Anyone have a cash bar?!?

Question

Now before everyone jumps on my back for asking this...I can explain.

#1 It's a morning wedding, 11 AM to be exact, reception will go from 11:30 to 3:30 or 4. The caterer told me it was acceptable as not many people will want to get blitzed before four pm.

#2. I am having the bar run a tab up to $100 , after that ..people can get there own (We may end up not spending that much!)

#3 the reception hall will not allow us to bring in our own alcohol all of it has to be supplied by the venue.

what were your experiences if you have any? My family doesn't drink alot, his family drinks wine or beer...and just having wine or beer for four hours is 1350.00

just in case it wasn't clear lol the tab im having the bar run IS for the guests...

My fiance won't be drinking at all (He's never drank in his life!). I will probably just have one glass of champagne!

we have having sparkling punch thats included in all the nonalcoholic drinks package...

My wedding is in columbus ohio for the person who asked :)

champagne toast, it will be just everyone toasting with whatever drinks they have, the bridal party isn't even drinking champagne! :)
we're getting a bottle of sparkling grape juice for 14.95

we're also trying to make it as much of a party atmosphere as possible! We're having a DJ!! :) and all kinds of fun dances!

my ceremony will probably be 30 min if that, and then the rest of the time (four to four and a half hours left) is for the reception.

it also depends on where your located I guess, my caterer told me it's perfectly normal to have a cash bar at a day wedding, she said alot of people do it for daytime weddings...

I really wanted to know who all had a cash bar and their experiences.

Thank you for your answers/opinions
they're appreciated.

I like the ideas of upping the tab to $200 or so.

heres how much the drinks are
Host and Cash Bar

Well Liquors $4.50

Call Liquors $4.75

Premium Liquors $5.00

Domestic Beer $3.00

Import Beer $4.50

House Wines $4.00

Fountain Soft Drinks $1.50

Bottle of House Wine $18.95

Case of House Wine $205.00

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Champagne $14.95

Bottle of Champagne $25.00

Case of Champagne $250.00

Keg of Domestic Beer $225.00

Sylvia,
I appreciate your answer, i didn't feel like I was being attacked and I understand. I'm trying to come to a good decision here because I do not want to scrap all alcohol, but I cant pay for the alcohol, i've been to two weddings that were completely dry and at each wedding, over 50% left between the ceremony and reception.
My dad will be severly pissed off if half of our guests leave and he's stuck paying for food that isn't eaten (thats how it is in the contract :( )

Its a lose/lose situation for me! haha!

none the less, thank you!

Answer 1

I had a cash bar at my reception... none of the guests complained and most agreed that a cash bar is the best way to go... People still drank and had a good time

We let it know through word of mouth that it was cash bar, just to remind people to bring money with them (most people carry money or cards on them anyways)

I think an open bar is too risky... not only are you sure exactly how much it will cost (until the end of the night when you get the tab) and people that usually dont drink much will tend to drink more just because its free alcohol (well, free to them).

I think the $100 tab is a great gift to those guests who will drink and the cash bar is a great idea.

Answer 2

Guests shouldn't have to shell out for anything at a wedding reception. But there are ways to serve liquor without getting soaked. Lisa Harris, director of catering at the Wyndham Miami Beach Resort, suggests limiting the time the bar is open—you could close it during dinner or an hour before the reception ends, offering just house wines, beer, and soft drinks. Other cost-savers: Pass up expensive premium liquors (you'll save about 15 percent), and have a sparkling-cider toast instead of passing champagne. If your caterer will allow it, buy your own liquor—that way, you can stockpile during sales and return unopened bottles for credit.

Answer 3

You're combining lunch with Happy Hour, aren't you? The reception will be much too long! People want to see you married, eat lunch together, have a little celebration, and go on with their lives. There is nothing sadder than seeing the guests melt away while the bridal couple are still out there partying.
The short answer is that cash bars are always tacky.
Don't have a party you can't afford, there's nothing wrong with serving no alcohol or having just token champagne for the toasts, especially because your families don't drink much. Have a little pride, don't assume people won't want to be at your wedding unless they can get sloshed. If you know anyone like that, send them a bottle & tell them to stay home.

Answer 4

Why even have that much? Why not just run what you are ok with? 2 hours of the bar. Or just have so many cases and when it runs out it runs out.

I think if you are running a tab up to $100--its gonna seem weird. I mean if its a cash bar, thats tacky and people have to pay. But $100 per person! I mean I image the number of men whose wives won't drink their $100 and they will be able to have $150 of alcohol.

I just dont think thats a cash bar, if they are getting $100 of wine and beer per person. I dont know how much they are thinking a glass of beer is...but even at $10 a glass, how many people drink more htan 10 glasses of beer in a couple hours at lunch?!? I think its better to not let people think its a cash bar (b/c a lot of people do think that is tacky) and just serve the wine and beer up to this value--then it all goes away. The same way it would be if you provided 5 cases of wine and they drank it all. After that it would be gone. You already said not many people there are drinkers and often hotels end up charging you more that way.

If you serve wine by the bottle and have a red and a white, people have their choice but at most you only end up with 2 half full bottles left over. But if you give them 7 different wines to chose from, even if only one glass is poured you have bought the whole bottle and could end up having "bought" from the hotel, several bottles that are mostly full. Instead of providing multiple cases of 10 different beers, ask the hotel about providing a keg of one beer.

I just cant see that many people drinking much that early in the afternoon. Afternoon weddings usually only last a couple hours. Also ask them to keep the cork for each bottle. You don't want to end up paying the "per hour" and "per bottle served" from the hotel and find out most of those bottles were actually taken home by the staff for a fun party afterwards.

Answer 5

Personally, I'd say serve beer & wine only, or beer & champagne, or beer and one signature drink only (like mimosas), and scrap the rest. (Obviously keeping non-alcoholic drinks available to your guests).

I can't make you make a decision. While I understand your reasoning behind a cash bar, and while I understand that they may be the norm in some parts of the country, I absolutely cannot get past the fact that I personally think they are tacky.

I realize that weddings are expensive. I do. I had one - I know. But your guests are your guests, and I still firmly believe that they shouldn't have to pay for anything as your guests. Again, this is just my two cents on it, but I would rather attend a dry wedding than have to pay for drinks.

Answer 6

I think that considering the time of day, and the fact that you are having a champagne toast, paying per drink thereafter is a smart way to go, BUT I think your limit is too low. Your guests probably will not drink much, you're right. I would be really embarrassed if I was told the tab had run out and if I wanted a drink I'd have to pay for my own. I just think asking guests to pay for their own refreshments is in very poor taste. I'd increase the limit.

Those who replied that they had cash bars and nobody complained--that's probably true--nobody complained to their faces, but believe me, the guests complained behind their backs. I personally want my guests to go home having fun and positive memories of my wedding, not with distatse for my lack of refreshments.

Answer 7

Not a chance in heck. Had a full open bar. The purpose of the reception is to HOST your guests.
Understandably if money is an issue, either you scale down your number of guests, or do something else.
Either have a dry reception - which as a guest would not bother me in the least, or maybe just serve wine. But do not ask guests to pay.
The problem seems to be your choice of reception hall. Perhaps that can be changed.

Answer 8

I've heard cash bars are not good ideas. Given the time of day of your wedding, why not just have a champagne toast and go dry the rest of the time?
Its one thing to go dry in the evening (that wouldn't be popular) but in the morning to early afternoon, why not?

Answer 9

Well, I will be one of 'those' people and say please do not do a cash bar. It really isn't very polite to ask guest to pay for anything at a wedding. I am not sure how they are charging you for the drinks but if it is per person let them know the exact amount of people are drinking. That should lower the cost significantly especially if only a handful of people are drinking.

Answer 10

I think you should just have a bottle of wine at each table. maybe one red and one white at each table. and then maybe a champagne toast.

or just do a champagne toast, and have no alchohol - just sparkling punch. a punch fountain is a good idea.

if you really want to have the bar run up a maximum tab, i would definietly do more than $100. maybe $200-250 would be good. it's still a lot cheaper than having an open bar.
good luck.