byo Wassail

I had to Google it to even figure out what wassail even was. But I would first make sure your venue would allow diy drinks. As for keeping it hot, unfortunately I don't have any advice.

It’s a faux pas to ask guests to pay for and bring food and drinks at an event that you are hosting. If you are not hosting your wedding, meaning it is a community event that has multiple communal organizers, then other attendees can bring food and beverages, provided that the venue allows it. There are next to no venues anywhere besides your backyard that allow homemade (not provided by a licensed caterer or restaurant) food and drinks. Even the local parks department venue rentals require licensed caterers and bartenders of some sort. When homemade food and drinks are brought in, then it is on you legally if anything happens to the guests at the party or on the way home: they get sick from what was served, etc.


$200 for wassail is dirt cheap, considering that it is served to all guests. Do not put the burden of financial obligations on your guests. Find other places to cut costs that won’t be missed. Things you can eliminate entirely and no one will notice or care, including yourselves, that will make room in your budget for things your guests will actually notice and remember (food, beverages and entertainment): favors, champagne, proposal boxes, getting ready robes/pjs, reception dress, etc.

View Quoted Comment No, I’m not talking about charging my guests for literally anything. I’m talking about making my own and serving it to the guests. I just need suggestions for the container.


If what you mean can be summarized as, “Sounds yummy! Why don’t you check with the venue,” then thank you.

The only reason “BYO” is in the title is because I was trying to think of something cute. Guess I failed at that one.

View Quoted Comment I understood what you were saying and I never mentioned charging your guests. It does sound delicious but it’s better to have your caterer provide it with their own containers or something rented from a party rental company that the caterer doesn’t already own. Most venues do not allow anything to be brought in that you make from home and doesn’t come from a licensed caterer, due to legal and food safety reasons that they will not budge on.

I absolutely love the idea of wassail being served for a holiday wedding! It’s a favorite in our house during the “-ber” months! I think the best way to transport and keep it warm would be in an electric industrial percolator. However, once you buy one (or multiple, depending on the amount of guests), plus all the ingredients, you’re probably not saving any money by diy’ing it. If you don’t have percolators, or you cannot get ahold of them for free (or for cheap - some places will let you rent them), then I would just pay the additional $200 and let the caterer handle it. That being said, I would also want to sample the caterers’ recipe. Some places basically just put out apple cider and call it “wassail”. So if that’s the case, it may be worth it to DIY in order to ensure a good recipe is served.

View Quoted Comment You literally told me not to put financial burden on my guests. I’m not asking them to bring anything.

Make it easier on yourself and pay $200.

I think if you can afford it, it would be better to just have the caterer do it. You and your mom will have other things to worry about than bringing the containers, setting it all up, trying to keep it hot, etc. Plus your caterer may require you to have it set up in a separate area from their stuff and won’t help serve it, making it more work. (I found most caterers and bakers have strict rules so their reputation doesn’t get associated with something else that they had no control over.)