4 hour open bar???

Is the open bar beer and wine? With the option to purchase liquor?

The open bar will have beer and wine and also includes liquor for mixed drinks only, no shots.

Why is your reception 8 hours? I think you should plan for the bar and reception to end at the same time.

Having an 8 hour reception but the open bar for only half of it doesn't make much sense.

ETA I think it would be really confusing for your guests. How will they know when the open bar is done? Would it convert to cash bar at that point or just no more drinks? Maybe shorten to reception and extend the bar hours.

That's a hard call. I was in the same dilemma but changed to have the bar open for the entirety of the reception. My reception will start at 6 for the cocktail hour and end at 1230.

4-12 is a really long time... 8 hours for your reception? I recently went to a 4 1/2 hour wedding and I left early because I thought it was too long

An 8-hour reception is really long. Is there any particular reason your reception runs so long? Is there a cocktail hour? Is that at 4? When is dinner?

Honestly, I'm not a fan of limiting open bar hours. It should be an open bar for the whole reception, except maybe the last hour when you expect guests to be leaving.

Its not set in stone but I was planning to have my ceremony in the afternoon around 3 pm. Thanks for the advice. I am trying to avoid adding the hour and spacing out the alcohol evenly throughout the night.

I am planning to have a cocktail hour and appetizers prior to my arrival so guests are not bored waiting for us.

I would shorten your reception, average time is 5 hours, that way you can close the bar during dinner and just have wine at the tables

Shorten the reception time to five/ six hours max. I wouldn't want to stay at a wedding reception for 8 hours.

This is confusing to read...much less execute. Start your reception a little

later and end a little

earlier

Are ceremony and receptions in different places?

If so, do ceremony 330-430

Cocktails 5-6 open bar (no cash for anything)

Dinner 6-7 no bar, wine on the tables.

Reception with open bar 7-11, last call at 11 done at 11:15ish

Or pay for 1 more hour and do 7-12