Self-serve?

geekybridetobe

Me and my FI have been going through ideas on what we might want to do once we actually start planning everything.
We want a casual, outside, probably bbq-type reception. We were also planning on just having beer and wine (plus, other non-alcholic drinks). Is it possible to have a self-serve bar, so we don't have to pay anyone extra to bartend.
Beer might be easier, people could just grab a can/bottle out of the cooler. Its the wine I'm more concerned about.

Has anyone done this? Or seen it done?

frogurt814

I think if you have bottled/canned drinks then it's not a big deal for people to go grab their own drink.  Lots of companies sell wine in individual sized bottles.  You could look into those if you are concerned about that.

Something else to keep in mind is that if you don't have anyone tending the alcohol then there is a chance that under age guests could get into it.

geekybridetobe

Thanks. Thats a good point about underage guests. Since we are only in the gathering ideas stage, we haven't figured out if there will be anyone under 21 yet, but its a good thing to consider if there is.

And I will have to look into individual wine bottles.

kaesha

For me it's definitely the legal issues to worry about. In some states and provinces, hosts of a party are partially legally responsible if someone at their party drinks and drives and causes an accident. Having a bartender with liability insurance will save your butt big time in case one of your guests makes a stupid decision. You really have better things to do than spend the night policing your guests drinking practices and cutting people off when they're required to be cut off, you know?

geekybridetobe

Thanks. I never considered the legal issues surrounding it.

Though, once we figure out a venue and see what the have to offer and their policies, how would I go about looking into and possibly hiring a bartender for the event? This is if the venue doesn't have  a specific person they use, and we plan on not going through a catering service for food.

geekybridetobe

Also, legal issues aside, suppose this was a small, over 21, reception. And, being small, we knew and trusted everyone there not to go to crazy. And the venue allowed us to have alcohol without a bartender, would it be possible?

I'm not trying to break any rules, and if the venue had a specific was of doing, I would follow it. I'm just trying to think of how it could work smoothly if it was possible.

I Want Cake

You could find a bartender really cheap at a local bartending school.  I've never been to a self-serve bar at a reception, but I think that's probably because the venues have a policy in place to avoid it.  I'd actually think it would be stranger to not have some sort of policy than to have one.  The venue itself may hold some liability.

TEA&Co

I'd just worry that you'd really run the risk of someone over-serving themselves, as other PPs have stated.  Even if you think/know everyone is responsible, I think many people have been in the situation where they drink a little toooo much without realizing it..

Good luck!

katheriner89

I say find a friend of a friend, or a cousin of a friend.. I'm sure they would act professional & it would be cheap. I'm getting my favorite bartender at a local mexican restraunt to do out wedding.

kaesha

Just make sure they have insurance, whoever you get.

geekybridetobe

Thanks everyone

specialk84

My BM and her husband did this at their very casual wedding.  They just had beer and soda for the most part.  There was a bottle of Jack floating around.

There were a few underage family members who tried to grab a beer.  A few of us were on the lookout.  I distinctly remember walking by Fi's nephew (15, holding a beer), removing the beer from his hand, and saying, "Nope."  No one got away with it.

However, FI's BIL is a nurse and just finished a double shift.  He didn't eat much and hit the Jack hard.  Throughout the afternoon, people kept saying, "Where's BIL?"  We finally found him outside, behind a fallen tree, passed out.

Please get a bartender.

nisecutting

We went to a very casual small wedding and they filled a canoe with ice and it had beer in it.  It worked great.  I thought it was a cute idea.