Stuck on not easily being able to serve coffee/tea during reception

Could you buy or borrow a few electric kettles and have a small tea station set up? Edit: words

Maybe ... they have 3 industrial electric outlets there. I havent quite figured out which will be in use versus free compared to location of stuff ... the reception is taking place at the back of the property, away from buildings. I worry a bit about needing someone to help monitor them.

Could you switch venues? No coffee and a pizza dinner would make me pretty grumpy on the ride home.

Nope venue change is not an option. Invites are out and it's the only one FH and I could agree on and we were limited as we wanted to get married before harvest season and moving out of the area (family is driving distance now, they won't be then). Hmm our rental company has a terrible website but I'll give them a call tomorrow. Maybe I can rent those coffee/hot water containers like businesses use and ask the caterers to prep it before they are done

I think I'd try to figure out a way to serve it. If the caterer regularly leaves before the end of events, do they have suggestions on how couples usually provide coffee and tea with dessert? Could you ask the winery if their bartenders would be capable of helping monitor whatever you do decide to set up? Or if they have any suggestions or tips on what other couples have served with dessert and how they've done it?

That should give us at least an hour, if not 2 of hot coffee. County curfew at 10pm so that may get us through until our stop time.

I should note all guests but 5 are staying at hotels less than a mile from the venue, so no long rides home after

Your invitations are out for what's basically an October wedding? Sorry, none of this (including having a wedding in a county with a curfew) makes any sense.

Rent 55 cup pots, pre set them up and then have someone plug them in. Or pre make it and put it in thermal carafes.

They are out (invites) because of our short engagement (5 months total). We did not send out save the dates and most attendees are driving in and staying local so we chose to send out invites early so people knew to plan for accomodations. We live in wine country in California and it can be a busy time of year so as a courtesy to our guests we wanted to give them plenty of time to make plans.

As for the curfew, as I understand it businesses that are commercially hosting private parties but are not an actual restaurant have to be over by 10pm. We were told the same by the majority of the venues we talked to and it's pretty common practice in the area. ETA spelling

Yeah I'm thinking I can ask the caterer to make it in thermal carafes I rent separately before they finish serving at 8 so we have it. That probably makes the most sense.

Why not just move the cake cutting up to 7:30 or 7:45?

Why not extend your caterer an hour and include coffee and tea service??

@ALC why would a pizza dinner make you grumpy?

@Future381sWife I just sent an email to the caterer to inquire.

@smox if the caterer is unable to accommodate I'll try looking this route. Ironically the owners of our favorite coffee shop will be guests at our wedding. They are good personal friends. Don't worry, I won't be asking them

Well, I'm glad to see I'm not alone in being concerned and considering serving coffee and tea to be appropriate with dessert :p FH and my mom have both been telling me not to worry about it and just not serve it. =/

My friend had a backyard wedding with only about 40 people and she had three keurigs placed on the dessert table. They had tons of k-cup options (tea, cocoa, coffee, cider). It worked perfectly for her intimate venue. Just a thought!

@Jennifer I really like that. We have a keurig we could bring and I bet we could rustle up another 1 or 2. Will see what the caterer says but that's definitely an idea. We're at a similar size and it's about 80% family and a few close friends and their families.

We got electric kettles for our wedding, it's much cheaper and you can get exactly what you want. Maybe you should look into those, they're not expensive

@Kristin look in to it! I believe she borrowed two of the keurigs. It's a pretty easy option for smaller weddings! Good luck