So I would like to get a general gyst of prices you've paid or are paying for bartender services, and what they include.
I just got off the phone with a good bartender who was well recommended, and was told the fee is $30 for bartenders and barback/server. I'm still waiting for a compete quote based on the conversation we had. I'm already purchasing the alcohol (wine and beer only venue, and will spend ~$620 for 89 adults - the list may go down due to responses). We expect them (1 bartender, 2 servers) to be there for at least 5 hours.
I know this is a bit vague, I'm just not sure where to start with this.
Thanks everyone.
Re: Bartender prices
Then we tipped on top of that. We tipped the bar tenders $200 each.
They setup and broke down the bar.
ETA - we provided all the alcohol. We had to rent all the tables, glasses, linens,etc for the entire event.
What are your expectations of them? Will they set up tear down? Are they responsible for making sure the venue is clean (dishes portered, tearing down the stations, rentals gathered and set aside) or just support staff during the meal service (clearing plates and glassware), who is managing your reception timeline, the food launch, teardown etc if not the staff you've hired?
On the flip side, we are paying our venue $100/bartender in addition to $23/per person for full open bar. I'm not sure what the venue pays them for the evening.
We had:
- 3 bartenders for 10 hours each, at $35/hr
- 1 barback for 9 hours at $30/hr
- set up for 2 double bars (cocktail hour) and 1 triple bar (reception) for $425 total (this included all equipment - lexans, bar mats, ice buckets, tools, trash barrels, etc, plus delivery, pick-up, set-up/breakdown)
- $14 per guest cost for the beverages (wine, beer, call liquor, mixers, bar fruit, soft drinks, ice) - we had 156 guests.
Our total was just over $3900, plus tip. This did not include any glassware or tables/linens for the bars, which we rented separately. Our venue is an open space with no actual "bar", and our caterer was not involved at all with the bar. Our bar service was an actual outside bartending service we hired, not related to the venue.
From my research, this is a pretty fair price for the Boston area (one venue in NH quoted us $12k for open bar and I almost puked - and it was not nearly a luxury venue by any means). Not sure where you are located, OP, but this can vary widely both for what you need from them and where you are getting married.
Again, you ladies rock for this awesome input.
The other serving staff was billed to me at $28/hour so I'm assuming that's what their rate would have been without the package.
ETA: This is in NW Arkansas.