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I think it's pretty neat here on WB that you have so many people from different areas that are planning the same event and everything is so different! It seems like a lot of things are regional and I just heard about this 'cash bar' concept for weddings not long ago on WB. I work at a club that does weddings and from all the ones I've ever worked at and the ones I've gone to it's just always an open bar (except my sis as I was 17 and didn't care and it was a backyard affari) so I'm so intrigued that something that I just assumed was a given....isn't! :)
Because of that, if I were invited to a wedding somewhere that isn't in my area I would be SOL in the wine department that I love with dinner because I only ever bring $5 for valet and $2 or so for the coatroom tip if it's cold. There just is no reason around here to bring any cash to a wedding beyond that. I doubt a lot of nice places have an ATM in the lobby, lol, so I guess I wouldn't be able to have my wine 
So - if you don't mind satisfying my curiosty, Which is the norm for your area: Cash Bar or Open Bar? And....where do you live?
Norm for Alaska is cash bar - maybe because we have heavy drinkers here?? ha ha ha. Well, we have tougher DUI laws here too, so maybe that's why?
I'm on the East Coast, and I have never been to a cash bar wedding, only open bar. People who were on tight budgets may have restricted it to beer and wine, but around here, a cash bar would be considered tacky.
the most basic ive seen for sydney is wine, beers (inc imported) and soft drinks
we're italian and greek families so generally its the above plus spirits
I disagree. If you really read a lot of the posts saying that all weddings are cash bars in their area and everyone would know to bring cash to a wedding it's clearly regional. I've noticed a lot of those posters are from Canada but a lot of people don't have their area posted - which is why I'm asking
Iowa/Illinois border - combo... usually beer and wine is hosted, liquor is cash
I live on the east coast - in NYC - of all the weddings I have been to in NYC, Jersey, Long Island, Westchester...they have all been open bar...never been to a cash bar once or really ever hear it discussed as an option.
NY/NJ area and I have never been to a wedding with a cash bar. I've also attended weddings in AZ, D.C., L.A., Chicago, Ohio and Milwaukee and never encounterd a cash bar. I kind of think it is less a regional thing and more a social circle thing.
Will someone from Southern California or the Orange County area please tell me? I've only been to one very casual wedding with no bar at all, so I don't know!
Open bar in Turkey where I grew up, and open bar in Los Angeles where I now live.
We're having an open bar for beer, wine & soft drinks (& sparkling for toasts and cocktail hour) - and it'll likely be open for cash if people want spirits/hard liquor. :)
I've lived in 3 counties in CA, 1 in Washington, 3 in VA, and 2 in NJ, all the weddings I've attended in above had had open bars.
Open bar in San Diego, cash bar in WI, dry wedding in CO, BYOB in CO, partial cash bar in CO, partial cash bar in HI, cash bar in ME.
Im on the east coast (attended weddings in NY, VT, MA, DE, PA, NJ and NH) I've probably been to 30+ weddings - All but 1 have been open bar.
Weddings I have attended in CA and LA have been open bar as well.
New England/NYC Open Bar.
I currently live in NorCal and havent been to a wedding yet here, but talking to friends and coworkers while planning mine I havent heard of a cash bar.
I have been to one cash bar, but it was a very low key, low budge bar in the backyard of the Moose Lodge. The bar was super duper cheap though. $1 for a beer. And for the record, that was the most fun I have ever had at a wedding! But no one had cash and almost everyone had to run out to the ATM to get cash for the bar. Luckily it was a real casual wedding so it was OK to leave and return.
Open bar here in Washington and in a lot of other states and provinces that I have family. I know it is a huge budget issue; however, in my opinion, you are inviting your guests to attend your wedding/reception, so I think it is rude to ask them to pay for their own drinks. It would be like, yeah, we are having this really cool reception, but if you want to eat, you need to pay for your meal. I wish that we could do that, but really how many guests would show up if they had to pay for their meal or appetizers. This is just my opinion and it is not meant to slight anyone in any way. It is just how I feel.
I am from Minnesota. What I see more often then not around here is where the Bride and Groom have a set amount they have paid towards the bar. Say a couple pays $2000 towards the bar. Guests get free drinks until that amount has been met. After that you are required to pay for your own drinks. I have never been to a wedding where there was an open bar all night. I have been to over 20 weddings in my life so this is not some fluke. Cash bar is the norm.
We're having an open bar for beer, wine & soft drinks (& sparkling for toasts and cocktail hour) - and it'll likely be open for cash if people want spirits/hard liquor. :)
this i feel is the perfect compromise
I've been to weddings in IN, GA, NC, and DE and all of them have been open bar. Some were full liquor and others were just wine and beer but I've never been to a wedding where I've had to pay for drinks.
I'm from Canada. Alberta to be exact and cash bars are the norm for me. I've been to probably 15 weddings and seen only 1 open bar. I said before in a post though that usually they charge just a dollar or two, not full 5-6 dollar bar prices.
I'd love to see a thread comparing the estimated budget for the wedding and the cash bar vs. open bar. I wonder if it's maybe a social class thing?
I've been to weddings in the following places and had open bar: Australia, England, Belgian, India and in the US - NY & NJ.
Both. I'm in PA and I have been to weddings in WV, OH, NY, and VA. I have seen cash bars in OH, WV, and NY. I have seen open bars in VA, NY, PA, and OH. I have seen limited bars in all of those states.
YOU ARE NOT AT SOMEONE'S WEDDING TO GET DRUNK! You should be happy with whatever refreshment they provide.
We are bringing our own alcohol! OMG! WHAT!?
Yeah, we are buying wine and beer and if someone wants something harder they can go to the bar.
I'm in L.A. and I think it's been pretty evenly split on cash or hosted bar at the weddings I've attended. The hosted bars have almost never been completely hosted, though--they're either beer/wine only, or full bar but only during the cocktail hour, etc., and I always hear people complaining when it's a cash bar, so even if it's common, it seems to take people by surprise around here at least some of the time!
ETA: Now that I think about it, almost all of the cash bar weddings I've been to have provided some sort of hosted drink at the cocktail hour (at least wine or beer), and wine at dinner. I only went to one where I paid for a glass of wine at the cocktail hour. I do think they served wine with dinner, though.
surely if people want to get drunk, they can. I don't think other people should 'control' this.
I like the idea of bringing alcohol - probably works out cheaper. beer and wine are fun.
@lisa105: Actually, based on the other 15 or so threads like this that i've seen over the last year and a half, i'd say the midwest has many more cash bars than the rest of the country. Unless you've seen the stats, you can't know. One data point and a rule book don't give you an answer.
California - Open Bar
Every wedding i've been to in the midwest was cash bar. Every wedding i've been to in a coastal city was open bar.
MI then Chicago. Open bar. I've never seen a cash bar, but I did go to one wedding after college that was beer/wine only.
NYC and DC - full open bar or beer and wine. I have never seen a cash bar.
I've been to weddings in MA/PA/NYC - all were open bar. I've never been to a wedding with a cash bar.
@Aubergold: I was in DC for a wedding in April. It was a dry wedding. Yes, it was a wedding of 'our' people. So that's how I finished eating plantains and fried rice and no beer. I had to drink cold water. Oh well, such is life. I danced my butt off. It was fun but I wish I had some libation.
@bRooklynRocks: Girl you lie!!! There wasn't even Guiness or Heineken?! These couldn't have been our people, NO WAY. HAHAHAHA, Im so sorry. Sometimes that jollof rice and do-do needs a little beer to wash down.
Tangent: they served traditional food? I thought about that for a second but I think we will just get a regular caterer and do traditional for rehearsal dinner. FMIL wanted to serve her goat. Im like, I dont want people sucking the bones of goat at my wedding, seriously.
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