Setting up Your Wedding Bar
Advice 26.04.2022
What do you need for a fantastic wedding celebration? Great food, brilliant music and a glass or three of fizz to get the party started.
But when it comes to providing alcohol, there really are no rules. How you set up your wedding bar will very much depend on your budget and the size of your guest list.
Have an open bar
An open bar means you provide all the drinks throughout the day and evening, and your guests don’t pay for anything. If that’s the case allow about 20% of your overall wedding budget for alcohol. This works well if your guests are the kind of people who will enjoy a couple of glasses of wine. But could be costly if you have an uncle who happily downs double G&Ts all night.
If someone is running the bar for you (like Liam at FlyBar), you would pay deposit in advance and then settle the difference at the end of the night.
Have a paid bar
You could also run your wedding bar like a regular bar and have guests buy their own drinks throughout the day and evening. This is more common than you think and there are plenty of guests who are more than happy to do this. Perhaps your friends and family would rather you used the money for a honeymoon or a deposit towards a property.
One option for a paid bar is to perhaps provide free beer and wine all night, but have guests pay for spirits and speciality drinks.
Have a mix
A popular option is to provide free drinks throughout the day and a cash bar in the evening only. So offer guests a drink on arrival such as a Pimm’s if it’s during the summer, then provide wine on the table during the wedding breakfast and a glass or two of Champagne to toast the happy couple. And then in the evening have a paid bar.
Or instead of favours, hand out complimentary drinks token to use at the bar. Once these are used up, the bar then reverts to a paid bar.
Employ staff
Whatever type of bar you have, you’ll need someone to staff it. Some couples ask friends to do the honours, especially if they have bar or hospitality experience. But it’s probably a good idea to call in the professionals. They’ll keep the bar running smoothly and ensure drinks are served quickly. Take a look at FlyBar, Best Day Ever and Croyde Concierge. Talk to them about glass hire and supplying ice too.
Stock the bar
You might opt for the fully DIY route and buy all the alcohol in yourself. This is a good option if there are particular brands you like, or you have a friend who owns a brewery, or you can get a good deal somewhere. And it works particularly well if you’re just buying in the beer and wine and everything is likely to be used.
If you’re having someone manage the bar for you, get them to stock it for you too. Chances are they would have supplied the alcohol for numerous weddings, so will have a really good idea as to how much is needed and what people are likely to drink. And they can still buy in your favourite brands.
Design a signature cocktail
Signature cocktails are all the rage at the moment. You might opt for a paid bar in the evening but have a mixologist offer guests a free cocktail or two before the dancing starts. Create a cocktail that has special meaning to you as a couple. Perhaps you drank Pisco Sours in Peru or Bellinis in Venice. Or ask the mixologist to create a drink especially for you based on your favourite ingredients such as Champagne or gin.
Have a dry bar
Not serving alcohol at all is also becoming more popular for all kinds of reasons including religious, health and costs.
If you’re not serving alcohol at your wedding, it's probably worth letting guests know in advance. But that doesn’t mean your drinks have to be dull. Serve organic fruit juices or flavoured waters. And there are plenty of non-alcoholic beers and wines on the market too. Or opt for something like Fortum and Mason’s Sparkling Tea. It has a celebratory feel about it but has 0% alcohol. Delicious.
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