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Just out of curiosity, if you had a limited budget, which would you choose to do - excluding a full cash bar?
As a huge supporter of not having cash bars, I vote that you have beer and wine (and a signature drink if budget allows) for the duration of your event.
Beer and wine only. A signature cocktail would be nice but not necessary.
I think that hosted beer & wine is all that’s really required from the couple but a cash bar should be available for those who want something stronger. A signature drink is nice but not a necessity. I’m personally not a fan of the hosted bars for X amount of time and then switching to cash or no bar. If I’m in the mood to enjoy some alcoholic beverages, I don’t want to be cut off half way through the reception when the party is just getting started. If anything, that’s when I’ll want my booze the most!
@UpstateCait: this. I think it's totally fine to do wine/beer (which we did) and offer harder alcohol if guests want it (cash).
I'd go with 1, 3 or 5. I'm completely fine with cash bars - I think it's a great gesture to offer your guests an adult beverage or two, but really not necessary for you to pay for your guests to drink in excess should they choose to do so. That said, if you want to pay for some drinks but not everything, I'd go with whatever appears to be the simplest option to understand. I think 1, 3 (as in a hosted cocktail hour, cash after wedding party arrives) and 5 could be executed with the least confusion.
I think the option where you put X # of dollars behind the bar and go cash or close after that is really hard to keep track of as a guest, and you may get some people rushing to stockpile beverages while others might only get one drink or not anything bc the guests can't tell what your balance is behind the bar.
I also wouldn't close the bar after x hours or $x, I think most people would rather be able to purchase a drink if they want it rather than have no drink at all.
@abbie017: I think this its the best option too. I wouldn't want to offer a cash bar for anything else because I feel like that says the options you're providing your guests aren't good enough. As a guest, I'd be ok with beer and wine only.
I voted beer and wine only, for sure. It's still free alcohol, and there's no confusion about what is/isn't covered.
We're actually doing the last one - beer and wine, cash for everything else - but only because we're getting married at a restaurant with a fully stocked bar (down to the high end bourbon at $20/glass). We created a custom beer and wine list for our event with a variety of choices. If someone really wants their bourbon, the venue will let them open a tab.
@redheadem: I agree. Beer and wine is fine. It gives your guests the option of a drink, and one that's fairly universal (have you ever met someone who hates beer AND wine?!), but it also won't break the bank on you.
@abbie017: I hate both beer and wine. They both taste awful. I'd be much happier if I had the option to buy myself a nice amaretto sour.
Beer and wine; with signature drink.
The last wedding I went to started out hosted everything and then switched to pay everything. It was a serious party pooper for everyone... and, we ended up shelling out a ton of cash for people who didn't have any on them. After travelling for the wedding and giving a generous gift - the last thing I want is to be spending more money!
My 2c: beer and wine only, with a signature cocktail if you can afford it! I think it would be really neat and creative of you to have your own, signature drink. Anything beyond those things, in my opinion, are a bonus.
I recently went to a wedding where they had an open bar for several hours and then stopped serving all together. I didn't like it because as the time drew near for the bar to close, everyone would hurry up to the bar, making multiple trips and "stocking up" on drinks. The wedding seemed to be all about that bar closing and it felt like all class and tact flew out the window. People even left the reception as soon as the bar closed. Bad idea all around, IMO
I voted for having an open bar for a specified time limit, then switching to a cash bar, with the stipulation that you notify guests ahead of time so they know to bring cash.
My second choice would be to just provide beer and wine throughout the night, while other drinks would be cash bar.
I voted for beer and wine with the rest cash. Around here we all have cash bars and no one has a problem with it. Usually there is wine on the tables and other than that you bring some money and there is a toonie bar.
We are hosting beer and pop. We will also have a full cash bar if our guests prefer wine or liquor.
We are hosting beer and pop. We will also have a full cash bar if our guests prefer wine or liquor.
We did beer, wine, and a signature cocktail (martini). Everyone loved it and was more than satisfied. It came out to under $2000 doing it by consumption for 120 adults.
Most open bar weddings that I have been to have been beer + wine only. That is totally fine with me because I love both wine and beer. A signature cocktail would be super fun! I love that idea - but if you can only afford wine & beer all night, just do that. As long as you are providing SOMETHING for your guests to drink, they will be happy.
I don't personally like the idea of cutting the bar off after a certain number of hours or after reaching a dollar limit.
I think beer and wine is the way to go but I went to a wedding a few years ago that did a full hosted bar from cocktail hour through dinner and then cash bar afterward - i thought it worked out well and we had no problem buying our drinks after that.
beer & wine only.
A couple weddings I have been to have a limited open bar for X amount of hours, and usually people are pounding drinks so they dont have to pay for more later.
@redheadem: I don't think that's necessarily true. Personally, I think wine & beer are "good enough" - but I also know that FI has quite a few family members who love rum & Coke, bourbon, whiskey sours, etc. We just simply can't afford to do a TOTAL open bar (including hard liquor), so we are doing hosted wine & beer because the vast majority of our guests will enjoy that - but the few who won't have the option to purchase their drink of choice.
Most open bar weddings that I have been to have been beer + wine only. That is totally fine with me because I love both wine and beer. A signature cocktail would be super fun! I love that idea - but if you can only afford wine & beer all night, just do that. As long as you are providing SOMETHING for your guests to drink, they will be happy.
I don't personally like the idea of cutting the bar off after a certain number of hours or after reaching a dollar limit.
most weddings I've been to have had some sort of open selection beer/soda's and everything else is cash... So the idea of a completely open bar is sort of a new idea for me. I would love to have a signiture cocktail available though....
I'd want beer + wine and then cash for anything else. I wouldn't be offended that you didn't want to buy my liquor, but I would want something a little stronger to keep me dancing.
If you have cash anything, please put it on your website so they know to bring some! Or hope your venue has an ATM somewhere?
I'd want beer + wine and then cash for anything else. I wouldn't be offended that you didn't want to buy my liquor, but I would want something a little stronger to keep me dancing.
I'd want beer + wine and then cash for anything else. I wouldn't be offended that you didn't want to buy my liquor, but I would want something a little stronger to keep me dancing.
I voted for wine+beer then cash for anything else. I have been to weddings with full open bar, wine and beer ONLY, then wine and beer with cash for liquor. Obv the first option was the best, but wine and beer with cash, was not an issue either. Most people at our table were happy with their free wine and beer. It was only I who needed to cash up for some Skyy and Soda which I was fine with :)
@redheadem: I've been to a wedding with open bar for the first X number of hours, then cash. We just did all our drinking during the open bar time, and then switched to soda.
I vote #1 with a signature drink option. I also hate both beer and wine, so I'd like something extra. :)
@redheadem: We are actually kind of doing option 4 for our wedding. We have to buy our own alcohol, so when we run out, we run out. We'll buy what we can afford.
I vote beer & wine with a signature drink. Particularly if you can supply your own beer, wine & liquor. You can do this on the cheap. We're actually doing this, and may do "his & hers" signature drinks: i.e. one of my choosing and one of my fiance's. Mine will likely be a french martini, so that means that we will be providing vodka, so if anyone is inclined to have a vodka/soda, or another mixed drink with one of the n/a bevs we're offering, that would be an option. His will likely be something with bourbon or whiskey, so if someone wants a whiskey/coke, this would be an option. I feel like it gives a lot of variety without having to buy a full bar.
I definitely think beer and wine is the way to go. I do know some people who don't care for beer and wine and would rather have a mixed drink, but to me this is like offering chicken and fish and having one of your guests want beef. Picky eaters and picky drinkers know that they might not get exactly what they want as wedding guests, but there's always the vegetarian option (water/soda), and they can go one night without liquor and beef.
I voted beer and wine + signature drink if possible, although I'm not sure what kind of venue you have. My answer would change if it was at a restaurant where there's obviously liquor available.
For instance, at mine we're not even allowed to have liquor, so it's not a huge deal to only have (award-winning home brewed) beer and wine.
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