Cash Bar at Weddings: Etiquette and Suggestion

It’s no secret that weddings are a severe financial funding. Whether or not or not it’s a yard affair or a ballroom blowout, pulling off a celebration this momentous requires a significant amount of money—and meals and drinks are typically a very powerful part of a wedding ceremony funds. Fortuitously, there are lots of strategies to keep away from losing. One approach {{couples}} might use to slash costs is having a cash bar (as an alternative of an open one). Nevertheless whereas passing off alcohol costs to your guests might sound tempting, a cash bar wedding ceremony comes with some problems.

For starters, your guests will not be fully used to this beverage model, since most celebrations do, in fact, embrace open bars. That doesn’t suggest which you’ll be able to’t have one—however it makes introducing your attendees to the thought prolonged sooner than the big day notably important. Sooner than you make a different, however, it’s essential to weigh the professionals and cons of cash bars at weddings (and skim up on the etiquette surrounding them). To help, we tapped Laura Ritchie, a wedding planner, event designer, and the founding father of Grit & Grace.

Proper right here, Ritchie shares each factor it is important discover out about having a cash bar at your wedding ceremony, from tipping expectations to varied decisions that offer the an identical stage of monetary financial savings.

What Is a Cash Bar?

When you host a wedding with a cash bar, you’re asking guests to pay for his or her very personal drinks all via the event, whether or not or not with financial institution playing cards or exact cash. The aim is that you just simply, the host, shouldn’t masking the related price.

The Professionals of a Cash Bar at Weddings 

The stand-out skilled is, in spite of everything, money monetary financial savings. In case you occur to aren’t paying to stock a bar with liquor, wine, and beer, you’re slicing out a severe line of your catering funds. It moreover permits {{couples}} who will not drink to stay true to their values—nevertheless nonetheless ensures that their guests, who do, have the selection to imbibe, if desired.

Technically, having a cash bar at your wedding ceremony will liberate funds that might presumably be used elsewhere, in a single different priority class (like flowers, favors, or leisure). Nevertheless in accordance with Ritchie, this plan won’t have the required influence—and in addition you’ll likely do additional damage than good. “Guests aren’t going to remember over-the-top flowers within the occasion that they’re pulling out their pockets,” she says. “What they’re going to remember is taking out their financial institution card.”

The Cons of a Cash Bar at Weddings

The most important con of a cash bar nearly speaks for itself: It goes in opposition to the core tenets of hospitality. “In case you occur to’re inviting anyone to 1 factor, you should be able to host them,” says Ritchie. “In case you occur to don’t have the means to host appropriately, don’t try and piecemeal it collectively.” Previous that, cash bars can also interrupt the transfer of an evening. “If bartenders are mixing drinks and working enjoying playing cards, there shall be strains an identical to there are at a membership,” Ritchie supplies. “It holds up service.”

Cash Bars at Weddings: Recommendations and Etiquette

When confronted with the choice between a cash bar or no bar the least bit, associate with the cash bar. “In case you occur to’re asking of us to stay until midnight and they also haven’t any liquor, they is prone to be heading out the door previous to you need,” warns Ritchie. “It’s increased to have alcohol or drinks principally than to not.”

If you’ll persist with this model, protect the following logistical and etiquette advice in ideas.

Make Constructive Your Venue (and Distributors) Can Help a Cash Bar

Cash bars work best at venues which could be already organize with in-house digital product sales applications and processes for coping with a lot of purchaser transactions, equal to consuming locations and nation golf gear. They are much tougher to coordinate when working with an off-premises caterer.

Inform Your Guests Sooner than the Wedding ceremony

Be sure you speak that you just’re having a cash bar on the details card of your wedding ceremony invitation suite and in your wedding ceremony web page. As quickly because the event arrives, lodge welcome baggage and door tags are totally different options for a reminder—and your wedding ceremony event can also unfold the phrase. In case you occur to’re providing transportation from a lodge, ask just some associates or family members to remind guests to stop on the lobby ATM (or bear in mind their wallets) sooner than they hop on the shuttle.

With reference to phrasing, function for simple, simple, and gracious. A few suggestions from Ritchie:

• We’re so excited to host you for dinner! Sadly, we’re in a position to’t host the bar, so please be at liberty to ship cash or a financial institution card for alcoholic drinks.
• In case you occur to wish to participate in drinks all via the night, please ship a financial institution card or cash to profit from the bar.
• Sadly, we’re in a position to’t host the bar, nevertheless please know they’re going to accept cash or financial institution playing cards.

Skip the Tip Jar

“If in case you may have a caterer, [your bartenders] are paid hourly to be there, irrespective of it being a cash bar, an identical to every totally different staffer,” explains Ritchie. Their concepts should be coated by you in any gratuity you cross on to your caterer as a whole.

If guests wish to tip, that’s their different, nevertheless they need to probably not really feel pressured to take motion. “Tip jars on the bar are on a regular basis a no,” Ritchie supplies, on account of they suggest gratuity is anticipated as an alternative of optionally out there.

Strategies to Decrease Costs on Wedding ceremony Alcohol With out Having a Cash Bar 

Many {{couples}} assume cash bars are the one alternative for slicing wedding-day beverage costs. Nevertheless that’s merely not true: There are a myriad of the best way to host an open bar with out spending a fortune. “Shut the bar all through dinner and easily do wine service, or shut the bar half-hour sooner than the tip of the night,” suggests Ritchie. “You possibly can too steer clear of liquor altogether and serve solely beer and wine.” One different varied that allows you to have some onerous liquor at your wedding ceremony? Have in mind offering two predetermined signature cocktails (we suggest one which’s vodka- or gin-based, and one different that is whiskey-based) solely—and limiting the rest of the menu to wine, beer, and onerous seltzers.

Another choice: Reframe your wedding ceremony sort. “Try a welcome-style reception inside the late afternoon, when a bar gained’t be as anticipated,” says Ritchie. “Put out pleasing sodas or La Croix, then let of us depart and exit to dinner on their very personal dime.”