Bar tab

2 questions:


1. Can you afford the $4200 for the open bar? And if so, is that just for wine and beer or is it a full open bar? If you can afford it, I say just do the open bar so you don’t have to stress about the tab getting too high.
2. If you can’t afford the $4200 for the open bar (or if you’d struggle to) would your venue allow you to put a cap on the consumption bar, so that it would close early (or turn into a cash bar) if it hits a certain amount? Having a totally unlimited consumption bar with that many people would terrify me because it literally could go up endlessly. I would only do the consumption bar option if a cap is allowed. If not, I’d rather the open bar and would lay out potentially extra money for the guarantee that it can’t go over x amount.

Unfortunately, I’d opt for the open bar. I would hate to drive a distance, spend the day provide gifts and then purchase my liquor throughout. However, that is just me. I’d say go with what you can afford. Closing the bar early (the last hour) seems like a good compromise.

I just want to say that I think $28 for three hours of beer and wine is expensive.

We had a premium bar package with two domestic beer selections, four house wine varieties, premium spirits and soda/mixers...now we had more than three hours of service but it was priced at $19pp for the first two hours and $5 for every hour after that. Three hours would have only been $24.

I've never been a fan of closing the bar during dinner service, even with wine being served. Not everyone drinks wine...and if your guests aren't aware that the bar will close, they may be disappointed to find their only choices are wine or water. I always put it in the perspective of throwing a party in your own home...would you tell your guests "Sorry, I'm not serving anyone drinks while we sit for dinner"?

View Quoted Comment It won’t be a cash bar. We would pay the tab. Just trying to figure out if per person or paying the tab would be better!

View Quoted Comment Wow that’s is very cheap. Our open bar was $58/pp for 4 hours.

I did what little math I can do. At just three drinks per person for your crowd would be 3150.00 . I think ppl get 2 drinks per hour liquor or beer. 4200 is better.

View Quoted Comment Oh my gawwwwd!

Check if your caterer will let you pay less for fewer drinking guests. My venue includes catering and asks for 2 numbers: the total number of meals and the total number of drinking people. A lot of elderly in my family don't drink and a lot of my guest count is kids. I haven't looked through it yet, but I'm budgeting that there will be about 20-30 fewer drinking people at my wedding than total attendees. If your caterer lets you omit non-drinkers or not, that might effect which is more cost-effective.