When you think about a wedding, often the first thing that comes to mind is food, closely followed by alcohol: the open bar! This has become super common at weddings, but it can be incredibly confusing when looking at all of the information from your venue, or if you’re doing your own private property event!
Below is some information on how to plan the bar at a wedding depending on the type of event you’re having, and how to navigate what type of bar to have.
Overview
First things first, across any type of wedding, is knowing your friends and family best and also knowing what type of event you want to have. Weddings are a celebratory event so accounting for a slightly higher consumption than usual can often avoid extra charges in the end.
It’s important to keep in mind as well that your guest count impacts the amount spent on drinks for the night. The more people you have, the more you’ll spend. Consider that this is a “night out” and so an average cost for a night out on the town is a good ballpark for the amount per person at a wedding.
In the end, it all comes down to budget and your guests. Whatever makes the most sense for the wedding you are looking for as a couple.
Types of Bars
Open Bar
There are also a few versions of open bars to consider, based on your guests and party vibe:
Bar Package:
Bar packages will charge a fixed price per adult guest. This is a good option if your group likes to drink. Importantly, the hosts also know the cost upfront. There aren’t any surprises at the end.
Consumption Bar:
Pricing by consumption means that the hosts are paying for the number of drinks ordered; the more the guests drink, the higher the tab will be. This is a good option if most of your crowd aren’t big drinkers, and whatever is consumed will be counted up at the end of the night. Note that venues will clear abandoned glassware as to stay on top of clutter and the washing so often, a guest will put their drink down to go dance and come back to their drink having disappeared so will order another, which can drive up the cost.
Open bars generally include tiered types of packaging such as standard vs premium.
Cash Bar
At a cash bar, guests pay for their own drinks just as they would if they were out for dinner or at a bar. Having a cash bar saves the couple, or hosts, money but does set a different tone for guests as they will be the ones required to pay for their drinks all evening. You’ll have to consider that guests will pay for each drink, tip the bartenders and close out tabs which can add to service times throughout the night. However, this is a great option if the majority of guests are not drinking and does not need to be the focal point of the celebration. We highly suggest notifying guests in advance so there are no surprises on the day.
Some venues offer a mix of open bars and cash bars. For example, open bar from 5pm-9pm and cash bar after dinner at 9pm.
Dry Bar
Of course, there is the option to forgo alcohol altogether and host a dry wedding. This could be for religious or cultural reasons or just because of the atmosphere the couple wishes to create. Serving only non-alcoholic drinks will result in significant savings - a whole budget line is eliminated!
Are you getting married at a venue?
Here are some general tips to consider if you are getting married at a bricks and mortar venue.If you are planning a private property event, keep scrolling!
Here are the main questions to ask when you are first starting to plan:
How long is the bar open for and what is included?
Will the bar be open during dinner or will there only be wine service to the tables? If the bar is closed during dinner, will guests be able to order a mixed drink from their server? Will the wine be left on the tables for top ups?
What upgrades to alcohol brands are included and what additions to the menu can be accommodated? For example, if you prepare one type of vodka over another, make sure to ask if this can be incorporated!
Does the venue have a liquor license, or will you be required to purchase an SOP and the alcohol associated? While this option isn’t as common as it used to be, there still are some venues that function this way! If so, are there corkage fees?
Will signature cocktails be accommodated and what are the limitations surrounding this?
By going through these questions, in relation to what packages and types of bar your venue offers, you can narrow down what you are looking for and how much it will cost.
Are you getting married on private property?
Here are some general tips to consider if you are planning a private property wedding, and are not getting married in a traditional venue.
Catering or Bar Team
You will need to discuss with your catering team the limitations of their bar services, and if they are included or not. From there, you will need to consider hiring a bar service with smart serve trained bartenders to ensure alcohol consumption is monitored and safe!
Storing the alcohol
Ice and coolers, or enough refrigerated space, will need to be considered before purchasing any alcohol. Where will this be stored? How will staff get access to this for ease of service? Refrigerated trucks to sit in driveways are an excellent solution for this!
Legal paperwork requirements
You may be required to obtain permits in order to purchase alcohol and host your evening legally and successfully. In Ontario, this is called an SOP (Special Occassion Permit) and you can view all the details on the AGCO website.
It is also a good idea to get the right event insurance with alcohol liability coverage, to ensure you are fully covered for the night.
Purchasing Alcohol
When looking to consider how much to purchase, our rule of thumb tends to be to calculate 1.5 drinks per person, per hour that the bar is open. This is a bit on the high end but accounts for toasts or celebratory moments.
Then you’ll need to consider the type of alcohol you’d like to offer. Are you doing a full range open bar? Just beer and wine? Champagne toast? Here are our suggestions:
Just beer and wine: 40% beer, 60% wine
Beer, wine, and spirits: 30% beer, 40% wine, 30% spirits (usually 1-2 bottles of 4-5 types of liquor works)
Champagne toast? Account for one glass per person, with one bottle serving 5 guests.
You can always add a 10% buffer on each thing purchased as well, just in case!
Don’t forget to buy soft drinks and water! You’ll want mixes for cocktails, soft drinks for those who want something different, or for those who don’t drink. And always lots of water, especially on hot summer days! We suggest buying 5-gallon water bottles and electric or hand pumps for water service for dinner if there is no water access available.
BONUS TIPS
When purchasing through the LCBO on your SOP, you can return anything that is UNopened and labels intact! So you can purchase a little extra, and return if needed.
Check that your bartenders will be providing garnishes (ie. lemons, limes, cherries, etc.) or add them to your shopping list if required.
On warm days, guests will likely drink more white wine vice versa, on colder days, guests will likely drink more red wine.
We recommend planning between 1.5 and 2.5 pounds of ice per person with the higher end being for both in drinks and for cooling them.
Keep in mind that leaving bottles on the table during dinner invites guests to consume more quickly as its always within reach or to be heavy with their pours. It also means more bottles will be opened, leaving unfinished bottles once the dance floor starts when guests typically switch to mixed drinks, leaving lots of waste at the end.
A planner and caterer are also able to help calculate all of these things for you, and use a simple alcohol calculator to ensure you’re buying the correct quantities for your wedding!
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