Ok. So this bothers me. Where I am from, Nova Scotia (Canada), cash bars are what we do and the norm. It's not "passing the buck" to your guests, it's giving them a choice - drink or don't. In the US, alcohol must be cheaper than what it is here because a 2-4 of beer here is over $50.....not all of us are millionaires or take on loans and second mortgages for our weddings. 200 guests + 50 cases of beer + 15% tax = insanity!
Cash bars also serve a very useful purpose - they cut back on drinking and driving!
This is just my 2 cents and bash away...I already know its coming!