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.

Top 10 Wedding bar planning tips.

In planning your wedding, you have a thousand and one things to think about.  Here are my top 10 tips to help get through the bar planning phase a little easier.

1 - Be sure to account for all the guests in attendance to visit the bar.   Don't separate out the guests who drink alcohol and those who don't drink.   Why?  Because even the non drinkers will visit the bar.  I always have non drinks come to the bar to ask for a cup of ice, a cup of soda, or ice water, or straws, or napkins.    Never has their been and event where none of the non-drinkers showed up for something.   You may not have to account for them in the alcohol calculations, but I do buffer my cups, straws, napkins, ice, calculations to accommodate this.  Mixers like coke, juices need to be considered as well. 

2 - Keep communications going with your bartender.   If you need to cut back on alcohol, mixers, or anything that effects the bar, be sure to send your bartender a communication of some sort to keep them in the loop.   These changes are needed so your bartender can provide changes is service to match your needs.   If you purchase less alcohol, your bartender will need to pour less per drink to stretch out the supply available for the night.   

3 - Top shelf or well quality booze.  Here is my take on this.   If you are having cocktails that are straight alcohol then you want to have the best quality you can afford.   If you are going to have Johnny Walker scotch, you want to drink that straight.  It is high quality and expensive.  You want to taste the booze itself.   If you are going to have mixed cocktails such a a Whiskey Sour, Margarita, etc, you can buy the cheap stuff.  Since the taste is mostly from the mixers being used, you don't need the most expensive stuff.  Vodka like Svedka or Smirnoff are lower priced options that give a good level of quality which means they are a good value.   So you will spend less and most likely keep within your budget. If you want beer, wine and champagne you also need to decide on how many and the price point. 

4 - How  much should I budget for booze.    Over the years I have seen this number vary greatly.  I suggest a starting budget of $800 for a modest small event.   Around 60 - 80 guests for about 5 hours. This is for booze only, not the cost of the bartender labor or the juices you may need depending on your event menu. 

5 - The menu. You will want to have an idea of the cocktails you would like.  What kind, how many options, bride and groom signature drink, etc?  One of the ways I suggest saving costs is to set a cocktail menu.   Usually anywhere from 2-6 cocktails to choose from.   From those ingredients, your bartender can also create other drinks not on the menu, but use the same ingredients you already have.   If your bartender is creative and plans ahead as I do, they will bring along, or ask you to purchase, supplies such as mint, ginger, cucumber, or other herbs and vegetables.  With these additional items that are pretty cheap, they can create craft cocktails on the spot.     Not all bartenders are willing or able to do this, so you need to ask if they can do it.   

6 - Champagne toast or not? So this is a tough one.  This is more of an emotional decision.    In my experience I have seen most champagne go to waste. Either open bottles only partially used, or un-opened bottles that cannot be returned.  What I have seen is that most people now a days do not drink champagne. Even for the toast.   If you feel you must have a Champagne toast, consider cheaper Prossecco, sparkling wine or even sparkling cider. You can use real Champagne for the wedding party (groomsmen, and bridesmaids, parents) then provide cheaper options for the guests.   One option is to have a few bottles at the bar, then have the Emcee make an announcement for people to get what ever drink they want, for the upcoming toast.  I think most will get another cocktail.  

7- Hours of service.   How many hours do you want the bartender to be serving cocktails.   What time will the cocktails start?  Will you be having a cocktail hour before the ceremony? Is that part of the time your requesting the bartenders service.   Normally, I ask what time my client wants to start serving cocktails.  This is what I base my arrival time on.  I arrive 1-1.5 hours to do set up and prep.  What time will the drinks stop being served?   Normally the hours of service are 5-6.  I normally suggest to stop serving alcohol 1 hour before the end of the reception.  This sober hour time will help everyone to burn off the alcohol and lower the Blood Alcohol Content levels to prevent drunk/intoxicated driving.  

8 - Event schedule.  This is a big one with me.  As a bartender I provide the drinks to everyone.   It is pretty important for me to know when guests will show up, when they will be seated for the ceremony, when the ceremony will end, when dinner starts, when the toast will be, and when the dancing will start.    Why you may ask.   By knowing the schedule I can plan out times to do prep between the rushes at the bar.  I use fresh squeezed lemon juice and lime juice, so it is pretty important to know when I can squeeze more.    Cutting garnishes and prepping for the toast.    If I have to guess when to do this stuff, it makes my job harder.  I want to give above and beyond expectations, so any little advantage to help  me deliver this is always best.  

9 - Don't try to get all the supplies yourself.   Most people think they need to get everything themselves.  While I agree it is cheaper for you to buy the alcohol rather than have me bring it, I don't recommend you get all the supplies possible.    As part of my service I bring along club soda, tonic water, and ginger ale mixers.  I also bring along olives, onions, cherries, lemons, limes as garnishes.   I also bring with me fresh lemon and lime juices.  I do charge an event supplies fee for these, however I have found over the years that it is to the benefit of the client for me to bring these supplies rather than the client getting them.  Many time the client will forget to bring some supplies for different reasons.    So to prevent the bar from being shut down I bring theses basic items to start the drinks flowing while the remaining supplies are being purchase and delivered.   Several times I have been ready to go only to have to wait for supplies to be delivered, all the while guests are waiting for drinks.  This way I know I can start serving and making guests happy.

10 - Usually at the end of the night you will have left over supplies.  Left over bottles of wine, champagne, spirits, Coke, etc.   This is because no matter how much bartenders try to estimate the amount of supplies needed for the night.  It is only an educated guess.   No one can predict how much your guests will or will not consume in the course of the night.   Based on your knowledge of your guests consumption levels, the hours needed for the supplies to last, and the quantity of cocktails on the menu, it is a difficult calculation to get right on.  These estimate are ballpark figures to be confident most of the supplies will last the night.   In order to keep that budget from going out of control, I suggest purchasing from a location that is willing to accept non used supplies.   I know places such as Bevmo, and a few local shops are willing to take back non used, non damaged, non scratched supplies.   Do your home work to find those places.   You will save money at places like discount warehouses, however you are then stuck with the leftovers.    One option is to purchase supplies you want to take home because you know you will use them, then purchase other supplies that you can return because you don't use them at home.

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 or other supplies for your wedding?  Head over to AMAZON WEDDING STORE to research the supplies you need.

ENGAGMENT RINGS: Real diamond or artificial.

Over the years of being a bartender for hire for all kinds of events.  I tend to learn about various aspects of stuff.

Today I'd like to post a bit about engagement rings that I have learned.  

Engagement rings can be made of many types of material.  Gold, titanium, etc.   Diamonds - real, fake, or a diamond substitute.  

Real diamonds mined from the earth are the most valuable.  They are the most expensive due to how they are acquired.   That process sometimes has some ethical issues on labor used to mine them.  They are one of the hardest elements on the planet. 

Information on real diamonds on wikipedia here.  You can read more information on the ethics and the issues with real diamonds and synthetic diamonds.  

Lab grown (synthetic) diamonds.  They have the appearance and longevity of real diamonds, but are grown in labs.   They don't have the same issues of labor used to be mined from the earth, so there isn't an ethical issue regarding them.   

Here is some good brief information at Diamond Nexus about them.

Due the fact I plan to ask my girlfriend to marry me, I'm looking into engagement rings.

I've been doing some shopping and pricing at engagement ring category section.

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

Venues: Crafted at the Port of Los Angeles

Over the last year I have been fortunate enough to be a frequent bartender vendor at Crafted at the Port of Los Angeles.

The venue - Crafted rental space are large warehouse areas.  There are two that I am aware of.  They are very large and can easily accommodate 200-300 guests.  They offer tables and some decorations that are pretty nice.  It is basically an open canvas for you to create your dream reception.  I've seen other weddings with a stage placed in the front area, with a dance floor set up in front of that. Live music is great in this venue.

Crafted bookings - As of recently, Crafted now handles booking through a vendor that does the coordinating.  Previously the people directly at Crafted and I dealt with them directly to meet the vendor insurance and licensing documentation.   So far I have not worked with the new vendor.  CLICK HERE to visit the Crafted page.


The bar -  Since the venue is just a large warehouse, there is no section of the bar.  I bring along my portable bar, folding tables, ice coolers, tubs and all the rest of the supplies to create a bar in any section needed.

The host of this event at Crafted rented high tables to set up a bar lounge area.

  

The host of this party hired a food vendor to bring in the food, the host rented several tables to lay out a buffet for guests to serve themselves.  A food vendor was hired to bring in the food.   

 The inside of the ware house can be set up to have tables set to the sides or in the middle of the room.   The hanging drapes are standard decor for the warehouse.

 This is the set up I bring with me to create a bar in the open space.  Portable bar in the middle, tables on each side and behind the bar.  The self serve table will require the host to rent the dispensers.  I only bring along one with me.   I do provide all the cups for cocktails, beer, and non alcoholic drinks.

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This host hired a photo vendor that brought in a backdrop for VIP style photos for guests to enjoy.

For usefull infomration to help you plan your wedding head on over to AMAZON WEDDING STORE.

To contact Crafted CLICK HERE to access their web page.

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

Wedding at Hot Tubs Resort venue review

On Saturday May 2nd I was bartender for a wedding that took place at the Puddingstone Hot Tub Resort in San Dimas California.

The Venue -  The venue has two locations to have services at.  An upper and a lower location.  I was bartending in the lower location.

• It has nice grass area for tables to be set up.   It looks to be able to accomodate a large event.   This event had about 12 large round tables. I would guess they could seat 150 guests at this location or more.  

 

The wedding services are held under a covered area.  It has a great backdrop of the hills.  On a clear day it is beautiful.   The "dance" floor is a concrete slab that is rough.  I wouldn't wear nice dance shoes on it, but its fine for daily shoes.  

The Bar - the location provides a covered working area which is nice.  The entry to the grass area is just off of the parking area.   The canopy covers two sections.  The right side is for the bartending services, the left side is for the food services.

The bar area is nice size and I was able to set up two tables behind me.  I used the permanent table top as the bar serving area.   This is a long 10ft section.  I set up two stations for services.   The venue adds a 9 ft table at the end between the two rock pillars to section off and box in the area.  With  my 2 ice coolers, 2 6ft folding tables, all the supplies, it is plenty big enough space.      

My thoughts -  The venue is pretty nice for a simple wedding.  Being outdoors you want to consider the wind and cooler temperatures as the sun goes down.  Possibly rent heaters placed throughout the reception area on the grass in the cooler months just before and just after summer time.  The wind started blowing in the evening so advise guests to bring jackets of some sort.  Especially ladies in the nice shoulderless dresses.  Be sure to have planned out food and drink services in advance.  Be sure to have decided how the toast and cake cutting will be handled in advance.

I do suggest having emcee services to help keep everything on schedule.  It really helped me out when the emcee was able to let me know when the toast was going to happen so I could get champagne iced and then opened at the right time.

Just Imagine Entertainment was the service used for this wedding.  I think they did a great job.  They provided DJ, emcee, and provided a picture slideshow on a large screen for all the guests to view througout the night.
Click Here to visit their website.


If you would like to have Bartender Vince provide bartender for hire services at your wedding reception click here to visit his website.

What would you like me to post about?  Do you have wedding planning concerns?
Leave request in the comment box below or email me at vince@bartendervince.com


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