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Bars

Carrie0930Carrie0930
First Comment
in Massachusetts-Boston
Are most bars in the Boston area for weddings you have been to cash bars or open bars?

I'm asking more for my own curiousity than for wedding planning.  I always read on the boards people say "people in XXX always have cash bars" or "I'm from XXX and I've never seen a cash bar" so I'm curious what everyones' experiences are.

My sisters both had cash bars because my parents weren't so interested in paying for people to get drunk at the wedding and my brother had an open bar (by consumption) for the whole wedding.  I was just at a wedding that was an open bar (wine/beer/soft drinks) for all except the last half hour when it switched to cash. 

We haven't decided what we're doing for our wedding yet.  We may end up having a beer and wine reception instead of a total open bar due to budgetary constraints (we will be paying for everything ourselves and are still saving for a down payment for a house and don't want to blow all of that on 5 hours of our lives).
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Re: Bars

  • october010brideoctober010bride
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    In my circle of family and friends and in my husbands family/circle of friends there have only been open bars. I've been to 9 weddings, 8 were completely open and one was open for cocktail hour and then just open for wine/beer.

    To be honest, I would be very surprised to go to a cash bar wedding.
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  • plato79plato79 member
    First Anniversary First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Most of the weddings I've been to have been cash bars. I've been to one fully open, but that was in CT and another one in RI where it was beer/wine. The rest and the majority have been cash bars. I never assume it will be open bar. 

    Also, remember that you're probably the best judge of your crowd. Nobody on this website except you can really know how a cash bar would be received at your wedding.

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  • ctag416ctag416
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Most weddings I have been to have been cash bars.  I've been to one wedding that was open bar and it was open because she brought in her own alcohol.  I would not be suprised to see a cash bar at a wedding.  We are not sure how we are working the bar yet at our wedding.  The coordinator there says 90% of the weddings there are cash bars.
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  • JBs_BrideJBs_Bride
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker First Comment
    edited December 2011
    In my circle and DH's circle, open bars are the norm. Open bar was a big priority for my parents (even though they aren't big drinkers themselves).
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  • ~Tuck~~Tuck~
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I have been to weddings where there have been full open bars, I have been to weddings where it has just been open for wine and beer, and I have been to weddings where it has been open cocktail hour only, and the rest of the reception was cash bar.  Our wedding was an open bar throughout, but that was only because my husband's parents paid for it.  We were just planning on doing an open cocktail hours, and the a cash bar for the rest of the reception.  It really depends on what you are comfortable with and what you can afford.
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  • SummerBoston10SummerBoston10
    First Comment Combo Breaker First Anniversary
    edited December 2011
    I have never been to a wedding that was not a full open bar.  I'm from Wisconsin where beer/wine only or cash bars are more accepted but even the weddings I have been to there have all been open bar.  I would be very surprised if I went to a wedding and there was a cash bar in Boston.  
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  • Karen's MOHKaren's MOH
    First Comment Combo Breaker
    edited December 2011
    I have only ever been to weddings that were full open bar. I think maybe 2 of them turned over to cash at the very end, which I now realize means they probably hit their level they wanted to spend, but I was done drinking by then both times anyway. I would be really surprised to go to a cash bar wedding.

    Most weddings I've been to were in the Boston area or the NYC/NJ area.
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  • booboo1978booboo1978
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I've been to both and am totally fine with both. I feel like it's the couple and their families decisions how to spend their money on the wedding, and if alcohol isn't a prioirty, that's fine by me.  I've been to fully open, fully cash, and a hybrid of the two. We're doing a hybrid--fully open during cocktail hour, hosted beer/wine/juice/sodas after that.  There will also be a bottle of white and red wines on the tables during dinner. Waters, teas and coffees are included in our contract and will be served at the tables. 
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  • penny12986penny12986 member
    First Anniversary First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I am from south of Boston and have been to 5 weddings, all cash bars.  I didn't even know that Open Bars existed until I joined the Knot and certainly had no idea that some people find cash bars to be so offensive.

    I have no problem with cash bars and they are the norm for people in my circle too.
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  • KrisKennyKrisKenny
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Cash bars are the norm for the weddings I have been to. Most of us though, don't have the extra money to spend on that. Also, in my group and my FI group of family/friends, some would end up being stupid just because they wouldn't stop at their limit.

    My feeling is you are a guest at my wedding. We would love for you to enjoy yourselves, but if you choose to drink, then you have to pay for it yourselves.
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  • Blueyed228Blueyed228 member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its Combo Breaker First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I had a full open bar.

    Most wedding I have been to have had some kind of open bar.  Either beer and wine, a signature drink, etc.

    I am always surprised when I see cash bars.
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  • snoangel79snoangel79
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Most of the weddings I have been to have a cocktail hour open then cash bar. We did open bar premium liquor (we didn't pay per consumption though we paid pp, it was a difference of about $8 per person from just cocktail hour open to full on 5 hours open. If it were consumption probably would have gone with a different venue.) Since we had about 100 drinking people that extra $800 was no big deal. People who came to our wedding did not get super trashed. A lot of people were very happy to see that they didn't have to open their wallets at all. 
    I've only been to one other wedding like mine with the full open and I still talk about that wedding 5 years later... hahaha
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