Hosted bar<\/span><\/h2>\nIf your alcohol service is being provided by your venue or a caterer, the cost can vary a lot. One big factor that can affect the cost is <\/span>how <\/span><\/i>you pay. Here are some common ways that you may be charged for wedding bar service:<\/span><\/p>\n\n- Pay per drink<\/b>\u2014You pay for every drink served. As you can imagine, this can get really expensive.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Pay by the bottle<\/b>\u2014With this option, you pay only for the bottles opened in the course of serving your guests. You\u2019ll want to request that bartenders only open bottles as needed. You may also be able to take home any bottles that were opened but not emptied.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Flat amount per person<\/b>\u2014You pay a set amount per person per hour. This can be ideal if you know your guests will drink a lot.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Cash bar<\/span><\/h2>\nYour venue may also have the option of a cash bar. With a cash bar, guests pay the bar directly for their drinks. It could also be possible to provide your guests with prepaid drink tickets. You can provide your guests\u2019 first drink or two, and they can decide if they want to pay for any more after that.<\/span><\/p>\nWedding bar options<\/span><\/h2>\nAside from who\u2019s paying and how, you\u2019ll also need to decide what kind of alcohol your bar will be stocked with. Your budget and your guests should be your guide\u2014if you know you\u2019ll have a lot of wine drinkers but few guests who will go for cocktails, plan accordingly.<\/span><\/p>\n\n- One beverage<\/b>: To cut costs, you can serve only one beverage. For example, you can limit your alcohol service to champagne punch. This could also be a signature cocktail that either you or your bartender invent. If you think your guests will be happy to have something to sip on during the reception, this is a great option.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Wine and beer only<\/b>: This is a common choice, and cheaper than a full bar. If you know most of your guests aren\u2019t into drinking liquor, there\u2019s not reason to pay extra to have it available.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Full bar<\/b>: If you want your guests to be able to order beer, wine, and pretty much any cocktail they want, then a full bar staffed by professional bartenders is the way to go.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
There are ways to blend these options, especially if you are providing your own alcohol(see below). You could offer wine and beer plus one type of cocktail, for example.<\/span><\/p>\nBuying alcohol for your wedding bar<\/span><\/h2>\nThe two main reasons for buying your own alcohol for your wedding reception are that it\u2019s usually cheaper and that it gives you more control over what is served. If you have a caterer, they might allow you to provide the booze even if one of their bartenders will be serving it. Be aware that they may charge a corkage fee, though! You can DIY it and allow guests to self-serve, just be aware that guests who have a heavy pour may mean you\u2019ll need to buy extra.<\/span><\/p>\nFigure out what you need to buy<\/h3>\n
If you\u2019re buying alcohol yourself, you get to make all of the tough decisions about what to provide. Again, knowing your guests and what they like to drink is key. It\u2019s perfectly ok to limit the options to just a few types of drinks, provided you know they\u2019ll be popular. If you\u2019re buying liquor, you\u2019ll also want to buy mixers. You\u2019ll likely need to get ice and rent glassware as well, so be sure to plan ahead.<\/span><\/p>\nFigure out how much<\/h3>\n
The day of the week and time of day will affect how much guests drink, but in general it\u2019s a good idea to calculate how much alcohol your wedding bar will need on a servings per person per hour basis. To do this, it\u2019s helpful to know how many servings are in a bottle. Here are some rough numbers:<\/span><\/p>\n\n- One bottle of beer is one serving.<\/span><\/li>\n
- There are about 5 servings of wine per bottle.<\/span><\/li>\n
- A 750ml bottle of liquor has about 18 servings.<\/span><\/li>\n
- If you\u2019re just providing champagne for toasts, one bottle of champagne per 8 guests will suffice, since glasses don\u2019t need to be completely filled.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Check out our <\/span>wedding bar calculator<\/span><\/a> for more tips!<\/span><\/p>\nWhatever combination of alcohol you decide to buy, you\u2019ll want to make sure you have at least one drink per person per hour. It\u2019s better to err on the side of buying too much than too little. If you have leftovers, you can take them home and save them for the next special occasion!<\/span><\/p>\nBYOB<\/span><\/h2>\nHaving a BYOB wedding is also a money-saving option, provided your venue will allow it. It\u2019s important to make it very clear to your guests that they should bring their own adult beverages. You can do this by including the necessary information in your invitations, as well as your <\/span>Joy wedding site<\/span><\/a>. You should provide the ice and the glasses. And be sure to show your appreciation to your guests, either through your thank-you notes or through a special gift to remember the occasion by.<\/span><\/p>\nLegal stuff<\/span><\/h2>\n
- \n
- Pay per drink<\/b>\u2014You pay for every drink served. As you can imagine, this can get really expensive.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Pay by the bottle<\/b>\u2014With this option, you pay only for the bottles opened in the course of serving your guests. You\u2019ll want to request that bartenders only open bottles as needed. You may also be able to take home any bottles that were opened but not emptied.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Flat amount per person<\/b>\u2014You pay a set amount per person per hour. This can be ideal if you know your guests will drink a lot.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Cash bar<\/span><\/h2>\n
Your venue may also have the option of a cash bar. With a cash bar, guests pay the bar directly for their drinks. It could also be possible to provide your guests with prepaid drink tickets. You can provide your guests\u2019 first drink or two, and they can decide if they want to pay for any more after that.<\/span><\/p>\n
Wedding bar options<\/span><\/h2>\n
Aside from who\u2019s paying and how, you\u2019ll also need to decide what kind of alcohol your bar will be stocked with. Your budget and your guests should be your guide\u2014if you know you\u2019ll have a lot of wine drinkers but few guests who will go for cocktails, plan accordingly.<\/span><\/p>\n
- \n
- One beverage<\/b>: To cut costs, you can serve only one beverage. For example, you can limit your alcohol service to champagne punch. This could also be a signature cocktail that either you or your bartender invent. If you think your guests will be happy to have something to sip on during the reception, this is a great option.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Wine and beer only<\/b>: This is a common choice, and cheaper than a full bar. If you know most of your guests aren\u2019t into drinking liquor, there\u2019s not reason to pay extra to have it available.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Full bar<\/b>: If you want your guests to be able to order beer, wine, and pretty much any cocktail they want, then a full bar staffed by professional bartenders is the way to go.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
There are ways to blend these options, especially if you are providing your own alcohol(see below). You could offer wine and beer plus one type of cocktail, for example.<\/span><\/p>\n
Buying alcohol for your wedding bar<\/span><\/h2>\n
The two main reasons for buying your own alcohol for your wedding reception are that it\u2019s usually cheaper and that it gives you more control over what is served. If you have a caterer, they might allow you to provide the booze even if one of their bartenders will be serving it. Be aware that they may charge a corkage fee, though! You can DIY it and allow guests to self-serve, just be aware that guests who have a heavy pour may mean you\u2019ll need to buy extra.<\/span><\/p>\n
Figure out what you need to buy<\/h3>\n
If you\u2019re buying alcohol yourself, you get to make all of the tough decisions about what to provide. Again, knowing your guests and what they like to drink is key. It\u2019s perfectly ok to limit the options to just a few types of drinks, provided you know they\u2019ll be popular. If you\u2019re buying liquor, you\u2019ll also want to buy mixers. You\u2019ll likely need to get ice and rent glassware as well, so be sure to plan ahead.<\/span><\/p>\n
Figure out how much<\/h3>\n
The day of the week and time of day will affect how much guests drink, but in general it\u2019s a good idea to calculate how much alcohol your wedding bar will need on a servings per person per hour basis. To do this, it\u2019s helpful to know how many servings are in a bottle. Here are some rough numbers:<\/span><\/p>\n
- \n
- One bottle of beer is one serving.<\/span><\/li>\n
- There are about 5 servings of wine per bottle.<\/span><\/li>\n
- A 750ml bottle of liquor has about 18 servings.<\/span><\/li>\n
- If you\u2019re just providing champagne for toasts, one bottle of champagne per 8 guests will suffice, since glasses don\u2019t need to be completely filled.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Check out our <\/span>wedding bar calculator<\/span><\/a> for more tips!<\/span><\/p>\n
Whatever combination of alcohol you decide to buy, you\u2019ll want to make sure you have at least one drink per person per hour. It\u2019s better to err on the side of buying too much than too little. If you have leftovers, you can take them home and save them for the next special occasion!<\/span><\/p>\n
BYOB<\/span><\/h2>\n
Having a BYOB wedding is also a money-saving option, provided your venue will allow it. It\u2019s important to make it very clear to your guests that they should bring their own adult beverages. You can do this by including the necessary information in your invitations, as well as your <\/span>Joy wedding site<\/span><\/a>. You should provide the ice and the glasses. And be sure to show your appreciation to your guests, either through your thank-you notes or through a special gift to remember the occasion by.<\/span><\/p>\n
Legal stuff<\/span><\/h2>\n
- There are about 5 servings of wine per bottle.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Wine and beer only<\/b>: This is a common choice, and cheaper than a full bar. If you know most of your guests aren\u2019t into drinking liquor, there\u2019s not reason to pay extra to have it available.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Pay by the bottle<\/b>\u2014With this option, you pay only for the bottles opened in the course of serving your guests. You\u2019ll want to request that bartenders only open bottles as needed. You may also be able to take home any bottles that were opened but not emptied.<\/span><\/li>\n
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