2 drink tokens ?!?

I'll do "confession Friday" on this thread. I was entertaining the idea of doing this only because FI's side of family will more than likely go overboard with the alcohol. But...don't think that'll happen since our coordinator said that our DJ (who works with the venue) is pretty good at keeping guests in check.

I never seen drink tickets at a wedding before. But I have at corporate events. It is annoying when people keep asking for your drink tickets.

I've been to work holiday parties where we are given two drink tickets. Most weddings I've been to are one hour open bar then cash bar. Can't ever recall one that's been open bar in years. Don't worry- we have open bar.

Is this a festival or a wedding?

If they seriously can't afford just beer and wine or something, I'd rather a dry wedding over drink tokens any day. I'm big into flasks, so I'd definitely keep one in my purse that day! I would never want to stoop to having to barter and beg people for drink tokens.

Yes, reminds me of my company Christmas parties in the 90s where we got 2 drink tickets and would ask people if there were going to use theirs LOL

Found out more ... A lot of bride's family are very religious, especially Grandma. Grandma said she would not go to the reception if it was open bar because she is uncomfortable around people drinking. So this is their compromise. I can understand that I guess. They are doing cash bar after the tickets but I guess Grandma doesn't care if people buy their own drinks LOL

Additional drama around rehearsal dinner ... Bride's family is from MO, Groom's family is from PA. Wedding is in FL where bride and groom live. Bride's parents want all out of town guests invited to rehearsal dinner since they all traveled so far to attend. Groom's parents said no, they spent $1000 on rehearsal dinner and that's it. So Bride's parents put up additional $500 for out of town guests. What is the etiquette around this? I think it is polite to invite the out of town guests but I guess it could turn into a mini-wedding if you get too many people. They are having 90 guests at the wedding.

Every wedding I've gone to has been a cash bar which I don't have a problem with (to each their own). I've never heard of using token. Sounds like too much of a hassle.

Kelli, Knowing that the grandma said she wouldn't go if there was an open bar makes the whole situation make more sense. If I was that bride though, I would feel the need to justify our decision to everyone. Maybe I just care too much about people being happy with the food and drinks at our wedding...?

Or they could maybe discount the drinks? Grandma wouldn't know the difference

We are same as you for our wedding. Food and drinks took high priority. We want to have a fabulous party with our friends!

I work in the wedding industry as a banquet bar manager...it's quite normal where I am...but then again from my years on wedding wire, it seems that our "standards" or "norms" up here in Canada are different then the states

Gross.

I think the tokens or tickets thing is just a little weird and more frustrating for guests than anything. I think if you're going to do that, you should just do a capped bar and average out what 2 drinks pp would be. FW and I have stuck to a beer and wine bar only with guests paying for their own liquor, not necessarily for the money factor but more because of the fact that I'm a recovering alcoholic and generally don't even have liquor in my own home. Just as it's been said on here many times how would you host your guest in your home. Honestly, when I have people over to my house, it is known that if you want liquor, you purchase it/bring it on your own and it leaves with you at the end of the night. That being said, my guests can pay for liquor but I will pay for their beer or wine.

BTW, I'm in Florida and in all my planning, I haven't heard of tokens being common.

Drink tokens are great for company parties....not so much weddings. Lol

Linda-the "Be grateful for what you get" attitude is quite horrible. No one has to break the bank when hosting an event. You invite the number of people you can properly host with food AND beverages. There is absolutely nothing wrong with a dry wedding if that is what you can afford. Never should a guest have to open their wallet at YOUR party. Never. I have gone to one wedding with a cash bar and I ate and left with my gift. I am sorry but if you (General You) spare no expense on a dress, decor, etc. and then expect your invited guests to supplement part of your wedding expense by having them pay for their own drinks, I don't want to be associated with you anymore. I don't like people who have bad manners.

I prefer to have an open bar, however, my venue does not offer an open bar. They do the drink ticket thing. We are negotiating some other way to handle this, Like set a certain amount that we prepay and then hand out the tickets? :/ The gist of it is, they don't want the added liability of having too many over intoxicated guests from an open bar.

Sounds like they're trying to throw grandma under the bus, poor grandma

We are planning on doing an open bar for the first hour and then after that cash bar. I feel like it will make for a happy medium.

Not seeing how being grateful is horrible?

I've never had a drink ticket except at the end of a race and at a work party. And even then, the HR director was handing them out to whoever asked nicely...she said they had to do it because of the venue, but they didn't want to tell people how much fun they could have!

My fail food this for his wedding almost two years ago. They both mage good money at the time and no kids. They had tickets and Krebs and once those were gone out went to a cash bar. As for Mrs cheap saying they are popular here she means Minnesota. I have never been to an open bar. It's either full cash or they have so much beer then it goes to cash.