Is this tacky?

Will there be drinks at the table during dinner? At least water that’s being refilled? The only time I’ve seen a bar close during dinner, there was wine service at the tables. If this isn’t common at weddings in your social circle, I would just be nervous that people won’t realize to grab a drink as cocktail hour is ending to take for dinner.

If there is wine/beer during dinner service that is fine. If not I’d keep the bar at 3 hours and just have it close a hour before the reception ends. The DJ can make a last call announcement. At the end of the night most people are done drinking anyways. I’d just make sure there is still water and/or other nonalcoholic beverages available during the last hour.

I think its fine to not do an open bar during the last hour. I believe final call is usually around 30 minutes before the event ends anyway.

I would actually close the bar for the last hour of the reception to give people more time to sober up before driving home.

No, it' s not tacky and it's even pretty common. Our package is 4-hour open bar and our reception is 5 h.

It allows people one hour to sober up before driving home.

Plus: the 3-hour open bar is a gift to them: I mean the open bars ARE NOT REQUIRED AT ALL, the fact they are trendy doesn't mean you have to offer one! I'm not sure why they would complain because it would close before the end of your reception. It would be rude to have a cash bar but not tacky to have an open bar.

I’ve heard that is very common. Bartenders usually don’t serve alcohol the last hour anyway.


What beverages will be available during dinner? What are your nonalcoholic options? Is the champagne optional for those who don’t care for it? Have someone let guests know that the bar is closed during dinner. Otherwise you will have surprised guests who go to get a drink refilled after cocktail hour and they are turned down.

Most wedding I've been to close the bar during dinner. Yes you will still have people want to get a drink during dinner but what most people do is grab it before the bar closes. I don't think it's tacky.

Thanks everyone! So what I'm hearing is it's perfectly ok to close the bar 1 hour before the reception ends. Does the fact that it's at a resort in Mexico (and no one will be driving anywhere, maybe stumble to their room upstairs) change anything?

I actually think this is fairly common, more so based on a venue's guidelines. We had our venue for 5 hours, including cocktail hour, but the bar service was only provided for 4 hours. This was the venue's standard protocol - the bar closed for 30 minutes after cocktail hour while dinner was being served, and last call was 30 minutes before our even ended.

View Quoted Comment Is it an all-inclusive resort? Personally I’d find it weird at an all-inclusive to have drinks cut off an hour before the reception ends. I guess this is a know your crowd thing, but I could definitely see people in our friend group going to find anothet bar to get a drink at if we were at an all-inclusive.

The weddings I've attended all have the bar close during dinner and people just grab a few drinks to have with dinner. If I was on a resort in Mexico I'd rather drink all night and have it close at dinner. Otherwise I'd probably leave after drinks stop since it's kind of like a vacation.


However I am in my mid-late 20's so I guess it depends on your crowd.

I cut out the drinks an hour early too they had a sign. I did that and it was a good thing too with all the trouble at the hotel I said forget them I said it’s better to cut back so it worked out. No one complained.

Hi, I've worked hundreds of weddings with an event center! We ALWAYS closed the bar during dinner. Otherwise it's way too chaotic to try and get everyone through the dinner lines, hear speeches, watch the first dance, etc. Have a sign at the bar that makes it clear it's open one hour, then closed an hour, then opens back up. Generally most people will just buy extra drinks ahead of time to last the hour it's closed.

View Quoted Comment I totally agree with this. This is your best bet. Our open bar ends 30 minutes before our event ends and its a mandatory policy of our venue. I think its also an overall policy in general of many venues. I think 1 hour before your wedding ends is not only more practical but overall more safe. Keep in mind people don’t typically stay till the very end at weddings so you wouldn’t want to pay money towards a part of the evening that some of your guests might not even be there for to ‘utilize’ so-to-speak.

Thank you all for your insights

Close the bar an hour early so guests can sober up before going home. Our wedding ends at 11 and we are closing the bar at 10

The best way to sober up besides closing the bar 90 minutes early as with any bar, is provide heavy appetizers that soak up whatever alcohol is a in their system and coffee the 90 minute window, which they will need to wake up as well.

I’ve actually been to a wedding that did this.
Make sure the DJ announces, at the end of cocktail hour, to grab a drink for dinner because the bar will be closed!!! If you do this, and guests are served non-alcoholic beverages during dinner, it’s fine.

I don't think that's tacky