I'm trying to figure out the best course of action for paying for an open bar at my wedding. I don't need to make a decision until right before the wedding day, but because this is the last big ticket item I haven't settled yet, it's been on my mind.
I live in MA, south of Boston. My wedding will have about 100 guests. My venue charges $24.95 per person for a 5 hour open bar, which will total $3180 with all the fees added in. I can also pay by consumption, meaning I will just pay for the drinks people actually get. My side of the family doesn't have any big drinkers, but my fiance's has a few. It's hard to predict if I will actually save money with the second option.
I know everyone's situation is different, but I'm wondering if people could share some some thoughts with me about this.
PS: I don't want pay for just beer and wine, because some people don't like those 2 options, including me.