Wedding Series: Meet Me at the Bar
12:15 PM
“I like the
barrrr-tender”! Thank you, T-Pain, for making such a great song that I’ll
proudly defend has stood the test of time. I’m not saying that a liquor is necessary
for a party to be enjoyable, but it doesn’t hurt. In this blog, we’re going to dissect
the different wedding bar options. By the end of this, you’ll have a better
understanding of the difference between an open, hosted, pre-paid, cash and BYOB
bar. Ask yourself the questions because you (and your fiancé) know your guest
list better than anyone else. From there, decide which option will work best
for your wedding day.
Bar Minimums
Always
ask the venue or bar service what the drink minimum is, if any. This is so
important! This tells you how much, at minimum, you must spend on this
particular part of the wedding. Be sure to have a conversation with your soon
to be spouse before you make any final decisions. Here are a few things to
consider:
-
What’s your bar budget?
- Is having an open bar important?
-
How large is your guest list?
-
Are there a lot of heavy drinkers on your guest list?
-
Is beer and wine okay or do you want liquor?
If you’re
lucky, there won’t be a minimum requirement. But if there is, here are some
important things to help you decide what option you want to go with when
selecting the type of bar you’d like at your wedding.
Open Bar
This is
exactly what it sounds like, a 100% open bar. For your guests, this means an
unlimited supply of drinks. For the bride and groom, this means that they will
cover the entire bar. Yes, I said ENTIRE.
Suggested:
-
If having an open bar is important to you for your guests to enjoy themselves
-
If you have a smaller guest list that doesn’t include a lot of heavy drinkers
Not Suggested:
- If you have a large guest list and they are
all heavy drinkers (if budgeting is an issue)
Hosted Bar
This is a cost per person based on the tier of
your selection. Standard is usually beer and wine. Gold is usually beer, wine
and standard liquor. Platinum would be all of the above plus top shelf liquor.
Suggested:
- Shorter receptions lasting roughly 1-2 hours
- Adult only reception
where everyone drinks
Not
Suggested:
- For weddings with guests who don’t drink a
lot. This is an all or nothing option, you can’t say, “out of 100 people, only
25 are drinking so only charge me for those 25”.
Pre-Paid Bar
Suggested:
- If you want to portray an open bar but still
want to be able to regulate the flow of how much people are drinking (so you
won’t be surprised with the total at the end)
Not
Suggested:
- Depending on the minimum, decide whether or
not your guests would be able to reach the minimum or go over it too quickly.
Sometimes there’s a time limit added to the pre-paid bar option.
Tip:
this is the option that my fiancé and I ended up choosing for all of the
reasons you’ve read above. We asked for the cost per drink and divided it by
the estimated # of guests that would drink to give us an average # of
drinks/guest. For example, if our pre-paid bar budget was $3,000, with the
average cost/drink was $6 and we had 100 guests that would be drinking, that
would be roughly 5 drinks per guest. (Math: $3,000 / $6 drink = 500 drinks, 500
drinks / 100 guests = 5 drinks/guest). Also, to further manage the drink flow
of the night, we decided to only serve beer and liquor during cocktail hour.
The bar would be fully open after that.
Cash Bar
Guests are responsible for paying for their own
drinks. I would only suggest this if both sides of the families do not drink a
lot. Personally, I would highly discourage this option. Your guests are coming
to celebrate you and your marriage, it’s okay to spoil them a little bit too.
Suggested:
- Your guests don’t drink a lot
- You don’t want
that cost added to your wedding costs
Not
Suggested:
- If you don’t want your guests to worry
about bringing money or paying for their drinks
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| Etsy: Down Home Pixie Decor |
Bring Your Own
Some venues allow you to bring in outside
liquor at a cost. Sometimes it’s a corkage fee which is per bottle or it could
be a flat rate. Keep in mind that liquor licenses or liability insurances may
be required (check with your venue on the requirements).
Suggested:
- If you have a favorite wine or
champagne the venue doesn't carry
- If the cost of bringing in our own is less
than the bar package
- If the venue doesn't have a bar service, if
you have a liquor license
Not
Suggested:
- If you’re happy with the liquor
selections the venue/caterer offers
- If you don’t want
to worry about transporting the alcohol
- Corkage fee is
too high, that may be enough for you to say, “forget it!”
Other Costs
- Bartender(s) or bar back
- Security guard(s), this may be
required based on wedding size or venue regulations
- Supplies: ice, cups, napkins (may
be included)
- State taxes and service charges
Some venues do not allow liquor or even beer or
wine for that matter. If having a bar is important to you, be sure to ask your
venue or catering company to see what is allowed. If the venue allows liquor
but does not have a liquor license you will have to find a vendor that can provide
the liquor for you or apply for a liquor license for the day of your event. Be
sure to check to rules and regulations as they differ from county and state.
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| Etsy: Magnolia Papers and Co. |
Ask Questions
Don’t be afraid to ask the venue/caterer questions.
If they don’t have a liquor your like, ask if they can add it for a cost, or
sub it at no cost. There are plenty of workarounds and ways to negotiate rates.
If you really love an expensive liquor, you can try creating a smaller liquor
list so they can accommodate the kind you like. Signature drinks are also a fun
and smart way to regulate the bar with a fixed menu. I kept the suggestions to
a minimum because each wedding is unique. I only wanted to provide you with the
knowledge for all of the available options.
As for my wedding, the venue offers a large
variety of alcohol but I want to make it easier for the venue and guests so we
will be creating signature drinks and select the type of alcohol they’ll be
serving (2 of each kind, standard and premium). An example would be having two
options of vodka, Tito’s vodka and Grey Goose vodka. I’ll be creating a bar
menu as well so guests can see exactly what they can get. Let me know which option
you like below. I’d love to know!
With love,
Linh
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