I can try to make the drink quietly that doesn't require shaking,  but then a guest who orders a shaken drink and is told no will then say we made a drink for the other guy.     

What do you think.  

Shots - are they ok at your wedding

So the last couple weddings I have bartended recently had issues with guests wanting shots.

I feel that shots are not needed at a wedding reception for the guests.   In my view, the receptions is a celebration of the bride and groom's union.   It should be decided by them if shots are acceptable to give out and to whom they are available too.

At 2 of my recent weddings the bride and groom opted to not have shots allowed at the wedding for the general guests.  They would only be allowed by select people the bride and groom gave permission too.   The designated person/people could then get shots from the bar, and distribute them as they saw fit to.

I like the option of no shots to the guests.  However a system needed to be in place to allow me the bartender to know who was the appointed person allowed to get shots.   It was difficult of the bar staff  to know who was allowed and not allowed to have shots.  At one wedding, only the grooms' sister was allowed to get shots and distribute them.  She even came to pour them herself so we could continue with the guests.  This worked well, however guests asking for shots were a little upset when shots were not handed out by my staff, but they saw others with shots.  We had to explain that only the designated person was allowed to provide shots to people.   They understood but were clearly not happy about it.

In future events I think some sort of notice will need to be posted at the bar explaining the shots policy.  If shots are allowed to specific persons, there will need to be a way of identifying who they are.   I think some sort of wrist band.  Maybe something discreet such as a special colored flower on the lapel or pinned to the specific people.    As the bartender I cannot remember specific persons without some sort of identifier.

I will need to research and come up with a policy on how to identify people for this type of special request.

She said Yes...

So I finally received the ring completed and looking great from Gem City Jewelry, in Monrovia, CA. a couple weeks ago.  I wanted to post pictures and some information but my now fiance reads my posts.  Thats just one of the reasons I love her so much.    Notice that the center stone is an Aqua Marine.  Not a traditional diamond.  Thats because this is her favorite stone, and our relationship has been non traditional from the start.   We have had a 2 year long distance relationship.   She lives in Phoenix Arizona, I live in Pasadena, California.   We are both surprised that we made it work this long, and how when you put your mind to it, you make it happen.  Thanks to the modern technology, we are able to keep daily communication, and we visit each other at least once a month, more when possible.

Gem City Jewelry, in Monrovia, CA. were great to work with.  They made the ring custom for us.  Once i knew what type of center stone to use, Sarven took the time to find 3 Aquamarine stones for me to choose from.  I chose this 1.81ct stone.  There was a bigger one and a smaller one, but this one seemed to be the stone that called out to me.   Once that was decided Sarven took the time to custom design the ring and send me the rough design for my thoughts.  We talked about both the wedding band and engagement ring having diamond stones that lined up, and how to make the split work for the stone.   All in all it was a great experience to work with them.  I would highly recommend checking them out when doing your engagement ring shopping.  Sarven and Sky were the most helpful people and patient.  Never any pressure to buy, never rushing me, always giving each customer the attention they deserved.


On the weekend of 8-8, my fiance was going to San Diego Ca. to hang out with me and some friends for a beach party on Fiesta Island.   I decided to use this chance to finally pop the question.  She said YES!!!  I gave a heads up to my friends who were having the party.  They brought some Congratulation items.  A button for me, a Crown for her, cupcakes, and they took pictures.  There was even video of my proposal.  Thanks to my friends Eli and Kristi for making the day even more special.

The Before picture.  She had no clue what was coming.

Looks good. 

Thats my fiancé.

She said Sure why not.

Putting the ring on for the first time.  Both of our sons were there with us to see.
Setting the example for the boys. 

Ahhhhhhhhh!

I would highly recommend talking with Sky and Sarven. 

Their website: http://www.gemcityjewelers.com

Their Yelp Page: http://www.yelp.com/biz/gem-city-jewelers-monrovia-2

Contact them for your jewelry needs and questions.  I'm sure they will be glad to help.

Please feel free to comment on this post and provide information helpful as well.

What would you like me to post about?  Do you have any questions or requests, email me at weddings@bartendervince.com

For inquiry on having Bartender Vince at your event, visit BARTENDERVINCE.COM or email me at weddings@bartendervince.com

Do you still need linens, invitations, or other supplies for your wedding?  Head over to AMAZON WEDDING STORE to research the supplies you need price shop and compare.

Interesting Ideas I found on Pinterest

So I'm also in the market for wedding ideas.  I am planning to propose in the next month or two and my bride to be and I have started looking for ideas for the reception.   We both agree to keep it simple and family feel.

Pinterest.com is our favorite place for ideas for anything.   My wedding board is here: https://www.pinterest.com/BartenderVince/wedding-ideas/
Come visit my board and say hi.

Mad Libs Style RSVP.  So AWSOME...

http://moncheribridals.com/wedding-ideas/34-things-that-will-make-you-say-i-wish-i-did-that-at-my-wedding/

This is a great idea too I think.

http://www.bhldn.com/shop-decor-tabletop/two-cents-coasters

It is worth checking out Pinterest for some ideas to either copy, or start your brain thinking on how you can make an idea work for you by customizing it or altering it just a bit for you unique twist.

Bartender Vince.

My engagement ring journey

So the time has come to get the engagement ring made for the woman I want to propose too.

I started off going to a few jewelry stores and have decided to go with one I trust.  A local store called Gem City Jewelry, in Monrovia, CA.    They have a 5 star rating on YELP.

They have been the most helpful and I feel I can trust them.  They were referred to me by my spin class teacher.   I had lots of questions and they took the time to answer them.  Even though I didn't buy anything at that point, they were more than willing to answer my questions.

Rings I thought would look good before she came to look.

I have taken my future bride (I hope) into the store and we looked at the rings together.  My girl and I have talked a lot about the type of rings she likes, colors, etc.   Now some might say this takes away from the mystique and surprise of the ring, but I feel that if I'm going to give her something, she better like it.   If I choose something she doesn't like, she will not be as happy a camper as I want her to be.

Also, what better way to start our new life together by making decisions together.  Working together for the same goal.  She provides some guidance and direction, but I use that information to make a ring that also shows my input.   This is the first decision truly made together.

Her trying on a ring to get an idea of size and design a couple weeks ago.

Now that I know what type of rings, color of stones, size, her thoughts, I can go and get what I want to give to her actually made.   I'm pretty excited.  

Something new I learned today.  Colored stones are thicker than diamonds.  This is to allow them to better keep their color.  The diamonds are smaller on the bottom for more shine and brilliance.  Colored stones want more depth of color.   So colored stones will be a little heavier than a roughly equivalent diamond in terms of visible dimensions form the top to bottom.

I talked to the guys at Gem City Jewelry, in Monrovia, CA and we also worked out some ideas for the wedding ring.  They can design both rings to match and mate together so it looks good.   These guy rock.

Since I was there, I decided to get my ring size.  I'm a 7.5.   Looked at a couple of mens rings too.  I'm thinking chrome.  Maybe its just a guy thing.  

At the end of the day today, I put down a deposit to get the ball rolling.  The jeweler will get some stones in, then  I will come in to decide which one to use.  Then the ring be be fabricated.  It will take a few weeks, but we are not in a hurry.  Better to get it right, than fast. 

I would highly recommend talking with Sky and Sarven. 

Their website: http://www.gemcityjewelers.com

Their Yelp Page: http://www.yelp.com/biz/gem-city-jewelers-monrovia-2

Contact them for your jewelry needs and questions.  I'm sure they will be glad to help.

Please feel free to comment on this post and provide information helpful as well.

What would you like me to post about?  Do you have any questions or requests, email me at weddings@bartendervince.com

For inquiry on having Bartender Vince at your event, visit BARTENDERVINCE.COM or email me at weddings@bartendervince.com

Do you still need linens, invitations, or other supplies for your wedding?  Head over to AMAZON WEDDING STORE to research the supplies you need price shop and compare.