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Karilyn
Dedicated September 2018

Drink Tickets Logistics

Karilyn, on March 27, 2018 at 5:05 PM

Posted in Wedding Reception 230

Okay, first, I know how many of you feel about drink tickets and say it's rude. Please know we've pretty much made up our mind based on the details below but wanted feedback on a few logistics. It doesn't appear we have another option unless we had a dry wedding so do not try to talk us out of it (a...

Okay, first, I know how many of you feel about drink tickets and say it's rude. Please know we've pretty much made up our mind based on the details below but wanted feedback on a few logistics.
It doesn't appear we have another option unless we had a dry wedding so do not try to talk us out of it (a friend got married at the same place and it turned out her open bar tab was $10,000 for only a slightly higher guest count). And no, beer and wine only are not something we're interested in, nor much cheaper anyhow since they charge by the drink and house wine is $8/glass; even soda is $4/ea. I've been to plenty of weddings and never expected an open bar so maybe it depends on where you're from.


Now, the reception package already includes complimentary wine service with dinner and a champagne toast. We are currently thinking of giving 2 drink tickets per person to use as they please. We will have a beverage table with lemonade, iced tea, coffee, water. Our main questions are:

1. Do the tickets move hands pretty easily on their own? (I know 2 drinks seems low but we are hoping/assuming some will likely drink nothing and they'll get passed on to the heavier drinkers).

2. How do we distribute the tickets? Right now we're thinking to put them on/under the name card that gives them their table number as well. We'd prefer for the reception hall not to get a hold of them to avoid unnecessary overcharging and we don't want to leave on the table since we're only doing assigned tables, not seats.

3. How should we communicate the fact that some wine and champagne will already be offered in addition to their tickets? Just put a simple message under their name placard with the drink tickets?

4. For those who have attended an event or wedding with tickets, how was it overall?


This isn't fine-tuned, but just a rough idea..... "Below are your tickets to be used for two complimentary alcoholic drinks. You will also receive complimentary wine service with dinner and a champagne toast will occur later in the evening."

230 Comments

  • Stephen
    Dedicated April 2020
    Stephen ·
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    You must be super rich then Most of us on here probably don't have the money you do also some may be trying to keep others from embarrassing the Bride and Groom.
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  • Susan
    Super November 2018
    Susan ·
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    There is no polite way to communicate this. It comes off as the couple being cheap.
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  • Katie
    Devoted September 2018
    Katie ·
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    Wait, you have to use these tickets to get a non alcoholic beverage also? That seems pretty crazy to me...
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  • Kaylyn
    Super May 2019
    Kaylyn ·
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    All I will say is that you need prepare yourself for your guests bringing in their own alcohol, or leaving early.
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  • JNav
    Devoted September 2017
    JNav ·
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    So they would get 2 drink tickets and be provided 2 drinks either wine or champagne. and soda is included witht that ticket. I really think you should limit the open bar or cash bar to cocktail hour. Ive NEVER been to a wedding and only had 4 drinks throughout the whole night. Please, please, pleaseeeee do not put your guests through that!!! Cut costs in other aspects like flowers or something because like i said, very tacky and your guests will probably not have a good time being that they have to rationalize their drink intake


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  • JNav
    Devoted September 2017
    JNav ·
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    EXTREMELY cheap Smiley atonished


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  • Karilyn
    Dedicated September 2018
    Karilyn ·
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    Well people are saying to trim the guest list as if it's large but I agree 150 is pretty average/big and not "small" but not "big." After your comment and several others, if we do decide to go with drink tickets we may offer soda as "open" bar then. I guess my original thought was that with mixed drinks, wine, and beer available, they'd either be drinking that or trying to hydrate with water. However, Grandma loves her Diet Coke and at least $4/ea won't add up as fast as $8-12 for the alcohol.

    This was very helpful. Thank you!

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  • Sandy
    Dedicated March 2019
    Sandy ·
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    2 drinks, even sodas, is not enough liquid for me for a whole reception.

    Are you charging for water as well?

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  • Married and Loving It!
    Super February 2018
    Married and Loving It! ·
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    Hmmm... is there a cocktail hour? Or straight form service to dinner? My concern is people not settling into a sit right away but mingling. I’m sure word of mouth will travel quickly but maybe there is a way to get them before hand if there is a cocktail hour. Maybe put the note and tickets on their seat before the ceremony... or a note on the assigned table chart to pick up their tickets. Good luck!
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  • O
    Master October 2017
    O ·
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    😂seriously?! It's about being logical and doing the right thing as a host, not how much money I make.
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  • firstoneat56
    Master August 2017
    firstoneat56 ·
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    First you said 2 drinks per person, then you said 4. Which is it? Also, if a third of your guests don't drink, why not just do a bar on consumption rather than tickets?

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  • Baconater
    Dedicated April 2017
    Baconater ·
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    It's called hosting the number of guests you can afford, and hosting properly.

    Not everyone can afford to host 200 people. Do you also go to the car dealership expecting to take home a Porsche on a Station Wagon budget?

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  • Mrsbdg
    Champion August 2017
    Mrsbdg ·
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    Put a roll of tickets at the bar so they can drink as they please and those that don't want to drink can just...not take tickets
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  • Nicole
    Dedicated May 2018
    Nicole ·
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    My friend had a "closed bar" during dinner to save money and had wine available. I'll admit, it was a little confusing, but I also think it was not announced. We considered doing this as well, but decided to cut our budget elsewhere to have a full bar. You probably will get heavy drinkers making the most of their open bar time, but you can also offer JUST beer and wine, and a signature cocktail. There a lot more options, the drink tickets just really arent sustainable, neither are drink bracelets.

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  • EM
    Master April 2017
    EM ·
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    I had a fully hosted premium open bar at my wedding. My open bar was $48/PP (before tax/service fees!). I knew I couldn't afford to host a bar for a large guest list, so I did the math and figured out how many people I could reasonably afford to host, given how much I knew my PP cost was.

    I ended up with a wedding of 52 guests and it was absolutely perfect.

    I made a choice to treat the best people in my life to the best night of their lives, rather than inviting everyone I've ever known to a thoroughly mediocre night.

    The fact that I had an open bar does not make me "rich" it makes me a good and thoughtful host.

    A big (read: expensive) wedding is a PRIVILEGE, not a right. If you don't have the means for a big wedding, you don't get to have one. It's kinda that simple. You wouldn't walk in a ferrari dealership and demand a ferrari just because some other people have one if you only have $50 in the bank. Same logic.

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  • Karilyn
    Dedicated September 2018
    Karilyn ·
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    That's what I thought but apparently I have room to cut at least 60 people according to some others so you start getting confused!

    Children would not. That is why we are having the lemonade/water/iced tea/coffee available at a table so they don't have to wait at a bar or for a server to get something to drink throughout the whole night. We also do not have many children except for my sisters (who said their kids don't get soda often anyhow). But as another commenter noted, I think maybe we'll allow soda on an open bar system. I originally wanted to avoid it because I honestly don't trust the venue to not just start tacking on drinks that weren't purchased. After thinking about it though, there would have to be a lot of $4/ea to add up to anything we're worried about. I think we'll give the consumption bar another thought; we avoided originally because we didn't want the heavier drinkers to wear it out before the end of the night and then my sister try to get her second glass of wine for the night and be stuck.

    However, I have even made a spreadsheet with an estimate of how many drinks I think each person will have (not counting the free wine/champagne) and estimated on the high side so maybe I could go back to this.

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  • Susan
    Super November 2018
    Susan ·
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    We are having a fully stocked open bar. Even if we were not, we would at the very least provide beer and wine, and soda, tea, and water. Not because we’re “rich” (spoiler: we’re super not). Because it is the right way to host your guests.
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  • Karilyn
    Dedicated September 2018
    Karilyn ·
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    After all the feedback I think we definitely could add in sodas as part of the open bar if continue to move forward with tickets. It'll take a lot longer for $4/ea to reach some major damage than it would at $8-12/ea.

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  • H
    Dedicated October 2019
    H ·
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    Unless I’m wrong, I think you’re referring to a consumption bar where you’d get “screwed” if your guests took advantage of a limited open bar by chugging the drinks really quickly. An open bar is something you’re paying for ahead of time and has nothing to do with consumption.
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  • JNav
    Devoted September 2017
    JNav ·
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    You're really stuck on this ticket idea huh. smh. no offense i feel bad for your guests Smiley sad
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