Tonight, my first panic attack occurred. I’m getting married in 3 weeks!!!! Ok, fine – 3 weeks and 2 days!!!!! OMG!

I spent a few minutes trying to decipher my nervous state and figure out where this anxiety is stemming from.  Truthfully, my tolerance for stress is quite unbelievable –  I deal with a multitude of weddings, anxious grooms, nauseous brides and a trillion little details all day long every day and I always manage to keep my cool……minus a few bitch fests here and there.  I can’t really say I’m stressed about my wedding because I trust in my abilities and I know it will all fall into place but I guess what I am really feeling is the fact that there is so much going on right now, all at once, and I am scared that my big day will just come and go. And it will never happen again.

In order to calm myself down, I decided to have a drink…in fact, I had my favorite drink – Campari Soda (yes, I know …it’s a drink for 80 year old Italians). Please bear with me because I have been on a vegan, yoga, gluten-free, booze & caffeine-free detox for the past 21 days and so one drink will do the trick and my writing may become a little woozy as I move forward with this post.

Alcohol is an integral part to the wedding industry. Not only do most industry people truly enjoy a glass of wine or a stiff drink at the end of day but the alcohol situation at a wedding can really determine what the party will turn out to be.

Here are a few things to consider when thinking about booze for your wedding:

1)      What does your crowd enjoy?

We know Italians cherish grappa, Jews love their vodka, Indian live for Chivas, and Quebecers needs a few cases of beer at their weddings. I know I sound like I am generalizing when it comes to ethnicities but it’s true!

2)      What kind of booze is being served in what order?

Let’s just say if you let all the men indulge in high-end scotches at cocktail hour, you are looking at a very messy night.

Another example is the wines you choose – you always want to start with a lighter red during cocktails and then maybe switch to a more full-bodied. If you serve a heavy pinot at cocktails, you’re headed for a snoozefest.

3)      What season is your wedding being held in?

Mojitos, margaritas and slushy signature drinks just don’t work at winter weddings where Ceasar’s really do.

Check out this AMAZING signature drink envisioned by the craziest groom (yes, Connall – that’s you) and his gorgeous wife Julie.  Java U Catering served this during cocktails at their Feb 2013 wedding…..

*Photo by Blushing Bride

*** For those coming to Jason & I’s wedding – be afraid. Jason won’t let people out of his sight without feeding them Nonno Mario’s grappa.

4)      How much booze do you truly need to have on hand?

At one of our weddings (I won’t mention names), the guests went through 90 bottles of vodka alone. They were only 200 people. A bit insane. As much as you can estimate, you must always overestimate with popular brands.

All to say is that the alcohol at your wedding, just like every other aspect, must be carefully thought out.

My go-to bar specialist is none other than Brahm Mauer, owner of BRAHM MAUER BAR SERVICES.

Quick story about how I met this character….he emailed me a dozen times regarding his new bar service back in 2010 (?) and as I do, I put his emails on the back burner ;-). Then one day, I hear this super loud voice coming from my office conference room (at the time, I shared a space with my graphic designer friends and they were in a meeting with him) and I was slightly annoyed because I couldn’t concentrate. After their meeting, Brahm was introduced to me and I put two-and-two together and realized he was the ‘Brahm Mauer’.  Since that day, Brahm and I have been great friends and have created incredible events together. Being more of a veteran than him in the industry, I school him from time to time and lay down some pressure but it’s only cause I love the guy.

Having Brahm’s team lead the bar at an event is ensuring your party is going to rock. Not only do they create amazing drinks at lighting speed, the staff is simply amazing, helpful, pleasant and most important competent.  Brahm Mauer Bar Services has come a loooong way in 5 years and I’m seriously so proud of him. I mean, who doesn’t know Brahm Mauer? And why do we all love to use his whole name when speaking about him?

My FAVORITE drink concocted by Brahm’s team that is absolutely delicious:

Champagne Sangria

• White Cranberry juice
• Peach Snapps
• Sparkling Wine
• Crushed raspberries or strawberries
• Fresh mint

 

TANIA

 

BRAHM MAUER BAR SERVICES: www.brahmmauer.com – 514-757-2402

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