Open bar vs. pay-by-consumption

lcg06001 · December 2012

I like the idea and convenience of open bar, but with some venues' pricing I wonder if it is actually worth the cost (and I've read some places swear that a by-consumption pricing actually benefits the hosts cost-wise when all is said and done). Has anyone done a by-consumption open bar? If you don't mind sharing how many guests you had and what the grand total came to for alcohol, that would be helpful.

HobokensFury · December 2012

It depends on your crowd. If they are the drinking, partying type a consumption bar may wind up costing more than an open bar. Find out how much each drink is and do a rough estimate. Figure 2 drinks the first hour and 1 drink per hour afterwards.

dtbluv · December 2012

This totally and completely depends on your crowd.

I went to a Sunday Afternoon wedding (noon-five) and the bride later said if they'd been paying by consumption it probably would have been double the cost of the open bar. People were doing shots, drinking wine like it was water, and sucking down margaritas like they were going out of style. Luckily the bride and groom knew their guests, and knew this was a likely scenario, so they opted for the open bar.

I know this type of behaviour isn't always typical, but it does happen, so you really just have to know your crowd.

AdeleDazeem · December 2012

I agree with the others - look at your guest list. Consumption works best when you have a large crowd that will most likely not drink too much. For us, the flat rate per guest per hour open bar was the best choice because EVERYONE was going to drink up a storm. Had we done consumption, the cost probabyl would have been twice as much.

lyndausvi · December 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_open-bar-vs-pay-by-consumption?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:5Discussion:31fa063a-ddf2-4b27-8768-78b14028facbPost:57d28789-7f69-40f4-a30f-9df856d51a2c">Re: Open bar vs. pay-by-consumption</a>:
[QUOTE]<strong>This totally and completely depends on your crowd. </strong>I went to a Sunday Afternoon wedding (noon-five) and the bride later said if they'd been paying by consumption it probably would have been double the cost of the open bar. People were doing shots, drinking wine like it was water, and sucking down margaritas like they were going out of style. Luckily the bride and groom knew their guests, and knew this was a likely scenario, so they opted for the open bar. I know this type of behaviour isn't always typical, but it does happen, so you really just have to know your crowd.
Posted by dtbluv[/QUOTE]

<div>This. Our entire guest list will drink at a party no matter what day of the week it is or time of day. Per person is the only way to go with us. Your crowd might different.</div>

HobokensFury · December 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_open-bar-vs-pay-by-consumption?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:5Discussion:31fa063a-ddf2-4b27-8768-78b14028facbPost:fe0c31be-25a3-49fd-b104-28b5af61c982">Re: Open bar vs. pay-by-consumption</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Open bar vs. pay-by-consumption : This. Our entire guest list will drink at a party no matter what day of the week it is or time of day. Per person is the only way to go with us. Your crowd might different.
Posted by lyndausvi[/QUOTE]

Yeah our wedding was on St. Patty's Day, so we knew people would be drinking alot. So open bar was the only way to go.

Bliss35 · December 2012

I know our crowd of friends like to drink (and so do we), but my wedding day is not a drunk-fest. This is said from someone who has worked in the bar industry and catered to weddings for 10 years. I have seen way too many drunk-flops that embarrasses the family. It is a given, that people will always remember the worst so that is not a moment that I would like to enable for the reception (dilirious drunks). i will compromise with open bar for a couple hours and then they can afford their own drinking habits. Obviously I feel very strongly about this from my experience, so it is not about the money.

MyNameIsNot · December 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_open-bar-vs-pay-by-consumption?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:5Discussion:31fa063a-ddf2-4b27-8768-78b14028facbPost:d2af0839-47c6-4ffd-b9d4-6e82349baea6">Re: Open bar vs. pay-by-consumption</a>:
[QUOTE]I know our crowd of friends like to drink (and so do we), but my wedding day is not a drunk-fest. This is said from someone who has worked in the bar industry and catered to weddings for 10 years. I have seen way too many drunk-flops that embarrasses the family. It is a given, that people will always remember the worst so that is not a moment that I would like to enable for the reception (dilirious drunks). i will compromise with open bar for a couple hours and then they can afford their own drinking habits. Obviously I feel very strongly about this from my experience, so it is not about the money.
Posted by Bliss35[/QUOTE]

<div>So its just being rude to be rude? Charging your guests isn't going to stop anyone from getting drunk, but it does make you a bad host.</div><div>
</div><div>OP, I would go with the per person rate if you are in doubt. The security of knowing what the tab will be ahead of time is worth it. You don't want to be worrying about whether you'll be able to afford the bar tab during the reception. </div>

HobokensFury · December 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_open-bar-vs-pay-by-consumption?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:5Discussion:31fa063a-ddf2-4b27-8768-78b14028facbPost:d2af0839-47c6-4ffd-b9d4-6e82349baea6">Re: Open bar vs. pay-by-consumption</a>:
[QUOTE]I know our crowd of friends like to drink (and so do we), but my wedding day is not a drunk-fest. This is said from someone who has worked in the bar industry and catered to weddings for 10 years. I have seen way too many drunk-flops that embarrasses the family. It is a given, that people will always remember the worst so that is not a moment that I would like to enable for the reception (dilirious drunks). i will compromise with open bar for a couple hours and then they can afford their own drinking habits. Obviously I feel very strongly about this from my experience, so it is not about the money.
Posted by Bliss35[/QUOTE]

So you joined TK today just to deliver this PSA?

itzMS · December 2012

Paying a flat rate per-person is almost always the best option. Two factors to consider:

1. At a reception, folks will leave half-full drinks somewhere on a table and forget where they put them, and then go to the bar and get another full drink. This happened to me 5 different times at my own reception. Someone would want a picture, so I'd set my drink down, get to talking, and forget where I put it.

2. People in general always drink more when someone else is paying. Friends that I'd never seen drink before definitely were having a great time at my reception!

Spunky414 · December 2012

We ended up negioting with our venue to pay by consumption until we hit the open bar price. It doesn't hurt to ask. If you can't get that, know your crowd and know what they drink.

I'm anticipating that we will be paying by consumption. Our venues per person/per hour pricing is high enough that everyone would need to drink 3 of the cheaper drinks an hour or 2 of the more expensive drinks (which our crowd isn't into), since we are just having a dinner I think that's unlikely.

AdeleDazeem · December 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_open-bar-vs-pay-by-consumption?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:5Discussion:31fa063a-ddf2-4b27-8768-78b14028facbPost:d2af0839-47c6-4ffd-b9d4-6e82349baea6">Re: Open bar vs. pay-by-consumption</a>:
[QUOTE]I know our crowd of friends like to drink (and so do we), but my wedding day is not a drunk-fest. This is said from someone who has worked in the bar industry and catered to weddings for 10 years. I have seen way too many drunk-flops that embarrasses the family. It is a given, that people will always remember the worst so that is not a moment that I would like to enable for the reception (dilirious drunks). i will compromise with open bar for a couple hours and then they can afford their own drinking habits. Obviously I feel very strongly about this from my experience, so it is not about the money.
Posted by Bliss35[/QUOTE]

You policing your family and friends like this won't keep Uncle Jack from getting drunk if that's what he wants to do. All it really does is make you - the host - look like a bad, condescending host.

lyndausvi · December 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_open-bar-vs-pay-by-consumption?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:5Discussion:31fa063a-ddf2-4b27-8768-78b14028facbPost:d2af0839-47c6-4ffd-b9d4-6e82349baea6">Re: Open bar vs. pay-by-consumption</a>:
[QUOTE]I know our crowd of friends like to drink (and so do we), but my wedding day is not a drunk-fest. This is said from someone who has worked in the bar industry and catered to weddings for 10 years. I have seen way too many drunk-flops that embarrasses the family. It is a given, that people will always remember the worst so that is not a moment that I would like to enable for the reception (dilirious drunks). i will compromise with open bar for a couple hours and then they can afford their own drinking habits. Obviously I feel very strongly about this from my experience, so it is not about the money.
Posted by Bliss35[/QUOTE]

<div>I've been a bar tender for may years myself. I would never suggest what you are sugguesting. EVER.</div>

daria24 · December 2012

We had a consumption bar, and it ended up being cheaper. Here is why it worked for us:

1. About 1/3 of our guest list did not drink at all (we had 96 guests). At least another 1/3 are the type that have two drinks and that's it.

2. We served beer, wine, and a signature drink. Beer was only $4, wine was $5. I think the cocktail was $7 or $8. The signature drink was popular, but most people only tried it and then switched to beer or wine.

3. We had to put a deposit down of $15pp, plus $200 to pay the bartender. Open bar would have been $26pp. We ended up owing $3, so people drank just about $15 worth exactly.

BTW, my wedding was at 6pm on a Friday night.

[Deleted User] · December 2012

We did an open bar because that was easier for my crowd. We had it open for cocktail hour and it was closed for about an hour for dinner. Wine was served with dinner and champagne toasts were out. Bar reopened for partying for a little over three hours.

amyjbear · December 2012

We had the same dilema for our reception. We tried to estimate how much our guests would drink and what that would cost us vs open bar. The open bar price ended up being right in the middle of our high and low estimates, so we just went with open bar so that we knew the final price and didn't have to guess or settle up at the end of the night.

melb2013 · December 2012

For me, the flat rate open bar is better because it gives me piece of mind. I would hate to assume who will drink what wrongly and end up paying a price over my original budget at the end of the day. We worked the flat rate open bar into the budget at the beginning, so I know that we can afford everything.

jlm9113 · December 2012

Just throwing this in there, but does your venue give the option of pay-by-consumption up to a certain dollar amount? I know some places let you set a limit and then let whoever you designate as the spokesperson for the bar decide if you want to keep the bar open (and therefore keep picking up the tab) or if you want to shut the bar down.

I'm sure plenty venues would also let you turn it into a cash bar after you hit your limit, but like PPs have pointed out, it's rude to make your guests take out their wallets.

jlm9113 · December 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_open-bar-vs-pay-by-consumption?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:5Discussion:31fa063a-ddf2-4b27-8768-78b14028facbPost:b0f93403-0c73-43c3-861f-ba95a929904a">Re: Open bar vs. pay-by-consumption</a>:
[QUOTE]We ended up negioting with our venue to pay by consumption until we hit the open bar price. It doesn't hurt to ask. If you can't get that, know your crowd and know what they drink. I'm anticipating that we will be paying by consumption. Our venues per person/per hour pricing is high enough that everyone would need to drink 3 of the cheaper drinks an hour or 2 of the more expensive drinks (which our crowd isn't into), since we are just having a dinner I think that's unlikely.
Posted by Spunky414[/QUOTE]

That is brilliant. I'm definitely going to have to try that negotiation.

happyfor25 · December 2012

Like others have said, it does really depend on your crowd. When my brother got married, he strongly urged his in-laws (who were paying) to go with the open bar option as his friends are big drinkers. Unfortunately, they did not take his advice and opted for consumption and the final bill was thousands more than the open bar would have been. Of course, if the guests had known they were paying per drink, we would have been a bit more considerate and ordered fewer shots.

xxstardust · December 2012

I've seen the consumption bar go terribly wrong. Nothing is worse then watching the B&G ripping into cards, hoping for cash, because they're so unprepared for what the bar tab ended up being.

sewdrs10 · December 2012

ok so lets just say you do a cash bar (because i don't know what to do yet) how would you let your guest know that it is a cash bar we thought about buying a couple kegs and something else...i suggested open bar and he doesn't care about 'being a good host" haha

Jen4948 · December 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_open-bar-vs-pay-by-consumption?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:5Discussion:31fa063a-ddf2-4b27-8768-78b14028facbPost:9a1d5ebd-b849-467d-ba43-fe585b715317">Re: Open bar vs. pay-by-consumption</a>:
[QUOTE]ok so lets just say you do a cash bar (because i don't know what to do yet) how would you let your guest know that it is a cash bar we thought about buying a couple kegs and something else...i suggested open bar and he doesn't care about 'being a good host" haha
Posted by sewdrs10[/QUOTE]

You should never, ever, ever do a cash bar. Not to save yourself money, not to control whether or not anyone else drinks, not for any reason whatsoever. Thus there is no need to let guests know about one. It's very rude. Being "guests" means they have the right to expect not to have to pay for their own food and drinks in their capacity of guests.

As for open bar vs. consumption, as others have pointed out above, it depends on who's coming and what their drinking habits are. If you are inviting mostly people who seldom drink, or have just one or two in the course of the reception, a consumption bar might well be your most cost-efficient course of action; if you are inviting people who have lots of drinks, on the other hand, it may well be cheaper to stick with an open bar. (Hopefully they won't drink too much!)

renegade gaucho · December 2012

We had a 150-person reception and probably 80% were drinkers. Our venue was really pushing the per-person flat rate, but we went with a consumption bar and it ended up costing significantly less than the bar package would have.

We went through our guest list and figured out what the total would be if all of the drinkers had five of the most expensive beverages, and that was still less than the per-person total (since we would have had to pay the established rate for everyone, even the non-drinking adults and children).

Either way, a cash bar is not appropriate, since the hosts of a party should provide everything for their guests. It's okay to limit what you offer- some people just do beer and wine, or, as you suggested above, purchase a few kegs- but your guests should not have to pay for any of it.

danaandmichael · December 2012

We are doing the flat fee. For us is $38 per person for 7 hours of open bar including wine, beer and highballs. We chose to go with the flat fee because of people taking drinks and not finishing them/leaving them around.

My sister-in-law had 150 guests and a pay-by-consumption bar and their bar bill was $12k at the end of the night. I wanted the flat fee so I didn't have to spend my wedding day freaking out over all the half empty drinks I saw sitting around.

gmg75241 · December 2012

We had a full unlimited bar because our crowd are heavy drinkers. Because we were unsure of how much actual liquor the bartenders would put in the drinks, we just figured unlimited was the way to go. Also, we were unsure that if we did a consumption or host bar that either our tab limitwould be exceeded and it would have to turn to cash earlier than we would want or people would drink more than what we had set the bar limit at and we would be charged for all the extra drinks that night. We got a pretty good deal at $25 pp and we had 110 people.

Like everyone said though, it depends on how many people you are inviting and if they are drinkers or not. If you know the majority of your crowd does not drink, you should probably go with setting a bar limit so you can save money.

VJones1981 · December 2012

We are having an open bar. It is included in our per person price with dinner at our venue, so I am not sure of what it would cost by itself. Just a thought...we went out for my friend's 30th birthday and our bar bill was around 1000 for about 20 people. Some people drank a lot, but some only had 1 or 2 drinks. Some of the drinks were expensive, but most were average price.

mweber74 · December 2012

Our location offered "middle ground". We're putting down $750 which for our guests is 2 drinks a person (wine/beer). After the money is gone it converts to a "cash" bar.

KellyBrian2013 · December 2012

In Response to Re:Open bar vs. paybyconsumption:[QUOTE]Our location offered quot;middle groundquot;. nbsp;We're putting down 750 which for our guests is 2 drinks a person wine/beer. nbsp;After the money is gone it converts to a quot;cashquot; bar. Posted by mweber74[/QUOTE]

Rude. Your guests should never ever ever have to pay for anything. If you cannot afford to host wine and beer for the ENTIRE night, then have a dry wedding.

sewdrs10 · December 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_open-bar-vs-pay-by-consumption?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:5Discussion:31fa063a-ddf2-4b27-8768-78b14028facbPost:1a072ea4-8943-4105-9b24-b25e1eb37333">Re: Open bar vs. pay-by-consumption</a>:
[QUOTE]Our location offered "middle ground". We're putting down $750 which for our guests is 2 drinks a person (wine/beer). After the money is gone it converts to a "cash" bar.
Posted by mweber74[/QUOTE]

<div>
</div><div>this is what i decided to do and if they don't want to have to pay for it then they don't have to we will have heavy drinkers and it's not because we dont want them getting drunk or anything else is because that's what they can afford the place does not offer a open bar just an open tab and there is no telling what that can cost! i would just say don't open the bar until after the meal that way you don't have to close the bar down before the party really gets started</div>

HobokensFury · December 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_open-bar-vs-pay-by-consumption?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:5Discussion:31fa063a-ddf2-4b27-8768-78b14028facbPost:8cba1ab1-0eac-489e-be8f-0d9567b4bc9e">Re: Open bar vs. pay-by-consumption</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Open bar vs. pay-by-consumption : this is what i decided to do and if they don't want to have to pay for it then they don't have to we will have heavy drinkers and it's not because we dont want them getting drunk or anything else is because that's what they can afford the place does not offer a open bar just an open tab and there is no telling what that can cost! i would just say don't open the bar until after the meal that way you don't have to close the bar down before the party really gets started
Posted by sewdrs10[/QUOTE]

Sorry but no matter how you want to look at it pulling the bait and switch on your guests is rude.

Open bar vs. pay-by-consumption

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