Episode 26 Where Drinks Meet Moments: Megs Winnie Bar

The heartbeat of a great reception isn’t the timeline—it’s the bar that keeps people laughing, mingling, and dancing. We’re joined by Meg, the craft-minded force behind Winnie Bar, to unpack how a thoughtful, well-run bar can transform the entire guest experience. She shares the real playbook: when to pre-batch, how to balance a menu with sweet and dry options, why fresh citrus matters, and what it actually takes to move a long line without losing warmth or quality.

We dig into the decisions couples wrestle with—open bar vs limited selection, beer-and-wine-only budgets, and the reality of making signature cocktails work at scale. Meg explains the venue constraints most people miss: no sink, tight space, and the hidden labor of hauling ice, stocking mixers, and packing out at the end of the night. You’ll hear how she stages gear for speed, sets smart limits for safety, and reads the room to keep the energy high while avoiding the late-night spiral. Her take on trends is refreshing too: looser timelines, pre-ceremony photos, grazing dinners, and flexible cocktails that double as mocktails so every guest feels included.

Along the way, Meg’s personality shines—yes, she’ll dance behind the bar—and her experience shows in small details that make a big difference. From real quantities and return policies for unopened bottles to gentle ways to slow someone down without a scene, this is wedding bartending without the guesswork. If you’re planning a reception or you’re a vendor aiming to elevate your service, you’ll walk away with practical, field-tested tips and a new appreciation for the bartender as the curator of fun.

Love conversations that blend craft, honesty, and real wedding know-how? Follow, share with a friend who’s planning, and leave us a quick review so more couples and vendors can find the show.

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Transcript

Welcome And Venue Spotlight

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Welcome to The Preferred List, a podcast about the people behind the best wedding days. I'm James, a wedding filmmaker. I've spent years in the industry working alongside incredible vendors, and this show is all about real conversations with the ones who make it happen. Whether you're a vendor or a couple, you'll get honest insight, good stories, and maybe a little inspiration along the way. Let's meet today's wedding vendor. Hey Meg, how's it going?

SPEAKER_00 0:25

Good, how are you doing today?

Meet Meg And Winnie Bar

SPEAKER_01 0:27

Good, I'm so glad to have you on. Meg runs Winnie Bar. Winnie Bar Bartending Service. And I'm so excited to dive into all things bartending and like keeping the fun going and all that stuff. But before we do, we're here at Birchwood Venue. Birchwood Venue is where rustic charm meets modern convenience to create the perfect wedding weekend. Nestled in Milton, Pennsylvania, uh Birchwood gives couples three full days to decorate, celebrate, and soak in every moment without feeling rushed. From the Hydrangea Line ceremony space to the beautifully restored barn. Birchwood is designed to make your day as stress-free and memorable as possible. And you've been here a couple times.

SPEAKER_00 1:08

I've been here a lot. Yeah, I'm a preferred bartender here at Birchwood. I love it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:12

And it's such a nice space. Um, and I love the weekend thing. Like I know they have it in there.

SPEAKER_00 1:17

One day is not enough.

SPEAKER_01 1:18

It's just so fun. You can sell you can celebrate all the whole weekend, but you can also have time to like set up, tear down, do all of the things.

SPEAKER_00 1:27

And they've also put so much into this place since I started here. Honestly, Birchwood and I started at the same time. Oh, cool. So we were kind of coming into this together and seeing how much they've grown and how much they've added to the space is incredible.

SPEAKER_01 1:40

Yeah, it's so fun. And Holly, like so sweet. Yeah. Great. So great. Um, but Meg, you I got a little bit of like, you got a lot of stuff going on in your life. Which maybe it's a good thing. Maybe it's not a good thing. I don't know. We'll get into it though. But um you have Winnie Bar.

SPEAKER_00 2:01

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 2:02

Tell me, tell me how all of that started and and what all of that is for you.

SPEAKER_00 2:07

I've been waiting for this question. Um, I actually told one of my castmates that I was going to talk 99% of the time about how my bar is named after my cat.

SPEAKER_01 2:18

I love that.

SPEAKER_00 2:19

So her name is Winifred. Um so it's a playoff of Mini Bar. My friend Kira actually came up with it. Shout out to Kira. Um, but yeah, as soon as she said Winnie Bar, I was like, oh, that's perfect. Yeah. I do have three cats. We'll we'll just say that.

SPEAKER_01 2:33

But okay, so Winifred might be in the top.

SPEAKER_00 2:36

She might be there. She was my first, you know. So it just kind of fits. Um, so everything that I've kind of done as far as aesthetics and designs for the bar business is curated a little bit around the cat mom life. So cats and cocktails.

Starting A Bar Brand From Scratch

SPEAKER_01 2:52

Cats and cocktails is so fun. Yeah. So um take me back to like the the beginning state. Like, how did you figure out that this was going to be something that you would enjoy and that would be like a business for you?

SPEAKER_00 3:05

Well, I've been in the service industry my entire life. So from the start that I was 15 was my first hostess job. Um, my mom also served most of her life. So I grew up watching that. Um, so I went straight into the service industry when I was old enough to. And the thing is, is over time, um, I'm 36 now, you work at so many different places, you see how things are ran successfully, how they're not ran successfully. Um, you build up a knowledge base for yourself, you build up a skill set for yourself. And then after a while, you know, you just kind of want to take a little bit of control. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 3:45

Um, I could do that a little different.

SPEAKER_00 3:48

Yeah. Um, and I always had people tell me, you know, you're so great at serving or bartending, like, you know, why don't you do something different with it? And so finally I decided I would. Uh, the great thing about when I started was having a community of people around me who were extremely talented. And things just kind of happened naturally. Uh, I was sitting at a restaurant in William Sport. The girl that was serving me, uh, she's now one of my dear friends, her name's Brynn. She was like, I'm I'm a photographer. That's you know what I do for my full-time job. But on the side, I'm a server. And I was like, you know, I'm trying to start up a bar business. I really need some cocktail pictures taken. So lo and behold, she did all of that for me. And then I had another friend in design who created my business cards. And then really it was just about getting on social media and having the confidence to say, hey, I'm starting this up. And that was the thing that gave me the confidence to then keep going was seeing the response from the people on social media. I had like over 350 plus people share it to, you know, their own pages. And that was just really cool to see. And I was like, you know what? I think I'm doing the right thing here.

Early Lessons And First Weddings

SPEAKER_01 5:00

So yeah, I it's definitely validation for sure. Because I know like maybe newer vendors or vendors that are like wanting to try to start something, there's always that like, uh, but is it gonna work? Is it gonna have traction? Uh in those early days, was there like any hangups? I mean, it sounds like it was just like it kind of went and went and went, but was there anything you were like, ah, I'm not sure about this?

SPEAKER_00 5:24

Uh I would say the only thing was one of my first weddings, uh, which ended up going great. Um, but I had them bring the ingredients for the craft cocktails that I was making. And they forgot the simple syrup.

unknown 5:38

Oh gosh.

SPEAKER_00 5:38

Which is monumental in a cocktail.

SPEAKER_01 5:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:42

Uh especially when there's lime juice and all the sweetness is just gone. Yeah, exactly. So that was probably my first hang up where I was like, man, oh, this is rough, you know, uh, and to run out to Wise and grab everything. And it ended up being totally fine. But really, my very first wedding that I did went so well. I ended up knowing people there. I had a great time, I was dancing. Uh, so it's kind of been nonstop ever since I started.

SPEAKER_01 6:07

Yeah, that's so fun. So um, just before, I like to get a little bit of context of like, what's life like for Meg and like this business ownership and all this other stuff? But uh Winnie Bar is not the only thing you're doing. You are also a teacher?

SPEAKER_00 6:24

Uh no, I work in admissions. Admissions, okay, at Penn College. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 6:28

So how how do you manage like you're doing that? You're now in like a play. Like, how are you managing all of these things?

SPEAKER_00 6:35

Uh, well, uh actually the reason I was able to do the play and become a cheer coach this fall um was because I didn't have any fall weddings booked this this year, which is wild, because usually fall is my busiest time. Um, but I had everything really booked in spring and summer this year, which I found very interesting. So I took on some of these extracurriculars, but really, I mean, time management and sleeping when I can.

SPEAKER_01 7:02

Yeah.

Balancing Work, Theater, And Coaching

SPEAKER_00 7:03

You know, and the great thing is is that all of these extracurriculars that I'm taking on, I enjoy all of them. You know, I always say, as long as I'm enjoying the weddings and the play and and all these other things that I want to do, then it doesn't, you know, if you love what you do, you'll never work a day.

SPEAKER_01 7:22

I'll have also. Yeah, maybe not, maybe not as like romanticized as that saying is. But um did you do bartending? I know I know you said something, and I'm not I can't remember if this was before we hit record or not, but you have worked in the service industry before. Did you do bartending before opening your own business?

SPEAKER_00 7:46

Yes, yeah. I typically didn't bartend a lot at the restaurants that I worked at, um, but I've definitely been in that bartending space. Really, for me, it came down to bartenders are always there later than servers. Yeah. Uh, and I was never super big into the being there until 2 a.m. type of a lifestyle. So I did a lot of um serving mostly, but I also made a lot of cocktails at home. So I would get cocktail books. My favorite's this margarita book that I have. Experimented with a lot of different types of margaritas, a beet margarita, if you've never had one, is fantastic. Beet margarita. A beet margarita, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 8:25

I can't say that I've ever had a beet.

SPEAKER_00 8:29

Ever in life.

SPEAKER_01 8:30

I don't think so.

SPEAKER_00 8:31

Wow, you're missing out.

SPEAKER_01 8:33

Beat. Yeah, no, I don't think so. Maybe one bite. That sounds so interesting.

SPEAKER_00 8:39

Like it's delicious.

SPEAKER_01 8:40

Yeah, so you were like experimenting, like trying new things like early on.

SPEAKER_00 8:46

Yeah, just kind of building up my own uh skill set. I would say that the restaurant that I worked at in William Sport for about three years called Moon and Raven. Um, it's no longer there, but that they had a craft cocktail menu, and I feel like working there really inspired me to start trying some of those things on my own.

SPEAKER_01 9:01

Gotcha.

SPEAKER_00 9:02

Um, now some people would say I have a very picky palette, but I am known for going to restaurants.

SPEAKER_01 9:08

That's not picky.

SPEAKER_00 9:10

Yeah, but I'm the girl that goes to a restaurant bar and I'll be like, I love, can you give me this cocktail? But I need you to take away a little bit of this, add this, and then dazzle it up with this. Yeah. And they're like, they just know by now that that's how I am. Yeah. And I'm like, I'm really not trying to insult your cocktail.

Crafting Skills And Cocktail Experimenting

SPEAKER_01 9:28

Meg's coming. Yeah. She's gonna ask for something different.

SPEAKER_00 9:31

Yeah. And I always ask for my cocktails less sweet than the way that people make them, just because that's that's how you like it. That's what I like.

SPEAKER_01 9:37

Yeah. No, that's so fun. I it's it's fun to kind of hear how like a lot of photo video kind of creatives with their wedding business come out of this. Like, they got a camera, they started taking some pictures or some video, and then they're like, Oh, let me try a wedding, and then they're like, Oh, this is amazing. I love it. It's so fun to hear how yours was kind of the same thing. Like you were just like creating cocktails, like trying, testing new things, figuring out what you like, what you didn't like, and then now you are you now here you are with like Winnie Bar and you're doing your own thing. Yeah. Um, what do you love? I mean, there's probably a difference. I know you didn't bartend at a bar, but there's probably a big difference between like that kind of service and then the service that you have at a wedding. What do you love most about that like wedding bartending service?

SPEAKER_00 10:26

Uh, it's a lot more fun. It's so much fun. Uh, I think something that I didn't think about when I was getting into it was how incredibly it's a it's an honor to be there for someone's big day. Yeah. Um, I've not been that person that's invited to seven weddings a year uh friend. I'm not a lot of my friends aren't even married yet. Um that's not true, actually.

SPEAKER_01 10:52

But um all of your friends that are married, they're like, Yeah, they're like, what are you talking about?

SPEAKER_00 10:57

Um, but no, I was I wasn't that person that had seven weddings to go to a year. So coming into this, weddings were fairly new to me. Yeah. And it was super cool to be like, wow, I'm witnessing all like all of these beautiful things, and I'm a perfect stranger. Yeah. So it's fun. Uh, it's a long day always, but it's always incredibly fun. The music's great, the people are great. I mean, who doesn't love free booze, right? You know, you can't, you can't go wrong. And also coming into it and recognizing that on the day of, I was kind of one of the most important people there, you know, when the line starts spilling up.

SPEAKER_01 11:36

You get called out in plenty of maid of honor or best man speeches. I mean, you're doing something right.

SPEAKER_00 11:42

Yeah, exactly. I was like, wow, this is this is pretty fun.

Why Wedding Bars Feel Different

SPEAKER_01 11:46

So no, that's awesome. Yeah. Uh, so your setup, you were kind of mentioning this a little bit before we started. Your setup is kind of like a there is some sort of bar setup, like here at Birchwood. They have a bar setup and you're bringing the stuff necessary to make it all work. What's that setup kind of look like and what's it take to kind of get all that stuff situated?

SPEAKER_00 12:08

Yeah, I mean, it can be hectic. I usually try to show up quite a bit early before cocktail hour, just because uh another kind of thing that I've noticed is a lot of people want to have a cocktail for themselves before they even go to the ceremony. Yeah. Um, so I've started to get to the point where I really have everything ready to go beforehand. And it really is just a matter of organizing everything, making sure all the same types of liquors are in the same place. All the ingredients that you need are right there. The, you know, the cocktails are pre-batched. Um, I have a really awesome ice chest that's like after my first two weddings, I realized wow, bending down all night and scooping ice out of a cooler at a as a 33-year-old at the time, you know, I'm like, this is not gonna work out for very long. So I got a nice little hip level ice chest and use that for fresh, fresh ice for cocktails and everything. And uh, I mean, it's a fun process. It is easier when I have a second bartender with me to help you set up and carry everything and all that good stuff, but yeah.

SPEAKER_01 13:08

So what do couples need to know about a bartending service? You can kind of go like granular with like what that what should they be buying, what what are you gonna bring? What are they gonna bring? Like, how does how does that process all work?

Setup, Gear, And Pre-Batching

SPEAKER_00 13:24

It really depends on the couple. Um, I kind of offer some different options as far as packages go, you know. Um, I do try to help couples mostly figure out what they should bring and how much of it they should bring. Um, there's also some really great wedding calculators out there that kind of help you figure all of that out. But the last thing I want is for couples to run out of anything. Yeah. Um and I do try to gear them towards ingredients that are, I should say, organic and as fresh as possible, especially when it comes to lemon and lime juices. It's really important that it's not some really gross sweet lime syrup, basically. Um but yeah, I mean, I really think couples I try to help them curate what they want. Um, but also at the end of the day, I don't want people to overstress about the cocktails that they're serving at their wedding. You know, I've had couples be like, well, all of my family drinks this. And I've told them I've heard that a million times. And then the day of the wedding, everyone switches up what they want. Yeah, you know, because it's free and it's there's new things to try. And so everyone switches it up. So I try to just give them an idea of like even amounts of certain things. Okay, you know, and and giving people a sweet option, a dry option. Um, you know, I I hate to see it where it's, you know, there's only sweet white wine at a wedding and sweet red wine, you know, because there's by the end of the night, people want a nice dry option. So I guess those are some of the details that I try to iron out.

SPEAKER_01 14:59

Yeah. So are you bringing like the the mixers and they're providing the alcohol or like how does that that work?

SPEAKER_00 15:07

They have to bring the alcohol um because I don't have an actual liquor license. Um, it's incredibly difficult for anyone that's not a brick and mortar to have a liquor license. Um, so really depending on the package, if they want me to supply certain things, I will, like if they need me to pick up ice or lemons and limes and you know, mixers. But um, I'm really starting to build out those packages a little bit more as I go along. Um, for a while there, it was really just a you guys bring everything, I'll show up in bartend.

SPEAKER_01 15:35

Yeah, just make it make it work with whatever's there.

SPEAKER_00 15:37

Yeah, exactly. But I mean, I always try to help them figure out what they should bring. I don't want to show up and, you know, there's only Pepsi and ginger ale to work with, you know.

SPEAKER_01 15:46

So no, that makes sense. I I feel like it's such a hard thing to figure out with like there's maybe a hundred people, maybe there's a hundred and fifty people, sometimes there's two hundred people. What do you what do they get for all of those people? Well, it depends on if they want your big size, like that's why I use a wedding calculator.

What Couples Should Buy And Bring

SPEAKER_00 16:10

Um, but it really just depends on what they want. If they want specialty cocktails, I've been getting a lot of the, you know, his and hers or hers and hers or his and his. Um those types of uh cocktails, you know, they want a signature cocktail. Um, and then also I always recommend beer and wine, uh, and then just your basic one ingredient cocktails. So your gin and tonic, your rum and coke, gotcha, um, stuff like that. And then as far as amounts goes, I really just I typically will use a wedding calculator to help me figure that out. Um, but again, just options, giving people options.

SPEAKER_01 16:47

Yeah, so it seems like the the simple options, it kind of gives like room for any type of person that likes any type of thing. There's probably going to be something that's there for them.

SPEAKER_00 16:56

Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_01 16:57

Um, are there specific things that you kind of tell couples with those like signature cocktails? Or is that just like whatever they come up with, you're like, yeah, let's do it.

SPEAKER_00 17:09

I usually try to steer them a little bit one way or another. Uh it depends on, well, really a lot of times I feel like couples ask me, you know, I really like this liquor. What do you think would be a good cocktail for that? So I try to help them, you know, especially if it's gonna come down to pre-batching, then, you know, sure, do a cocktail that has nine ingredients in it. But if you're wanting it to be made to order, maybe we dial it back a little bit, you know. And also I try to help people understand too that a lot of these venues, there's not a sink nearby to rinse out your shaker sets. There's a lot of things that are missing in those spaces that a regular restaurant bar would have. So when it comes to like muddling and doing all that kind of thing, it's not that it can't be done.

SPEAKER_01 17:55

Which is difficult.

SPEAKER_00 17:56

It's a little bit more difficult. Yeah, yeah. I did I had a wedding where we muddled blackberries, fresh blackberries, and that was the messiest thing I've ever done in my life.

SPEAKER_01 18:04

And I was like, It sounds yeah, it sounds blackberries are messy to be like I have a two and a four-year-old. They get everywhere, yeah, exactly. Like immediately stained too. Yeah, yeah. So uh no, that makes sense. I I feel like there's a level of creativity with it that can be fun. Um, but there's also this like maybe couples just feel like they have to do like a signature cocktail because that's like the thing to do now. Yeah. Um what are some of like the the best uh ones that you've seen?

SPEAKER_00 18:34

The blackberry margarita.

SPEAKER_01 18:35

Is that it? It was awful to make, but no.

Signature Drinks: Strategy And Reality

SPEAKER_00 18:38

Uh that wedding was great. I mean, we had a Lavender French 75, um, and then the blackberry margarita. I also had a couple this past year, they did their own mixture of uh, I think it was like lavender, blueberry, and lime. And then they had another option that was cucumber lime and lemon, and that was really great, and that went over really well. And what was nice about that is we didn't put any liquor in it to start, so you could have it as a mocktail. Oh, okay. Um, but then you could also add whatever spirit you wanted. And so I would tell people, you know, I think that this one would go really well with gin. I think that this one would go really well with vodka.

SPEAKER_01 19:15

And so is it more common to have the the mixture, whether it's with the alcohol or without, to have that mixed together already?

SPEAKER_00 19:26

It's it's starting to become more common. I think, especially too. Uh I've marketed myself as a craft cocktail bartender. Okay. Um, but then you quickly realize that craft cocktails made to order in a large group is pretty overwhelming. Yeah. And I still want people to have that option. So typically, you know, if it's something that's really involved, I might say, hey, pre-batch this, um, or we'll pre-batch this, and then this one I'll make to order, you know. So that way they have those options. But I do think pre-batching overall, when you have a a wedding that's over 75 people, it it just makes sense. That way people aren't waiting. A lot faster. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 20:07

Uh no, that makes total sense. I know I'm I'm guessing you couldn't do like a cash bar because of the license stuff. Or can you do it?

SPEAKER_00 20:18

I I've never had one. Uh it's always very open bars.

SPEAKER_01 20:21

Yeah, I'm curious your take on like couples that are kind of trying to figure out like, do we do an open bar and pay for all the stuff? Do we do sort of like a limited, like maybe the beer is the stuff that's free, and then if they want like liquor, then maybe they're paying some amount for that, or if there's like a cash bar.

SPEAKER_00 20:41

I've never done a cash bar thus far since starting. I I think the couples that don't want to necessarily put a bunch of money into alcohol, like let's say their family doesn't really drink, they might just dial it back to some beer and wine and call it a day. Um, so I've seen that a few times. Um, or liquor is only allowed to be served at cocktail hour, and then after that it's only beer and wine, that kind of a thing. I've never seen cash parts, not to say that I it couldn't happen or that it won't happen in my future, but it's just not been haven't seen it yet.

Open Bar, Limits, And Cost Choices

SPEAKER_01 21:12

No, that's that's okay. I just didn't know if you had like a a thought on like pros and cons to like kind of the different the different options there.

SPEAKER_00 21:20

Yeah. I mean, I would want to go to an open bar. Yeah. So you know, I understand. It's you know, it's an expensive weddings are expensive.

SPEAKER_01 21:30

Yeah, for sure. Um are there kind of some trends in the last couple years that you've been bartending that you've noticed either come and go or some things that you kind of are seeing a little bit more of recently?

SPEAKER_00 21:46

I I think aside from the bartending part of it, I've seen what I really like is a lot more of a laid backness to some of the weddings that I've worked. Um, a less Strict schedule, you know, maybe a little bit more time for, you know, I I love the idea of doing pictures before the ceremony. So that way after the ceremony they can just go right to having fun. Yeah. Um I've enjoyed seeing a little bit more of a looser dinner style, um, a lot of grazing, you know, that kind of thing. Um yeah, I mean, it's just been it's been awesome to see. My favorite part is speeches, I think, and dances. But yeah. Some weddings you see they don't do any of the traditional stuff. And I have been seeing that a lot.

SPEAKER_01 22:40

Is the it's a lot different. It's a lot of reception feel.

SPEAKER_00 22:43

Yeah. You see a lot more people with uh, you know, friends and family members officiating the wedding, um, and just having a little bit more of a non-traditional way about it.

Looser Wedding Trends Meg Loves

SPEAKER_01 22:56

Yeah, yeah. No, I I'm loving the like group entrances and then like the kind of quiet, unannounced cake cutting and like kind of just a like a little bit of a different feel, a different vibe for like the reception. Probably are bound to at every wedding at one point or another have like a giant crowd of people big online. And like you said, it's often just you, or maybe you have one other person that's helping you. How do you like get all of those people through? Still make sure they're like taken care of and noticed and and seen and all that stuff.

SPEAKER_00 23:30

That comes with my experience. I mean, I'm pretty fast at what I do. Um, I have a smile on my face at all times while I'm doing it. And really the the best part is that the people that are in line are typically very happy and very easy to get along with. And they know, you know, honestly, sometimes the busier I am, the more money I make, you know, because they see that I'm hustling and that I'm working really hard and that uh it's nonstop, and they value that and they wanna tip me more. Yeah, which I'm never gonna complain about.

SPEAKER_01 24:06

Yeah. So don't ask any questions.

SPEAKER_00 24:09

I try not to look too hard at the line, also. That's the other thing. Because when you look down and you're like, oh wow, the line's wrapped around the pool. Okay, you just keep it moving. Yep, can't pay too much attention to it.

SPEAKER_01 24:19

Yeah, no, I love that advice. Uh couples are maybe trying to figure out like, is there a bartending service maybe with the catering company that they provide? Maybe it's something that they can kind of outsource separately, like Winnie Bar. Is there stuff that couples should kind of be looking out for that, like, you know, you know, look for this, look for that. This is going to be a good bartending service if they have this or that, or if they do this for their couples?

Handling The Rush And Guest Experience

SPEAKER_00 24:49

Well, there's there's a lot of different options. Like you said, uh, a lot of venues have their own in-house bartenders already. Um, I'm a very much a freelance. If there's a space, if it's a do-it-yourself wedding and you need a bartender, I'm your girl type of situation. Um, I think going through your catering company is also very convenient. Uh, probably a lot more money than I charge. But, you know, it's if you want convenience, I totally get it, totally understand that. So I just think there's a lot of different options. And, you know, there's a lot of markup, uh, a lot of overhead when it comes to alcohol. So if you are going that route with your catering company or with a restaurant, you're probably paying for a lot more than just the price of the bottle of liquor. But again, convenience is is convenience, and I totally get it.

SPEAKER_01 25:37

Sometimes you pay for the convenience.

SPEAKER_00 25:39

Yeah, exactly. That's it's not uncommon in any part of our lives.

SPEAKER_01 25:42

So yeah, that's that is accurate. That is accurate. Um, so they're deciding on all of these different things. Uh how much do you feel like your personality kind of shines through? And I mean, because really it's like that's what their guests are gonna be met with when they go up to the bar and go for another drink or their first drink. Like you're the person that's gonna be like kind of setting that off.

SPEAKER_00 26:09

Yeah. Well, I'll say this if I bartend anyone's wedding, I will be dancing behind the bar. Always. So I have been known to twerk a time or two behind the bar, even, you know. Um, I love to dance, I love to have fun. So, really, that's what this business is about for me is having a really good time. So it's you're never gonna see me behind the bar sulking. Uh, I really think that being in the wedding industry has brought out that side of me even more, yeah. Especially because it is my own thing. And I love when people come up and ask me about the name of the bar, you know, because then I get to talk about my cat for a solid 20 minutes.

SPEAKER_01 26:48

Yeah, it's like the best of both worlds. You're twerking and then talking about your cat. You can't lose.

SPEAKER_00 26:52

Yeah, exactly. I'm listening to, you know, some really good 90s club, I should say 2000s club music, that kind of thing.

SPEAKER_01 26:58

Uh you would love to be a photographer, videographer, and like be in the center of the dance floor. You'd probably like you'd probably live in out tons.

Picking A Bartending Service That Fits

SPEAKER_00 27:08

The first wedding that I did, I was out in the middle of the dance floor. But that's only because I knew I knew a couple of the people there.

SPEAKER_01 27:13

Winnie Bar, they don't do that anymore.

SPEAKER_00 27:15

Yeah, yeah. That was maybe sometimes.

SPEAKER_01 27:16

Maybe sometimes. Maybe I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 27:19

I don't think anyone minds it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 27:21

Unless they want another drink and you're not there. Oh, yeah, yeah. It's working.

SPEAKER_00 27:26

Taking a five. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 27:27

Yeah. No, you deserve a five. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 27:29

At that point, I think so. You know, nine hours is a long day to be on your feet.

SPEAKER_01 27:33

Yeah. Um, are there things that couples might overlook when they're kind of trying to figure out and planning this uh the bartending part of the the reception?

SPEAKER_00 27:46

I think sometimes it can be overlooked just how involved a bar can be, um, as far as you know, what all ingredients are needed and what's what ingredients are going to make the best cocktail, how much that all costs, um, how much you need of something, and also the carrying part of it too, you know, uh, especially the liquor. I know, you know, a lot of times maybe a bride and groom will have their mom or dad, you know, buy all the stuff, and then they come up to me and they're like, man, that's a lot of stuff, you know, that's a lot to carry. And I'm like, I know. And uh, and then, you know, at the end of the night, there's also a lot that might be needed loaded up and all that good stuff. Also, I like to let people know that um if bottles are not opened throughout the night, they can typically be returned. That's not what my dad did for my brother's wedding. He kept them all at the house.

SPEAKER_01 28:38

So uh He's still having a good time.

SPEAKER_00 28:41

Yeah, he's still having a good time with them. He did give me one of the Tito's bottles, but yeah.

Personality At The Bar And Vibe

SPEAKER_01 28:45

No, I love that. Um, so there's a part of like the bartending service or the bar idea that like could get out of control if not like kept the lid on. I'm curious, like for other bartenders that might be listening in to this episode, do you have advice for kind of keeping the bar fun, engaging, entertaining, even, but still keeping things kind of like under control?

SPEAKER_00 29:11

Yeah, I mean, one nice thing that venues have started to do, which could be a popular or unpopular thing, is they've started to not allow shots to be done or for the bar to go past a certain point of the night. Um, I myself even will usually cut off my service no later than 11 just because I feel like after that point, most people have been drinking for multiple hours.

SPEAKER_01 29:34

Probably don't need much more.

SPEAKER_00 29:35

Yeah, exactly. And you know, at that point, that's up to them as adults. Um, I just try to keep a good eye on things, and that's pretty easy to do when they're coming right up to the bar.

SPEAKER_01 29:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 29:49

Uh there is certainly been literally see how they walk to it. Exactly. Yeah. So there's been evenings where I've started to notice, but I wouldn't quite cut someone off. So I might just throw a baby bit of liquor in their cup and then the rest will be filled with water, you know. And most of the time they don't notice the difference. So I, you know, I will start to kind of gauge things that way and just really keep an eye on people. Just I don't want to be, and not that, you know, I mean, I have a contract that people sign that say I'm not liable for incidences like that. You don't want anything. But I don't want anything to happen. I would still feel responsible, you know, no matter what. So it's just important to keep a good eye on, which having been in the industry for as long as I have, it's it's a pretty easy tell at this point.

SPEAKER_01 30:34

Yeah, for sure. Yeah, you could probably I'm fine. You're like, no, you're not fine.

SPEAKER_00 30:39

No.

SPEAKER_01 30:39

Um, how do you usually end up working with like planners, maybe even like the caterers, the venues to kind of keep everything running smoothly on your end?

Overlooked Details And Logistics

SPEAKER_00 30:49

Yeah, I mean, really just communication. A lot of the venues that I work at have been really, really wonderful with checking in, making sure that I have everything that I need. Because I am a one-man show most of the time. Yeah. Um, they're really good about just making sure that there's not, you know, my trash can needs change or I need more ice that's, you know, downstairs in the in the freezer and things like that. So it's been lovely. And I I've worked with a lot of catering companies too, that I also know and have become friends with. And that's been wonderful. And they always feed me and it's so good. Yeah. Yeah. I I honestly I will say that one of my favorite parts about being in the wedding industry has been meeting all the different vendors.

SPEAKER_01 31:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 31:30

I've I've had so much fun with them, and you can kind of chit-chat and you know, laugh at some people's dance moves together and just stuff like that.

SPEAKER_01 31:38

It's yeah, that's so fun.

SPEAKER_00 31:39

It's a lot of fun.

SPEAKER_01 31:40

That's so fun. And I I do feel like it could be a kind of a weird in-between if like a catering company has a service, but then you kind of show up, like it could be like a little weird in between, but it seems like you've had a pretty good experience.

SPEAKER_00 31:53

Oh, such a good experience. Yeah, I've never had any kind of issue or anything like that. Everyone's always been really helpful and um yeah, it's been lovely.

SPEAKER_01 32:03

So you've been doing this for a couple of years now. I'm curious. Like, do you have like a standout moment from a past wedding that's just like it's like favorite, memorable?

Keeping It Safe Without Killing Fun

SPEAKER_00 32:12

Yeah, yeah, I do. Um there was a wedding, I think it was last year, where the groom's mom had been in a really bad accident, and she was not able to walk very well, she wasn't very mobile. And during the uh mother-son dance, he held her up and they danced together to I I forget what the song was, but he held her the entire time and she I think she just kind of stood on his feet or something like that. Um but it was there was not a dry eye in the entire and it was here at Birchwood. And I remember looking over at the catering company and they were sobbing, I was sobbing, and at all at once we all just went back into the little kitchen area so that we could actually sob.

SPEAKER_01 33:04

Just feel like crying in front of everyone.

SPEAKER_00 33:06

Yeah, that's that's another thing to note about me is that it I will most likely be crying through all of your first dances. It's just I'm a crier. Yeah, I can't help it.

SPEAKER_01 33:15

I love it. It all hit different. Like once I was married, and then we had our daughter, I was like, gosh, oh, this just feels so different. Because you just have like a different perspective on it all. I'm not even married or have kids, but it's if you do, you're gonna cry like a baby. You're gonna be like, oh, I remember what I go. You get all that stuff.

SPEAKER_00 33:36

I've always been emotional. You can ask my parents. I cried during like commercials, it's just commercials.

SPEAKER_01 33:42

That commercial that's a stretch. Maybe movies, it's real TV shows, but commercials.

SPEAKER_00 33:46

Yeah. And I can cry. I'll I will cry the same way through a movie that I've seen a hundred times. Yeah, it doesn't matter how many times I've seen it, I will still cry with the same gusto. Is that the word? You know, I will just we'll make it the word. Yeah, I can just made that up.

SPEAKER_01 34:03

No, I love it. Um I'm just curious, like, kind of going back to the beginning, now that you've had these years like under your belt, you have a business, it's running, it's going smooth. What do you wish you knew when you started out? And you can kind of like speak right to the vendor that's like just getting started, or like right before things are gonna launch, like, do I do like what do you wish you knew back to the beginning?

Vendor Teamwork And Communication

SPEAKER_00 34:29

You're going to be important. Yeah, you're gonna be an important piece. Uh, you know, I think the service industry in general has a reputation of just being, you know, you hear, well, you can't just be a server all your life, or you can't just be this all your life. And I think going into it, I felt like I was just going to be a wedding bartender. And then you realize there's so much communication that's involved between you and the couple, and a lot of emailing back and forth a year and a half out from the wedding. You know, so much is involved. And then on the day of, again, you're such an important piece. There's, you know, people want to drink and they want to have good cocktails and they want to have fun. And being able to be the person that's what I kind of call the fun curator, yeah, is incredible. And you're important.

SPEAKER_01 35:25

Yeah, I love that. If you're a wedding bartender out there, take that and run with it.

SPEAKER_00 35:30

You're important.

SPEAKER_01 35:30

Yeah, for sure. No, that's so fun. Well, Meg, thank you so much for being on. It was so fun to hear all of your experience. Even though you weren't supposed to be on this film day, I'm so glad that you're here.

SPEAKER_00 35:42

My time management skills lately are not great.

SPEAKER_01 35:44

Not even time. I would say day management. Day management, yeah. You were you were right on time.

SPEAKER_00 35:49

Well, I know I have play practice today. That's all that's all I'm saying.

Most Memorable Wedding Moment

SPEAKER_01 35:51

I love it. Um, I hope everyone listening got a ton of great knowledge, information, tips, tricks, all the things. Um, where can people find and follow along with what you're doing with Winnie Bar?

SPEAKER_00 36:03

Social media right now, yeah. Um so I'm a preferred bartender at a few different venues around the area. So you'll probably see my name at like Birchwood, Pump House, Cypress House, and Barnet Greenwood in Millville. But I am open and willing to travel. I've worked at numerous different venues in the area. I worked at the Poconos back in May, met a famous comedian, which was incredible. Sweet. Um so yeah, social media, Instagram, Facebook, uh, my email is Megswinnybar at gmail.com. Cool. So that's probably the best way to reach me. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 36:37

And all that stuff will be in the description down below so I can click on all those links or grab your email from down there. Um, do you have any projects or things coming up that you're excited about? I know you got the play.

SPEAKER_00 36:49

Yeah, the play. Uh I mean, I want to do every year I'm trying to do a different photo shoot for my bar business. I've had some really great, I have so many talented photographer friends. Yeah. Um, but one year I actually had a girl from The Bachelor take my photos, which was really awesome. Yeah. It was so fun. And she made a whole reel about me and a TikTok and all that good stuff. So that was really fun. Um, but yeah, I mean, the next thing on my list is really just curating some more of those packages. And I would love to start doing uh, you know, even outside of weddings, I would love to start doing some more, some more private events, and yeah, I've already done a few, but would love to just broaden my horizons and travel a bit more. So yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 37:32

Someone get her out somewhere fun.

SPEAKER_00 37:34

Yeah, I want to go Hawaii.

Advice To New Wedding Bartenders

SPEAKER_01 37:36

Yeah, Hawaii. Someone in Hawaii. So she can talk about her cats.

SPEAKER_00 37:41

Yeah, exactly. Hope you like cats.

SPEAKER_01 37:44

Yeah. Well, Beck, thank you so much for being on. Um, again, just so grateful that you wanted to be on the podcast and just share all of the fun things. Um, for everyone listening, thank you guys for tuning in. Um, make sure you're liking, subscribing, following along, leaving a review, all the things. I hope you guys have been enjoying the podcast as much as I have putting all of this on. And that's all for this episode. And we'll catch you next time on the preferred list.

SPEAKER_00 38:09

Yes, thank you.