Bar Packages

[beachfrog]

We are having a time trying to figure out what kind of bar package to offer at my children's receptions. I am hoping to get ideas from you guys as to what you are doing. These are the options. If you are offering alcohol, which are you doing? If you did (or plan to do) a host bar, what was your dollar limit? Thanks!!!

Cash Bar - All guests pay as they go.

Host Bar - We keep track of all the drinks served and present the host with a bill at the end of the event.

Open Bar - We charge the host a price per person for an agreed amount of time.

Host Bar with Dollar Limit - Same as host bar except when we reach the dollar limit specified by the host we close the bar and start a cash bar, or let the host decide if they would like to place more money on the check.

[LVBride2Be]

My FH and I are supplying all the alcohol at the reception and each adult will get 2 tickets for 2 free drinks. There will be champagne and all at the tables.

[Danielle9608]

I am doing the first hour during the cocktail hour open bar and after that a cash bar.

[TangoWedding]

We're doing a limited bar.

We're just serving 2 specialty drinks (2 kinds of mojitos), but will have them free for the guests for the entire reception. (Mojitos actually have very little alcohol in them...so it won't be too pricey. :grinhappy:)

[BrideInCuffs21]

Open bar baby!!! I wouldn't feel right having my guests paying for their drinks. I guess I am old fashion in my kind of way. The bar package we got at the reception site for unlimited with 8 different brand name liquors, 2 types of beer, and a variety of pop and punch for roughly 9.00 dollars a person......

[nic1124]

We did an open bar but only had wine, beer and soda. It was cheaper and no one got outta hand.

[RevMatty]

The couple I just married did tickets. 2 a person, then it was cash time. that way it took the respoibility off them, if someone got to drunk.

[Panthers Bride]

We're not having any alchohol at the wedding. If somebody really wants a drink that bad, they can go to the hotel bar and buy one. If we decide to do a toast, we're going to get sparkling grape juice.

[bichonlvr]

I say go for an open bar...or host bar with $$$ limit, but make it a good one! HEE HEE

[samantha01]

If your like me, you wanna do what is right, but also what you can afford. I would do the limited bar.. such as soda and beer or a specialty drink.

[beachfrog]

If your like me, you wanna do what is right, but also what you can afford.
That is exactly where we are in this decision or in-decision! Thanks for everyone's input.

[thatgirljenn]

We're doing open bar, with an upgrade to premium beers.

[lizardbnorton]

If it were up to me I would give everybody two tickets and then they can buy what they want after that. Robert refuses to have that and says he wants an open bar, even knowing that we both have big drinkers in our families.

[LVBride2Be]

I don't really want a lot of alcohol at my wedding. FH's family are big drinkers, mine not so much-in fact I know that my side won't drink that many at all...but his side will...I'm not willing to pay for that simply because our guests don't needed to be drinking alcohol the entire time at our reception.

[SouthernQueenBride]

Open bar baby!!! I wouldn't feel right having my guests paying for their drinks. .

I totally agree with you here. I would not offer a bar before I had someone pay for their drinks. Or I would find other areas to cut back in. You need to loook at your reception as the "First Major Party" that you are hosting as a couple. It is also a way to say, "Thank you for your support and love" to your guests. I really hope I don't offend anyone... but I do think it can be perceived as rude to not pay for your guests dinner, drinks, etc...

[EarlyBird]

I totally agree with you here. I would not offer a bar before I had someone pay for their drinks. Or I would find other areas to cut back in. You need to loook at your reception as the "First Major Party" that you are hosting as a couple. It is also a way to say, "Thank you for your support and love" to your guests. I really hope I don't offend anyone... but I do think it can be perceived as rude to not pay for your guests dinner, drinks, etc...

Queen Bee - I agree with you completely, however, beachfrog the one thing you may want to think about is our perception is also by WHERE WE LIVE. some girls have mentioned that it is ABOVE AND BEYOND to have anything other then sodas or juice from where they live. other have stated that where they live a limited cash bar (usually open bar for cocktail hour and the first house of the reception- then goes to cash) is very customary. Personally where im from, open bar is the only way i would go- for many reasons. But it depends on your guests, your children (personally FH doesnt drink so if it werent for my guests we would do a light champagne toast and maybe a bottle of wine on each table) and it also matters where your having it- and believe it or not sometimes hosting an open bar can be cheaper- (SOMETIMES THE VENUE OR CATERER WILL INCLUDE IT OR LUMP IT INTO THE PACKAGE FOR AN EXTRA 8$ OR SO A PERSON- THATS THE PRICE OF TWO DRINKS AT THE CASH/HOST BAR) If your sons in laws are paying for cateter, see if they will give a package deal and just give the money to the brides parents when they pay for the caterer.

[Nik54545]

We are having an open bar. The caterer was awesome to us with his price though...$19 for prime rib and $16 for the chicken and that includes the open bar all night. We lucked out that he is my mother's neighbor.

[Danielle9608]

We are having an open bar. The caterer was awesome to us with his price though...$19 for prime rib and $16 for the chicken and that includes the open bar all night. We lucked out that he is my mother's neighbor. Holly cow!! That is a great price! Is this common for your area? I am paying $90 per person for prime rib and baked stuffed shirmp and that doesn't include open bar!!!

[TangoWedding]

I am paying $90 per person for prime rib and baked stuffed shirmp and that doesn't include open bar!!!


:bbeek: Ok. I hope you're only having like 10 people at your wedding. Hehe!

That's outrageous!

[EarlyBird]

sadly danielle thtas about what prices are here 90-115 average :( but it does include open bar

[Danielle9608]

:bbeek: Ok. I hope you're only having like 10 people at your wedding. Hehe!

That's outrageous!
Yea I wish ... I am having about 130. But here in MA that price is pretty standard if you are getting married in a hotel :bbcry:

[SouthernQueenBride]

Holly cow!! That is a great price! Is this common for your area? I am paying $90 per person for prime rib and baked stuffed shirmp and that doesn't include open bar!!!

***Faints***
WOW! I guess I should not complain about the price of my reception then! LOL
We are not having a sit down dinner but we are having a heavy hor'dovere buffet for $10 per person and then we are having an open bar (That is where it gets pricey!!!) I got REALLY REALLY REALLY lucky w/ my caterer. She is the mother of the lady who is doing my flowers and her and her church buddies are doing the catering and they even said that if we wanted to go to Sams (or some people have Costco's) that we could just bring whatever else we wanted and they would cook it and put it out!!!

[neebelung]

I refuse to do any sort of cash bar, or anything where our guests will have to have any out of pocket expense... So we'd contemplated open bar, but realized really, there's no need for liquor. Our friends and family enjoy a drink or two, but aren't big liquor drinkers over all... So we're doing beer and wine (and we'll definitely do premium of both).

But for our cocktail hour, since it's going to have an Island/tropical theme to it, we're going to bring in a company that does those margarita/daquiri machines... so there'll be SOME liquor, but just not in the open bar sense.

[SouthernQueenBride]

"I refuse to do any sort of cash bar, or anything where our guests will have to have any out of pocket expense... " I agree with you 200% here!

[neebelung]

Oh and bar packages here run anywhere from $15-$30 a head for beer and wine only, to $30-$50 a head for open bar, plus about 20% service charge and/or a fee per bartender.

[Joe's girl]

We are doing an open bar, if you are on a limited budget you can do beer and wine a specialty drink of the day. People really do frown upon a cash bar, My friend had one and people do not think to bring cash and it really put a damper on things when people were running out to a mac machine. If you are having a cash bar make sure you let them know on your invite.

[keri_rae]

Hey - just a question for opinions . . .

If we're having aprox 200 guests and wine as well as beer - how many kegs should we get?

The lady at the wine/beer place said only one but that seems SUPER unrealistic to me.

The reception is 4 hours and alcohol will be served 3 1/2 of those. (We're stopping alcoholic beverages half hour before the reception is over for safety's sake - haha or a weak attempt at it.)

[OctoberWed]

***Faints***
WOW! I guess I should not complain about the price of my reception then! LOL
We are not having a sit down dinner but we are having a heavy hor'dovere buffet for $10 per person and then we are having an open bar (That is where it gets pricey!!!) I got REALLY REALLY REALLY lucky w/ my caterer. She is the mother of the lady who is doing my flowers and her and her church buddies are doing the catering and they even said that if we wanted to go to Sams (or some people have Costco's) that we could just bring whatever else we wanted and they would cook it and put it out!!!


WOW! No wonder you can afford an open bar! $10.00 per person is crazy! We're having a formal 4 course meal at $90 per person--we can't afford open bar! We're doing an open bar for cocktail hour, then a cash bar after that--but this seems to be the norm for my area!

[Danielle9608]

WOW! No wonder you can afford an open bar! $10.00 per person is crazy! We're having a formal 4 course meal at $90 per person--we can't afford open bar! We're doing an open bar for cocktail hour, then a cash bar after that--but this seems to be the norm for my area!


Thank you Thank you Thank you Now I don't feel like the odd one of out! I am paying the same and also having a formal 4 course meal. We are doing the same thing open bar for the first hour I am also having the waitors walk around with wine during the meal. I have never been to a wedding where it was open bar all night.

[EarlyBird]

no 90 bucks a person is about right- everywhere here is between 80-120 pp and i hae found a handful of places for under 80 bucks- however, with most places i said "throw in open, unlimited bar" and they agree-

[OctoberWed]

Danielle9608, I think it must be our area! I'm from just outside Boston too and I'm getting married in a hotel! I've never been to a wedding that was open bar for the entire wedding--usually just the cocktail hour! We are also having wine service during dinner--I think thats enough. After that if people want to keep drinking they can feel free, its just on their own dime! :)

[Danielle9608]

no 90 bucks a person is about right- everywhere here is between 80-120 pp and i hae found a handful of places for under 80 bucks- however, with most places i said "throw in open, unlimited bar" and they agree-

Wow that some good negotiation skills you have! My venue would not bug on anything. But I have a very unusal venue, there are maybe 5 place in MA to get married on a actual beach, so their attitude was take it or leave it we will have place fill up you space in a matter of a week. :(

[erika85]

In our area it is standard to just buy the beer and everything else is cash bar.

[Joe's girl]

What area is that?

[erika85]

What area is that?

In Nebraska

[Joe's girl]

****....here In NJ its all or nothing.

[heatherjean8737]

we are either doing a Host Bar or an Open Bar but we are undecided. Whatever one we choose, we are having 4 hours of the reception this. If the reception is longer than this, we may keep doing Host Bar if the bill isn't too outrageous or we will just start serving coffee.

[Joe's girl]

I would forfeit 4 courses for open bar...but thats just in my area.

[stateofbliss]

I'm in Southern Ontario, just outside of Toronto and it's customary to have a completely open bar for 4 or more hours plus 1 hour (at least) cocktail party after the ceremony and unlimited wine with dinner. The cost of our package was $120 a head which includes 3 course meal and the open bar (along with venue, all linens etc. etc.). We have approximately 150 on the guest list at the moment. Eek!

[Brian's Bride]

In WI it seems customary to provide beer and soda during the reception. I've also seen both ways with the cocktail hour, both cash and open for that time. I'm still deciding what to do... FH doesn't like the cost of open bar, but I agree that it's rude to expect people to pay for drinks...

[StarCoveter]

Wow, I have no clue what is "customary" in NC. Thankfully my family understands how untraditional we are anyhow. In my family at least, I'm the weirdest one in their opinion (vegetarian, piercings/tattoos, artist - and FH is the same way - nevermind having so many pets and buying a house before getting married) so I'm sure nothing will really surprise them... I hope!

If anything, we will do a bottle of champagne maybe on each table.... maybe. I can't decide though because we're not huge drinkers, and I think that we can have fun without all that.

[heatherh321]

We are having free beer and probably some wine and also champagne for toasting. At our venue people can bring in drinks of their own. I know this probably sounds pretty country, but around here thats how it works! Not the classiest event-but it will be fun!

[shelli]

Hello Everyone: In regards to bar packages: My concern is for you gals contemplating a cash bar. If you look at any professional ettiquette experts advise it clearly states that asking your guests to dig in their pockets for drink money is totally in poor taste. Have the wedding/reception you can afford. If that means cutting back on alcohol or not having it at all, this is far better that ofending your guests who have come to help you celebrate your day and don't expect to have to pay for your party. Please reconsider the cash bar.

[InLove5]

I FOUND A RECEPTION HALL I REALLY LIKE! ON THEIR SITE IT SAYS "TOP SHELF BAR" FOR FOUR AND A HALF HOURS....top shelf bar meaning? It doesn't say what it includes unless I misread it, but I'm sure I didn't.

[Joe's girl]

I FOUND A RECEPTION HALL I REALLY LIKE! ON THEIR SITE IT SAYS "TOP SHELF BAR" FOR FOUR AND A HALF HOURS....top shelf bar meaning? It doesn't say what it includes unless I misread it, but I'm sure I didn't.
It means good alcohol like instead of cheap vodka they will have absolute or grey goose they will have all the major brands of liquor like jack daniels not cheap generic.

[gennymac]

I'm in NC, but have never been to a wedding or an anniversary party that had a cash bar. Not here, not in VA, not in SC, not in GA, not in NJ, not in DC, not in NY..........I think that covers all the ones I 've been to.

Our plan is to have a Champagne Toast - but the wait staff will have both Champagne and Sparkling Cider to offer guests prior to the toast. That will be the signal the bar is open to those guests who wish to drink.

We are not having a Cocktail hour - simply because we have soooo many people on the groom's side who are seriously against alcohol - so instead we are opening the bar quietly. But it will not be a cash bar and there will be no tickets.

I understand cost issues, and if doing the alcohol is a cost consideration, then don't do it at all instead of a cash bar. Regardless of where you have seen it done or not done - this is just one of those 'don't do's. I have to say I would be highly offended if I were presented with a ticket at a wedding, as if to say "You can't be trusted to act like an adult here". And if that really is the reason you are doing a cash bar, then just leave it off entirely.

Sorry - MHO

[soontobemrs]

We are getting married in New Jersey and the hall we booked had a premium bar package included in the price - we downgraded to a beer, wine and soda bar which knocked off $4.00 per person with the option that if someone wanted a mixed drink they could to pay for it. My family is very easy going and they don't mind paying for a mix drink if they choose to have one.

[CustomRoses]

In Rhode Island I was told if you are holding an event where you rent the venue and do everything yourself you have to have a MILLION dollar insurance policy. Is that the same everywhere else? How does everyone else deal with the liability issues? If you hire a certified bartender is the liability transferred to their company or is it still yours? I like the drink ticket ideas BTW

[Fireman'sgirl]

I just wanted to chime in. I live in Indy and about half of the weddings I have been to have been cash, and no one has complained that I have heard. Most people bring money for the dollar dance anyways, so they usually just plan on having money on them. We're going to have either kegs or cans of beer and maybe wine, but I really don't have the money to shell out for a bar. When you get 40 or so firemen together to party it gets a little crazy. And as far as insurance, we just have to get the liability so if anyone gets hurt the place is covered and so are we. It's only about $175 here.
:beer_smile: :beer: :cheers: :drunk:

[WebLady]

The cash bar is not "proper" but it is fairly common in many areas.

I personally have no problem with it (I did it myself, but offered free sodas), but if you do go with this option I would make a point to make it known to your guests.

[Nikita706]

I like the host bar with dollar limit. We're doing free beer, wine and champagne. A full bar will be available, but if you want hard liquor, you have to buy your own drinks. I've seen it done at numerous other weddings, and I don't find it offensive at all.

You could also provide beer, wine and champagne, then have 1 or 2 cocktails of your choice for guests to choose from. I've seen that done at weddings as well. We're doing a winter theme with white and blue, so we could have one blue cocktail and one white cocktail, then everyone's drinks could accent the table, lol. It's really about what's in your budget. I don't think anyone would be offended at not getting free cocktails (I certainly wouldn't). Or offering 2 drinks per person seems fair. I'm kind of rambling, but really, it's up to you and your daughter.