For most people, alcohol is an essential component of a wedding. When the booze isn’t flowing freely, the night’s events can easily take a frustrating turn. Unfortunately, providing ample libations to the people at your event is far from an inexpensive endeavor. While a cash bar might seem like an appetizing solution, it is best to nix that idea right away. There are plenty of other options to consider before you resort to pushing the burden of paying for alcohol solely on your guests…unless, of course, you enjoy hearing your family members complain.
When an open bar seems like too pricey of a choice and a cash bar just seems like a bad idea overall, you might feel stuck as to what options are left. To find a solution, give yourself a moment to explore these ideas for how to save a bit of money and still give your guests plenty of liquor to keep them happy.
Create Some Limitations
Open bar and cash bar might seem like the only options for your big day, but that isn’t exactly the case. Instead of thinking in terms of black and white, you’ll need to explore shades of grey to find the perfect solution. Opt for an open bar still, but put certain restrictions on the bar to make sure you only have to spend a sensible amount. Usually, a limited bar will be stocked with a small selection of beer, wine, and possibly one or two hard liquor options – still enough to keep guests happy without breaking the bank.
Another way of limiting the bar in a somewhat creative way is by exploring signature drink options. You and your partner can come up with a handful of creative, tasty cocktails you want served at your event. The bartenders will only stock the liquors used in these drinks. This means your guests can either opt for the cocktails or something else utilizing the limited stock of liquor. Restricting what your open bar offers is a wonderful way to find a balance between pleasing the people at your wedding and staying within your budget.
Mix and Match the Costs
Eliminating hard liquor from the equation altogether can also be a useful way to cut the costs of your wedding without totally removing the open bar idea. Consider stocking the bar with only beer and wine. While you might have a couple of people upset over the limited selection, wine and beer tend to please a wider range of people. Plus, you can often use your favorite beer and wine brands, introducing your friends and family to some of the drinks you like to indulge in.
You might also want to toy with the idea of saving the best and most expensive alcohol for the big moments of your wedding. Specifically, it can be useful to save the best booze for the toasts. Breaking out a nice, expensive bottle of champagne for your guests to sip on during this part of the evening can easily make everyone feel light and bubbly without the constant need for pricey alcohol to continuously flow throughout the course of events.
A Different Time
Finally, one simple way to save money without sacrificing too much is by considering an earlier reception. An afternoon reception, for example, limits how much guests will want to drink. It might not be your ideal scenario, but you’ll be surprised how much money you can save on alcohol by simply adjusting the start time of your event.
Alcohol tends to be a very important component of most weddings. If you’re concerned about your budget, be sure to explore simple ways to cut down on costs related to liquor without the need to resort to the dreaded idea of the cash bar.
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