DRY HIRE WEDDINGS

First thing first, what does ‘dry hire’ mean?!

This is one of those terms thrown around in the world of hospitality which can mean nothing to someone who has not had to think about it before.  Sorry for the jargon!

Dry Hire basically means you have choice.  You hire the venue ‘dry’ so without food or drink, and then you bolt on your food and drinks choices to create the precise, bespoke wedding that you want.  For example, bring your own booze in, or hire the caterer you want.  It is much more of a DIY approach, but of course it means you have many more options available to you.

Below we have outlined how these two other parts – food and drink – work here at Owlpen.

Drinks

Have you always dreamed of drinking a particular type of Champagne on your wedding day?  Or you have a family member who runs a wine business and really wants to help out?  We have you covered here.

Service Charge

Traditionally, venues charge a corkage fee for you to bring in your own drinks, which means you pay a certain abmount (around £10) for each bottle that you bring.  The venue then sorts out the staff and the glassware so tjat it can bbe served professionally.

We don’t charge corkage.  Instead we go for a service charge fee, which is per head not per bottle.  so for £25 per person you can bring in all of your own drinks all day and all night, and we received it, chill it, serve it and stafff it for you.  Simple.

Drinks Package

Maybe you want to drink some really nice wines but would rather not go through the hassle of sourcing it?  No problem.

When you book a wedding package with us we usually provide prosecco, plus house red and white for the drinks reception and wedding breakfast.  But there are all sorts of wines that we can provide if you want to, and we love to create bespoke wine lists which pair with your food choices.

You can swap out prosecco for premium sparkling wine or champagne, or maybe swap ythe house red for a big malbec which goes perfectly with your main?  Just let us know and we would be happy to help you choose.

Food

When you got engaged, were you erating a special dessert that you really want to re-create on your wedding day?  Have you always dreamed of a certain cut of meat to have during the main?  We can help.

Here at Owlpen we have teamed up with a catering company called Well Seasoned and they love to create menus for you which speak to your personality, ethnicity or specific tastes. 

Of course, all of the menus in our packages are carefully selected and we think they are all amazing, but we also love it when you have ideas of your own.  

Over the years Well Seasoned have put togheyther menus which have been exclusively cuisine from the likes of Nigeria, Peru, Hungary, Singapore and Ghana. 

They love the challenge, so if you have a question, reach out and ask them directly.

Additional Food

They can also recommedn great canapes and evening food to round off your day.

If you like the idea of a wood-fired pizza, or simply want a cone of chips, reach out and ask them!