Cash or Host Bar for Your Wedding Reception

Weddings are all about the food, music and of course the alcohol. The average number of drinks per person is around 7 drinks, that is one drink per hour. Depending on your group, this average can vary and may be lower or sometimes higher. Most weddings will fall into the 6-8 drinks per person average. Having said that this would vary depending on the type of reception you are hosting. If you are doing a breakfast wedding then of course the cost of alcohol will be minimum as you may be only providing some champagne and orange juice. If you are hosting a Sunday afternoon open house guests may not be staying for hours at a time so they would most likely consume less alcohol.

For a typical evening type of wedding reception the thought of a huge bar bill can be very scary and the unknown can just add another worry on your special day. There are a couple of options if budget is tight. You could offer a cash bar where guests pay for their own drinks. If you choose a cash bar it is very important that you note this on your invitation so guests can bring money with them. Not many guests, especially ladies will have cash or a debit or credit card with them. The last thing you want is for a guest to open up the envelope they were giving you to remove a few dollars to pay for a drink. Believe me...this has happened.

If you do have a little extra money to spend, you could always add a bottle of wine per table or supply one drink ticket per person. Inform your catering manager that after the ticket has been turned in by a guest they have to pay cash for any additional drinks ordered. Another alternative is called a Toonie bar (Canadian term). The bride and groom will cover $2.00 for each drink served and the guests pay for the remaining cost. If drinks are based on $4.00 a shot then it would cut your bar bill in half. You can use this same formula on your venues price list.

If you want to keep the open bar but try to find a way to help reduce costs you can follow these steps to help save you some money. Only provide standard products on the bar and do not allow shots. Many clients think it's cheaper to shut down the bar for dinner but sometimes it makes it worse. Guests will order two of everything before dinner and then after the meal, the bar will be hit hard. Leave it open and let the guests have a drink during the meal. If the venue allows the bar to be open until 1AM, consider shutting down the bar at Midnight. This will help guests at the end of the evening to slow down and with the closing of the bar, you can put out some light snacks and coffee/tea.

Whichever bar option you choose is up to you and your budget. Perhaps religious beliefs will dictate your decision or local tradition may be what you follow. In some Country's, cash bars are virtually unheard of and will raise eyebrows at your reception.

The most important thing is to ensure your guests to drink responsibly. Remind them during your speeches to drink in moderation and that you will provide them a cab at the end of the night if need be. Many couples go so far as to offer designated driver services to get guests home safely at the end of the night. You can hire your limousine to remain at the venue site and take your guests home as need be. No venue would frown upon a guest leaving their car in the parking lot overnight. Remember drinking and driving don't mix.