My FI and I are talking about having an open bar at the wedding, the only problem is there are specific guests who don't handle themselves well when heavily intoxicated, but may not outwardly appear to be too drunk. Our plan was to create special "drink tokens," where everyone gets them, but specific people get specifically colored tokens that identify them as limited alcohol content/drink quantities. Basically:
Guest arrives, receives bag of drink tokens with their name on them. Regular guests get 10, "special exception" guests get 8 (i.e. persons who are 20 and are nearing their 21st birthday. For example, my MOH's birthday is September, and our wedding may be in September. If it was a situation where she was still 20 and her 21st birthday was shortly after the wedding, she would rate "special exception"), and limited drinkers (angry, destructive, reckless) get 6 in a designated color. You present the token with your name on it to the bartender, and it can be redeemed for one alcoholic drink (you don't need them for soda and water). When you are out of tokens, find the bride/groom. They will determine if you can continue drinking or if you need to stop. If you can continue, there will be a special token created called the "Bride/Groom's Promise" token, where you can redeem it for another drink.
The bartender still reserves the right to cut you off, for limited drinkers, the strength of your limited drinks is at the bartender's discretion, and getting ugly is grounds to be kicked out just like it would be anywhere else. If you have the same name as someone (for example, I have a cousin named Taylor who can handle her liquor and a friend named Taylor who can't), the last initial will be used.
Is this tacky or is it acceptable, considering we're paying for the venue and the alcohol being consumed? I'm also concerned with the limited drinkers feeling singled out because they're of age and being barred from the bar, and this is my way of letting them feel included in a way that barring them from the drinks as a whole would not. We also felt it was better than wristbands because we can limit intake the way we can't with a wristband, whereas with a drink token with your name on it that's laminated, you can't forge it or steal/ask for someone else's.