Offering a sparkling white wine is also nice. If you are planning to serve champagne (Although only a sparkling white wine made in Champagne region of France can be truly called champagne, people often refer to any bubbly by that name.), expect to pay more. A decent bottle (You will only disappoint true connoisseur, and they are a dying breed.) will cost between $10 and $12 and will serve seven to eight glasses. Even at these prices per bottle, you may want to reserve it for toast.

Borrow or shop for a bartender’s guide (Mr. Boston Deluxe Official Bartender’s Guide, for example). For your mixologist, you might also stock such things as lemons, limes, celery, maraschino cherries, and olives. You’ll also want to have soda water, tonic water, sparkling water, coke, ginger ale, and a few other soft drinks, plus swizzle sticks and cocktail napkins, Last, but not least, remember to have an ample supply of ice (crushed and cubed) on hand.

Standard Guidelines for Consumption

Expect each guest to have four to five drinks at reception. You’ll get twenty-five drinks from a fifth of liquor, providing you’re using a one-ounce pony to make them with one ounce of alcohol each. Using one and a half ounces of alcohol (that is, a one-and-a-half-ounce jigger), you’ll get eighteen drinks per fifth of alcohol. A single case of alcohol contains twelve bottles. Assuming that you’re using one ounce of alcohol to make every drink, then one case will yield 300 drinks.

If you would like to serve beer on tap, half a keg will yield 260 eight-ounce glasses of beer. Seven cases of beer will yield same amount.

With regard to unopened bottles of alcohol, don’t be too concerned about over stocking. It is better to have too much, rather than not enough. Besides, unopened bottles of alcohol can usually be returned to store.

The Law and Your Liability

Needless to say, it is against law to serve alcohol to anyone under legal drinking age. The sobering fact is that courts have consistently ruled that restaurants, caterers, and hosts are financially liable when minors who are served alcohol are injured, become involved in a car accident, or break law.

You can also be held liable for an adult who suffers an injury, become involved in a car accident, or step outside of law after drinking too much in your home. Caterers and restaurants are subject to same liability.

Your best protection against legal liability involving alcohol is to plan ahead and react sensibly. If your reception is to be catered, discuss a plan of action with caterer before hand. He or she undoubtedly will cooperate.

Avoid serving salty foods since they make people thirsty. Foods high in protein—such as meat, fish, eggs, and cheese—will help to keep your guests sober.

Once a person is drunk, it’s too late to reach for pot of coffee. Giving your happy drunk coffee will only make him or her hyper and jittery. If you need to sober someone up, try to get person to drink water, which will dilute alcohol in their system and flush it out.

By no means, let that person drive—no matter what they say. Instead, call for a taxi or find another driver to take person home.

© Copyright 2005 Bachcroft.com. Permission to reprint this article, as is, is granted as long as proper attribution (author's biography) is given and all active hyperlinks remain intact.

And don’t confuse personal feelings with private affairs. Topics having to do with money, conception and child-rearing, politics, or in-laws should not be included in wedding vows to be overheard by your guests.

Incorporating traditional pledges

Although much of what you will write will be unique to your relationship and therefore highly personalized, you may want to include meaning parts from traditional vows that are a part of your culture.

While most of wording is their own, many couples continue to incorporate familiar love, comfort, honor (though usually leaving out "obey" part) wording into their vows.

Rehearse before your wedding day

Since this is a special occasion, you should give it all of time and attention it deserves. Practice reading aloud what two of you have written. This is true test that what appears on paper is what you really intended to say, in way you intended to say it. Rehearsing will also allow you to determine how long exchanging your vows will take and whether adjustments are needed. If wording sounds awkward or if it is difficult to read, change it.

Don’t rely solely on your memory

A case of nerves can strike unexpectedly, and at most inopportune time, so make sure your precious words are written down. Once you are satisfied that your wedding vows express exactly what you wanted to say to each other, it is time to finalize your draft. The final copy, preferably two or three, should be printed using a fairly large font size, which will make it easier to read.

It is a good idea to give a copy to clergyman, at least several days before ceremony is to take place. If a severe case of nerves does strike, it may be he who will need to read your vows.

Personalize whole ceremony

Aim to keep time it takes to exchange your vows between one and three minutes. To extent feeling of a ceremony that is a celebration of your unique love, have a family member or good friend offer a carefully selected prayer or reading as part of ceremony. You can also choose music that is both appropriate for occasion and especially meaningful to two of you.

Jean Bachcroft is a former public relations director, founder of Bachcroft and Aloha Labels, and the publisher and editor-in-chief of Town and Country Shopping Bargains Magazine. For designer wedding, holiday, and year-round mailing and return address labels, you can visit her web sites at http://bachcroft.com and http://alohalabels.com.

For shopping bargains from around the world, visit http://townandcountryshoppingbargains.com