Anyone done a cash bar?

[Pinkerbell1983]

With the exchange rate, I really have to save money from somewhere and I've cut out bits from everywhere already and it's not made all that much difference.

At the mo we are doing a package bar - beer and wine for the first 2 hours and then call brands for 5 hours. This, along with food, is taking up a large amount of our budget, so I was thinking of switching to a cash bar instead. I know that in the US this is uncommon, but at UK weddings (all of my guests are from the UK) normally it is a cash bar.

Do you think this would be a good way to save money?

 

[twiu]

With the exchange rate, I really have to save money from somewhere and I've cut out bits from everywhere already and it's not made all that much difference.

At the mo we are doing a package bar - beer and wine for the first 2 hours and then call brands for 5 hours. This, along with food, is taking up a large amount of our budget, so I was thinking of switching to a cash bar instead. I know that in the US this is uncommon, but at UK weddings (all of my guests are from the UK) normally it is a cash bar.

Do you think this would be a good way to save money?

It is not uncommon to have cash bars in the US. Actually, most weddings I've attended have cash bars. It will save you tons of money.

Personally, I don't like them. According to etiquette if you wouldn't charge your guests for their dinner, you shouldn't charge them for drinks. That's my own opinion but most people are used to them and expect them. Most people understand that weddings are super expensive. Also, if most of your guests are from the UK and are used to that, then why not?

My best friend did an open bar for the cocktail hour and then cash bar for the rest of the night. Just make sure to communicate it with your guests so they bring moolah

 

[CoP Luv]

I think it is a cultural thing as to have/not have a cash bar. Where I am from or just the weddings I have been to, no one has a cash bar. It is considered bad taste. People have scaled back to just include liquor that they can afford, but it is always an open bar. In other parts of the country or social circles, a cash bar, or something of the like is an option. I went to a wedding in Iowa once and the guests were stunned that there was an open bar and not a cash bar.

That being said, if your guests are used to a cash bar, then by all means, have a cash bar and save some money. Or what it you only served wine and beer for the entire reception?

 

[lpizzuro123]

I agree with it being a cultural/location thing. I am from the NY/NJ area and would never consider a cash bar - but like others said - if this is common in your area - then by all means do it.

I look at it like - I invited everyone from far away to our wedding - I would not ask them to pay for their own drinks.

We did a BOC bar as we had a 9:00am ceremony and a 10:00 to 11:00 pre-reception (we served coffee, tea, soda and champagne punch) and then a 11:00 to 3:00 reception (we served brunch and lunch food) our bar bill for 50 people was not that much.

Linda

 

[Pinkerbell1983]

Thanks for sharing your opinions. My family were stunned when I told them it would be an open bar, because I have never been to a wedding with one before so I don't think they would mind bring money and paying for their own drinks. But, Linda, I agree, people are coming 1000's miles to our wedding and it would be nice to say thanks for coming etc!

I don't know again now!

 

[ElleBren]

I agree with Linda for the BOC. We saved with it rather than going with a package & we had the call brands.

 

[Pinkerbell1983]

I think a BOC would be best for any other wedding, but all my guests are very intent on getting very merry! And I'm sure we would end up owing money. Does anyone know if you can have say the beer and wine package, and then if guest's want spirits etc, they can buy them themselves? If that makes sense?

 

[twiu]

Just so you know... you can have less hours on an open bar. I had the 4 hour package but I just closed the bar for 1/2 hour between the pre reception and reception, and then closed it 1/2 hour before the party ended. No one notices and you still get open bar. I think I paid $38.00 pp ++. Just make sure to warn the "real drinkers" that the bar will close for those times. It's a good way to save a lot of money, depending on how many people you have.

I did the open bar as opposed to the BOC because we had a late night wedding reception (8:30 pm) and most of our guests were big drinkers. You just have to see how much you think your guests will drink. It was great because there were no surprises to the bill at the end of the night.

Also, be careful with BOC if you do have big drinkers. When there's an open bar (to them it's all open) people tend to grab a drink, set it down, go dance, go grab another drink and leave the other one half finished. Just fyi.. so just think about that before you make a decision.

 

[orangetiggs]

we had our bar open from half 3 to hald four then it shut for half hour then opened at 5 to half seven and that was it, the dessert party had coffee etc but not acholic drinks and our guests were fine with that.

we paid for a package bar and it wasnt that expensive for us as it wasnt open for long.

I can understand where you are comign from witht he exchange rate etc and we did look into a cash bar but we thought it was alot of money for everyone to spend getting to florida from the uk so we paid for it but it wasnt a lot, we had 17 guests for beer and wine and 1 soft drinks and i think it was around $200 from what i remember

 

[Pinkerbell1983]

I only have 19 guest's and two of them are children. It's just they are quite (in the nicest way) 'heavy' drinkers, and I with us having an extended reception the bar still adds up. We are closing it for an hour while we have the DP because Meri said we should just ask our guests to take a couple of drinks with them. I think we might go for the beer and wine package for the full 7 hours. To do this is around $1000 including the service charge. With the call brands for 5 hours and 2 hours beer and wine (which is what we chose originally) the price is around $1400.

 

[Laurafoster]

We looked into this idea aswell but we decided against it. Mostly because i felt that my guests were paying alot of money to be at our wedding. We looked at a BOC bar but like you we had several heavy drinkers and decided this wouldnt be a good option for us.

So for a happy medium we opted for a beer and wine bar. Our guests were all happy with this (even the spirit drinkers) and it saved us quite a bit whilst the guests were happy that they didnt have to pay.

We didnt have alcohol at our DP - just the tea, coffee and soft drinks which everyone was happy with.

 

[Pinkerbell1983]

We looked into this idea aswell but we decided against it. Mostly because i felt that my guests were paying alot of money to be at our wedding. We looked at a BOC bar but like you we had several heavy drinkers and decided this wouldnt be a good option for us.

So for a happy medium we opted for a beer and wine bar. Our guests were all happy with this (even the spirit drinkers) and it saved us quite a bit whilst the guests were happy that they didnt have to pay.

We didnt have alcohol at our DP - just the tea, coffee and soft drinks which everyone was happy with.

I think I'm swaying more to this idea as well. Can the guest's still buy spirits etc if we do the beer and wine package?

 

[Laurafoster]

I think I'm swaying more to this idea as well. Can the guest's still buy spirits etc if we do the beer and wine package?

I think it was an option when we had our wedding but that was 2 years ago and i know things change all the time.

We spoke with several of our guests prior to making a decision and asked what they thought about beer and wine only and like i said they were happy with it. It meant they didnt have to worry about carrying cash around with them either