Open Bar

Yes, from an attendees perspective. From a bride's perspective, it depends on the place.

For us, open bar means that we provide the alcohol, the venue provides the bartender, and people drink whatever they want.

At many places, you pay a certain amount per person and they drink whatever they want, w/ alcohol provided by the venue itself.

The last option that I know of is that you call it an open bar, set up a fixed amount w/ the venue in advance that you don't want to go over, and they contact you when the total drink cost would go over that amount (or X amount before that).

Ok, that is what I thought, and then there is consumption bar, right? which is when you pay the tab at the end of the night?... I feel like so many different places call things so many different things that it gets confusing.

Although, I feel like a lot gets confusing!! LOL

Consumption bars seem like they would get VERY expensive, especially if you are having an evening reception. Your guests wouldn't know that you're being charged per drink and would probably assume it's open bar and drink liberally, perhaps not even finish one drink before ordering another, order a premium brand drink when a mid-level one would do just fine, etc.

My venue's package offers a signature drink at cocktail hour and one hour of open bar during it, plus wine with dinner. They let you choose to add 1.5 or 2.5hr open bar, between premium open bar and call brand open bar (mid-level liquors). The price difference between premium & call is only $2.50 per person, but you can see if your place offers more savings. Also, having an open bar for an hour less saves another $7.50 per head, but my fiance won't go for it. Too bad because I'd rather cut back there and have more pictures!

Where I am from open bar means, I would provide the liquor and bartender and all my guests drink how much or whatever they want.

I am still thinking of how I want my bar to be. As far as how long I want it to be open for

Open bar means that the basic package is provided some venues you have to pay 4.99 per person to drink unlimited. Some venues its included into your room limit. they typically serve 4 taps of beer types, 4 wines, and 1 champagne if you want premeium package meaning brand name its more cost. if you want to add mixed drinks like jim, jack, ect its going to cost extra. Our venue provides open bar at room limit of thee above 4 beer, 4 wine, and 1 champagne. Anything else I want is more money I have to shed.

At my venue open means just that. They provide all the alcohol, mixers, bartender and everyone drinks what they want and how much they want.

There is also a cash bar. Where the basics are offered but if they want anything outside the box the guests pay for it themselves. At my venue you can have both unlimited with a cash bar.

See, I thought it was everything you wanted, but the venue I looked at today the wording was weird on the information packet, and I didn't read it until I had already left. I am going to send them an email and ask them about it, but it made it seem like it was either cash or consumption bar. Most places I have looked at are about $30 pp for open bar. I am definitely having open bar, but I am now confused.

Our open bar will stop serving half an hour before the reception ends... to give people time to sober up. If it were an evening wedding I might want it to end sooner (because you CAN get sued if one of your guests has an accident while driving under the influence as you were the hosts).

However, we're having an afternoon Sunday reception, so I'm hoping people won't drink too much. Plus the place lets us move to the grounds to linger (we do have to leave the dining room at 5p because they use that space for their dinner service), so that's additional time for people to lose the buzz.

All i know is unless your having it at a place that allows you to provide your own alcohol it is very expensive if you are on a budget to host open bar at a per person price. luckily for me my venue allows me to contract my own venders so if i wanted to i could buy my own alcohol.

We are from Texas, and there everyone has open bar. I do not think I should make people pay for drinks at my wedding. I know a lot of people do, and I have nothing against it, and I would not be offended if I went to a wedding with a cash bar, but I would personally rather spend less on a dress and have open bar than the other way around with a cash bar.

I should say, I am from Texas, as is my family. Now we live in Massachusetts, and that is where the wedding will be.

An open bar means that you pay for all drinks. So, do you have a price per drink from the venue?

In our case, for my daughters wedding, bar drinks were $6 each. We did a no-host, as there was NO WAY, that I was paying for the grooms family to drink on my dime....the only drink whiskey...would have run me over $600 for that family's bar tab. NOW. they hate wine. but, since that was comped, they drank all known wine, then bought whiskey. So, they drank all known wine, that wine drinkers not only would like, but one wine drinker gave us as a gift. UGH! My daughters in-laws SUCK! Truly, they do.

""So, they drank all known wine, that wine drinkers not only would like,""

Make that, "that wine drinkers only, would like."

Typing 101. LOL!

I agree I dont think it's a good idea to ask people to pay for their drinks. I did an online drink calculator and for my 100 people it told I needed to have

400 drinks total

200 bottles of beer

20 bottles of 750 ml of wine

6 bottles of liquor

You can also have the bar open for a certain time.

I'm glad you asked this question, as I am totally lost when it comes to open bar and what different venues call them.

Well, I thought I knew, until today when the paper from the venue I looked at said open bar but then did not have a per person price. I emailed them a little while ago, but seeing as it is midnight, I am guessing I will have to wait until tomorrow to hear.

I don't understand that last post?

Bride View:

Open Bar = all drinks available all night, free for guests (host pays a per person fee for unlimited drinks)

Consumption bar = pay a price per drink (can set $$ limits)

Limited Open Bar = all beer/wine free all night for guests, maybe a sig. drink, too

Cash Bar = All Guests pay for own drinks

Guest View:

Open Bar = All guests drink all night, free

Cash Bar = All Guests Pay for own drinks

Limited Open Bar = Free Beer/Wine, maybe signature drink