Ask the BTE Wedding Expert...

My fiancé and I have seen eye-to-eye on almost every part of our wedding planning, except in one area--the bar! He strongly feels we should have an open bar, but since we are mainly paying for the wedding ourselves, with a little bit of help from our families, I would like to save some money where we can. I would just like to know what other options there might be for the bar and if you have any suggestions to help us save money in that area. What should I do? Please HELP! Thank you!

Samantha (Greenwood)
Hi Samantha! Congratulations on your upcoming wedding and I am glad you decided to write us.

I want to commend you on the fact that this is the first area of your wedding planning that you haven’t been able to agree on, because that means that your planning has gone pretty smooth so far. So, KUDOS to you and your fiancé! No worries…we are here to help you figure it all out!

You can obviously have a full open bar, but you can even cut down your cost for that as well. Opting to have a full open bar with “call” or "house" liquor brands as opposed to “premium” liquor brands, will save you several dollars per guest and no one will be the wiser. This way, you still have the open bar, but can cut down on some of the cost of top-shelf liquor. Most venues have great alcohol packages, which can often save you money in the long run, when you have a large amount of your guests who will drink liquor.

Another option you have, is to have a more restricted bar of only beer and wine, and you can even add a specialty drink or two. This is also a great way to make the wedding more personal about you both as a couple. You can select your favorite wine, or a signature drink, that is special to you; maybe from somewhere you have traveled together or a fond memory of a special date. If you decide to go this route, I do suggest selecting a beer that you feel most of your guests will like, because not everyone will drink wine or the signature drink, and that way everyone is happy.

You do have the option of having a “consumption” bar where you pay for what the guests actually drink. I will ONLY suggest this option if you are sure that most of the people on your guest list do not drink very much alcohol. The only problem with this option is if your guests end up drinking more than you originally thought, then you could end up with a hefty bar tab at the end of the night and you might have saved more money with a package since you only pay a flat fee per guest with a package.

If you are having a reception where the majority of your guests are not drinkers, you can also consider having only wine with dinner. You can pick your favorite one or two wines, and put a few bottles on each table to be opened during dinner for everyone to enjoy.

Also, a few things to remember: Early weddings and Sunday weddings tend to have less drinking during them, while receptions that run late into the evening usually means that more of your guests will let loose and possibly drink more. With an early or Sunday wedding, your guests may only have on average 1-2 drinks, but on a Friday or Saturday evening wedding your guests on average may consume 3-4 drinks. Be sure to consider your budget, the type of wedding you are having and the time of day your wedding is occurring, as well as your guest list before you make a final decision about what type of bar to have at your wedding reception.

Good luck with your decision and we wish you the best as you begin your new life together!

Warm Wishes,
Sara & Lisa