Is this worth it? (bar question)

MeaganR12

Ok so a completely open bar at my venue is $35/person. We recently found out that if we just want to do beer and wine (same beer and wine offered with the full open bar package) is would be $31/person. $4 hardly seems like a difference but if we add it up for all the guests including taxes and service charges we'll be saving ~$600. 

At this point every dollar counts so I'm really considering it. I'm looking at it like that $600 can be put towards our honeymoon or rehearsal dinner to make them better. 

The pros are:

Cheaper (obviously)

We're in wine country and the wine served is from the winery where we're getting married so I feel like people will want to drink that anyway.

Cons:

I'm worried people will be disappointed there's no hard alcohol. I know for a fact that 3 of our close guy friends only drink whiskey but other than that people drink beer, wine, and hard liquor. 

I really don't want the event to come off as 'cheap' because we're only serving beer and wine. What do you think? Is the $600 savings worth it or should I just stick to my original plan?

lvissers

We are only serving beer and wine too. I think serving beer and wine is totally fine and might keep your guests a little more under control in the end anyways. I went to a $100k wedding and they just served wine and beer, so it's not a "cheap' thing to do. Keeps things simple and will save you money!

mbody

Would it be an option to have a running bar tab for anyone who orders hard alcohol? And just pay that afterwards? You could maybe work something out with your venue for something like this.

You'd be completely fine to just host beer and wine if that's what you choose. I wouldn't have hard alcohol available for purchase though.

bridetobe71412

Personally, I would keep it as open bar. I may be an outlier in this regard though.

Oh - And that in no way means I think it is "cheap" to do beer/wine only. I just think that since you already know 3 people who drink whiskey only, I'd keep the open bar for your guests.

butterflyjumper1

I like mbody's idea!! If I were a guest at your wedding, I would 100% drink wine all evening and be thrilled with it. However, like you said, there are some guests that will only want to drink liquor.  Maybe you could talk to your venue about this and see whether they think this might be a cheaper option for you.

k8888

Is your reception in the afternoon or evening?  I don't think it has anything to do with being "cheap" but moreso what is appropriate for your reception/crowd, so I would go with what you think the majority of the crowd woud be into. 

I'm not really familiar with weddings that don't do full open bar because it's completely unheard of in my area. 

My reception serves shitty beer so my crowd would be PISSED with just beer & wine... plus it's later in the evening and my friends/family are looking to party.

MeaganR12

I could do that but cocktails are $8/each. So if more than 50 cocktails are ordered (we're expecting ~115 guests) it would be more expensive. I'm hesitant to take that risk. 

ETA: ceremony starts at 6pm, most definitely an evening wedding. The beer is actually pretty good (fat tire, sierra nevada, corona, coors light, budweiser). 

Also, I dont think beer and wine is cheap at all, I went to a wedding last year that was like that and I didn't even notice. But that's because I order beer and wine. I was more or less asking if liquor drinkers would be annoyed by it. I would probably still offer liquor as a cash bar if I went with this option (and yes, I know that is against etiquette).

LADY324

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-club-boards_july-2012-weddings_is-this-worth-it-bar-question?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding Club BoardsForum:066005ef-215f-48b1-8655-328b41e07c52Discussion:2af05f0c-3370-4a7b-8db9-a3f225f73d18Post:61c64065-8498-4d34-a6ef-b782c7d3270c">Re: Is this worth it? (bar question)</a>:
[QUOTE]Is your reception in the afternoon or evening?  I don't think it has anything to do with being "cheap" but moreso what is appropriate for your reception/crowd, so I would go with what you think the majority of the crowd woud be into.  I'm not really familiar with weddings that don't do full open bar because it's completely unheard of in my area.  My reception serves shitty beer so my crowd would be PISSED with just beer & wine... plus it's later in the evening and my friends/family are looking to party.
Posted by k8888[/QUOTE]

I am with Kate on this one.  I have never gone to a wedding where it wasn't a full open bar.  I know my FI and his friends enjoy to have a hard drink at weddings.  He doesn't drink them often at home but all of the boys love to get a scotch and go hang out together while all of us ladies are on the dance floor. 

It really depends on your crowd.  I know my group of friends would be disappointed.  If you can swing it I would still do it. 

LADY324

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-club-boards_july-2012-weddings_is-this-worth-it-bar-question?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding Club BoardsForum:066005ef-215f-48b1-8655-328b41e07c52Discussion:2af05f0c-3370-4a7b-8db9-a3f225f73d18Post:dca77dad-6a75-4c06-8a7a-2ff64bb14ae8">Re: Is this worth it? (bar question)</a>:
[QUOTE]<strong>I could do that but cocktails are $8/each. So if more than 50 cocktails are ordered (we're expecting ~115 guests) it would be more expensive.</strong>I'm hesitant to take that risk.  ETA: ceremony starts at 6pm, most definitely an evening wedding. The beer is actually pretty good (fat tire, sierra nevada, corona, coors light, budweiser). 
Posted by MeaganR12[/QUOTE]

Yeah I would be afraid to risk this b/c then you can have a liquor bill way over the $600 at the end of the night.  You can't predict what everyone will drink.

penny12986

I think beer and wine only is a perfectly good option.  This is coming from a person who doesn't drink either of them and I am not offended by having to pay for another option.

We are hosting beer and wine only for cocktail hour because the price of open bar at our venue is obscene.  $28/pp for the first hour and $14/pp for each additional hour so for just 50 guests, it would cost us over $3000, ummm, no.

k8888

Sierra Nevada is one of our favorites... I would be content at your wedding 

mbody

I'd spring for the $600 to have a full open bar rather than doing the hard liquor as cash bar.

MeaganR12

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-club-boards_july-2012-weddings_is-this-worth-it-bar-question?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20Club%20BoardsForum:066005ef-215f-48b1-8655-328b41e07c52Discussion:2af05f0c-3370-4a7b-8db9-a3f225f73d18Post:23109838-5eb0-4aa2-8b82-4a63848d331f">Re: Is this worth it? (bar question)</a>:
[QUOTE]I'd spring for the $600 to have a full open bar rather than doing the hard liquor as cash bar.
Posted by mbody[/QUOTE]<div>
</div><div>I think that might be what ends up happening. At first it sounded like a great way to save a few hundred but the more I think about it the more I think it's a bad idea :-/</div><div>
</div><div>I suppose I could just not serve liquor at all, but I worry that will piss people off just as much as having a cash bar for liquor. 

</div>

butterflyjumper1

Yea, I agree with the others. Every penny counts at this point, so I totally udnerstand about trying to cut costs, but really, $600 is fairly small compared to what the difference COULD have been - I know it would have been way more than $4/person different if we switched from our full open bar to just wine and beer. Talking about this has REALLY made me want to drink some wine, by the way. Meagan what is the name of the winery where your wedding is, again? I love trying fun new wine and I am curious if it is one that sells around the country. plus, I am thirsty for wine right now.

MeaganR12

That's my main thing, the fact that $4/person might not be worth it. If the savings were $10-15/person it would be an easier decision. 

We're getting married at Murrieta's Well, they distribute across the country but it might be hard to find. The Whip and The Spur are very popular if you do find them. Wente owns them and is right next door, their wine is really easy to find. I LOVE Wente's Riesling, it's not as sweet as most Rieslings, fairly sweet but light and summery. And it's pretty reasonable, probably about $10-12 at a liquor store. Their cabs are popular too.

dawnleanna1

I would probably stick with the open bar. Saving money is important but it sounds like you may have some younger guests and would benefit from having a liquor option. If you do decide to go with beer/wine only I would probably do like you said and have a cash liquor bar. That being said, if I were a guest I would be totally happy with wine/beer especially good local stuff

ajmom2two

We are just having beer, wine and our signature drink.  We are not having any hard alcohol available at all but that works with our guests since they would mainly be drinking beer and wine only.  I have never been to a wedding that had a full cash bar.  It practically unheard of where I live at.  Every wedding I have ever been to here hosts a couple kinds of beer free, wine free and the rest is cash bar.  I think thats just whats normal in my area though.  If you think most of your guests will be fine I say go for it.  If not then its really not that much of a savings.  

avsfan33

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-club-boards_july-2012-weddings_is-this-worth-it-bar-question?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20Club%20BoardsForum:066005ef-215f-48b1-8655-328b41e07c52Discussion:2af05f0c-3370-4a7b-8db9-a3f225f73d18Post:dca77dad-6a75-4c06-8a7a-2ff64bb14ae8">Re: Is this worth it? (bar question)</a>:
[QUOTE]I could do that but cocktails are $8/each. So if more than 50 cocktails are ordered (we're expecting ~115 guests) it would be more expensive. I'm hesitant to take that risk.  ETA: ceremony starts at 6pm, most definitely an evening wedding. The beer is actually pretty good (fat tire, sierra nevada, corona, coors light, budweiser).  Also, I dont think beer and wine is cheap at all, I went to a wedding last year that was like that and I didn't even notice. But that's because I order beer and wine. <strong>I was more or less asking if liquor drinkers would be annoyed by it. I would probably still offer liquor as a cash bar if I went with this option (and yes, I know that is against etiquette).</strong>
Posted by MeaganR12[/QUOTE]

I don't know about your circle but I don't drink wine or beer and I wouldn't have a problem paying for hard liquor because the way I see it, at least it's an option if I want to drink.

But I also have no issue with cash bars in general so there is that.

Melissa.hylton

We are serving Beer and wine. We ordered 2 full kegs for a total of $398.00 thats tap and deposit included and then we bought 2 cases of merlot and chard. for $115. We are also doing Champagne. 

We also hired a bartender to cut anyone off so its not such a free for all. 

I think if we were to do hard alcohol it would get a bit out of control. I dont like hard alcohol anyway. We are beer drinkers mainly.