As if deciding on what food to serve isn't complicated enough, you have to take into consideration the liquid refreshments. It's true. You can only please some of the people some of the time. Trying to determine what styles of liquor to buy makes hosting a party difficult.

There are usually two payment option available – paying on consumption or paying a set price per head. Sit down and do your sums. You can work out what is more economical for you by judging how much your guests are likely to drink. Ask your reception co-ordinator for their opinion based on their experience. Keep in mind that  some guest may be underage or designated drivers.

Guests don't expect to be served the best champagne, top shelf spirits and unlimited imported beer all night, get a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks to cater for most tastes. A sensible beverage list could include two choices of beer (light and full strength), red and white wine, water, soft drinks, orange juice and sparkling wine.

You don't have to serve sparkling wine (champagne) for the toasts – the main objective is that every person has a beverage in front of them to toast!

Pre-dinner drinks are usually served ½ -1 hour before dinner. It is not uncommon for the guests to pay for the first 30 minutes of drinking. One option to help reduce your costs is to serve drinks on a tray. This will reduce the consumption compared to an open bar that allows the guests to order drinks on demand.