Cash bar vs Open bar

[Deleted User]

At our venue we have to provide our own bartender and alcohol.  We are torn whether to have a cash bar or an open bar. We thought of the idea of having drinks for $1 and possibly making a sign at the bar saying "drinks are $1 which will go toward our honeymoon."  Is this tacky?

artbyallie

Do not charge your guests for anything at your wedding. End of story.

hoffse

Yes that's really tacky, particularly if you are bringing your own alcohol.  Everybody would know that the alcohol has already been paid for and frankly it's waaaaay cheaper to bring your own in the first place than having it served from the venue.  And honestly saying proceeds are going to your honeymoon?  No.  Because then people will know that they should have been free.

maribeth721

Guests are exactly that, guests. They shouldn't be charged.

RunsWithBears

Do not have a cash bar.  And absolutely DO NOT have a sign saying the money will go towards your honeymoon. It's very tacky to make guests pay for their drinks.  It's also very tacky to make them pay for your honeymoon.  Just have an open bar, since you get to bring your own alcohol it should be very doable (not to mention easy to do a bunch of fun signature drinks!)

MyNameIsNot

The word you are looking for is not tacky.  It's rude.

jemmini6

Your wedding is NOT a fundraiser.  To me, it's one thing to have an open bar when it's venue provided alcohol, but if you are providing it yourself and still charging, and not only charging, but trying to raise money for your HM, that's beyond tacky.  I probably wouldn't drink for the specific reason that you were fundraising...

Amynutrition

juma1111

OK, although I think the sign is tacky, I think depending on what part of the country you live in a cash bar can be very common. In the area I live in a cash bar is completely normal even for a very formal wedding and people attend wedding with cash in their pockets expecting to pay for drinks. If this is common in your area I see nothing wrong with making set drink prices: $3 beers, $4 mixed drinks, whatever price you want to charge.

HOWEVER, do not put up a sign that says anything about the money going towards your honeymoon or anything like that. If you are going to have a cash bar, have a cash bar and charge for the drinks. Otherwise don't, and have an open bar and leave it at that.

Avion22

If you have to ask if something is tacky, then it probably is.  

TiffannieF

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_cash-bar-vs-open-bar?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:5Discussion:ee9e0cb8-aa30-40e8-a134-ebd065240c0bPost:1a4b274e-631f-4c2e-a6f9-b906bc8aeead">Cash bar vs Open bar</a>:
[QUOTE]At our venue we have to provide our own bartender and alcohol.  We are torn whether to have a cash bar or an open bar. We thought of the idea of having drinks for $1 and possibly making a sign at the bar saying <strong>"drinks are $1 which will go toward our honeymoon."  Is this tacky?</strong>
Posted by tewellti[/QUOTE]

This discussion gets pretty heated here.  Yes this would be tacky.  Anytime you have guests pull out their wallet its tacky but to put a sign that says it would go towards your HM is even more tacky. 

That being said we had a cash bar.  We wanted a dry reception but my family complained about it BIG time saying they rather pay for drinks then not have any drinks so we went with a cash bar.  I still feel guilty about it.

HobokensFury

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_cash-bar-vs-open-bar?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:5Discussion:ee9e0cb8-aa30-40e8-a134-ebd065240c0bPost:1a4b274e-631f-4c2e-a6f9-b906bc8aeead">Cash bar vs Open bar</a>:
[QUOTE]At our venue we have to provide our own bartender and alcohol.  We are torn whether to have a cash bar or an open bar. We thought of the idea of having drinks for $1 and possibly making a sign at the bar saying "<strong>drinks are $1 which will go toward our honeymoon."  Is this tacky?</strong>
Posted by tewellti[/QUOTE]

Beyond tacky.  It also very rude.

alithebride

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_cash-bar-vs-open-bar?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:5Discussion:ee9e0cb8-aa30-40e8-a134-ebd065240c0bPost:1a4b274e-631f-4c2e-a6f9-b906bc8aeead">Cash bar vs Open bar</a>:
[QUOTE]At our venue we have to provide our own bartender and alcohol.  We are torn whether to have a cash bar or an open bar. We thought of the idea of having drinks for $1 and possibly making a sign at the bar saying "drinks are $1 which will go toward our honeymoon."  Is this tacky?
Posted by tewellti[/QUOTE]

ive seen a lot of tacky things on here over the years. this is one of the top 5.
no. making money off of your guests is awful.

blush64

Yes, I find that tacky.

I don't like cash bars but to state the money is for your honeymoon somehow makes it worse for me.

Beverly8

VERY tacky and VERY rude.  Only supply with you can afford at the reception.  If you can provide beer and wine or beer and wine and a signature drink, than that is all that you have.  I would not expect my guests to pay for their own beverages at my reception.  I also think it makes it even worse if you are advertising that the money they are paying is going towards your honeymoon.  Please rethink this and provide the open bar or limited bar you can afford. 

Simply Fated

Do you really think it's a good idea to make money off your guests?

Grits8812

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_cash-bar-vs-open-bar?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:5Discussion:ee9e0cb8-aa30-40e8-a134-ebd065240c0bPost:1a4b274e-631f-4c2e-a6f9-b906bc8aeead">Cash bar vs Open bar</a>:
[QUOTE]At our venue we have to provide our own bartender and alcohol.  We are torn whether to have a cash bar or an open bar. We thought of the idea of having drinks for $1 and possibly making a sign at the bar saying<strong> "drinks are $1 which will go toward our honeymoon."  Is this tacky</strong>?
Posted by tewellti[/QUOTE]
9 and a half out of 10 people here will tell you that a cash bar is tacky.  <div>
</div><div>The bolded part is beyond tacky.  Why do they need to know they are paying for your sex fest?</div>

Schpankehhh

We're having a cash bar at our wedding because 1) That's what the vendor offers and 2) We're not paying for alcohol because neither of us drink for different reasons and do not feel that we should have to pay for booze. 
We'll provide non-alcoholic drinks but that's it. 
So, I don't think a cash bar is tacky, but if you're already paying for the drinks and wanting to pocket extra cash, it's a little odd in my opinion.