Tacky question but really want to know

Re: Tacky question but really want to know

• jacques27 member

  

  August 2014 edited August 2014

  I guess I can't really answer your question directly, but $800 sounds like more than enough.  Unless it's a holiday weekend:
  

  1. I'm probably cutting out way earlier than 11pm to go to work on Monday, particularly with no dancing involved (not that I love dancing, I've always said I plan to have my wedding in the tiny town from Footloose, but receptions without it tend to wrap up earlier, even if not planned that way),
  2. Even if I stay the whole time, I'm cutting out the alcohol earlier and just drinking water for the last couple hours to avoid hangover at work,
     
  3. Alcohol is usually what fuels my dancing at receptions, so at a reception without dancing, I'm probably going to be drinking less overall.  I'd probably have two, maybe three.  I'd have a mixed drink during cocktail hour, a glass of wine during dinner, and another mixed drink after at most.

  Ultimately, it depends on your crowd.  If they are all younger without 9-5 jobs and heavy drinkers, then you'll likely spend more.  If the crowd is mixed and full of light to moderate drinkers and responsibilities the next day, then if you arranged to have your bar paid per drink (where they charge you the actual amount accrued per drink at the end of the night instead of a flat rate), I wouldn't be surprised if you actually spend way less than $800.
  

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• JoanE2012 member

  

  August 2014

  emz101 said:

  Ok ladies I know its super tacky to ask a question in regards to how much people have spent but I am having a really hard time budgeting for alcohol. I am having a full open bar, and with my budget the budgeter on here gives me $800 to spend. However that doesn't sound like very much. I am having 50 guests and it is a Sunday wedding with no dancing and the reception will be finished around 11pm. Has anyone had a similar wedding? All the wedding alcohol calculators out there while they are helpful on beer and wine they keep giving me the amount of hard alcohol bottles to budget for instead of individual cocktails. Any advice, or comments would be greatly appreciated.

  
  

  Thanks!!!

  Are you buying the alcohol and hiring a bartender to mix the drinks?  The average usually used is 2 drinks the first hour and one drink each additional hour, per guest.  Or does the venue supply everything and you pay a consumption fee (ie however many drinks are consumed)?

  
  

  Also, I imagine most people will not stay until 11pm because 1) it's a Sunday night and 2) there's no dancing.

  
  

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• emz101 member

  

  August 2014

  Thanks I think your right @jacques27, I think I am just confused because the alcohol calculators all calculate for a standard Saturday night party wedding.

  The wedding is being held in a upscale restaurant so there is a bartender and servers who provide the drinks and everything is on consumption basis. As well we aren't having to many hard drinkers maybe a quarter of the guests, as well there are some non drinkers.

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• hyechica81 member

  

  August 2014

  could you sub out the more expensive mixers for less expensive mixers to save money like instead of grey goose vodka do the house brand?

  
  

  offer beer and wine and maybe a few signature drinks? to cut down cost 

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• lc07 member

  

  August 2014

  emz101 said:

  Thanks I think your right @jacques27, I think I am just confused because the alcohol calculators all calculate for a standard Saturday night party wedding.

  The wedding is being held in a upscale restaurant so there is a bartender and servers who provide the drinks and everything is on consumption basis. As well we aren't having to many hard drinkers maybe a quarter of the guests, as well there are some non drinkers.

  
  

  
  

  Stuck in the box

  
  

  
  

  
  

  What does each drink cost at your venue? Upscale restaurants in my area charge $10-$15 for a drink, so that's about 1 - 1.5 drinks/pp which doesn't seem like enough of a budget. 

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