Alcohol at the reception

Cash bars are incredibly rude. The bartender will cut off people if they drink too much.

So a cash bar would prevent family members with a drinking problem from drinking? That makes no sense. Do they have real struggles with alcoholism, or are you just trying to baby sit?

Both options are pretty bad. I have heard that a cash bar is better than no bar though.

A cash bar won't prevent those with a drinking problem from drinking. It will just ensure they do it in a way that cannot be monitored and more dangerously.

A well-trained licensed bartender and open bar will be sure to control these guests and cut them off when necessary.

Do not punish your responsible guests for irresponsible guest or those with an addiction.

If anything, do a modified open bar.

They have a drinking problem and it might not keep them from drinking entirely but I at least would be supplying it. That is why i was considering no bar. I'm not sure why its so rude, maybe because i don't drink. If someone was having a reception and i was invited i would not complain about paying for drinks. I would either pay or not drink.

Making them pay for their own drinks will stop them from drinking too much how?

If they want to drink they will drink open bar or not .. you should treat your guests and have a open bar

We're not having alcohol at our wedding for various reasons and I think it is totally okay.

I personally think a cash bar is better than no bar, but both are very rude. How about just beer and wine?

Like i said it might not stop them from drinking, maybe it would slow them down, but at least i wouldn't be supplying it to them.

Are you trying to tell us that your family members with drinking problems do not have any cash? You truly think that a cash bar will stop someone with a "drinking problem" from drinking?

As Charlie Brown would say, "Good grief!"

Limited bar. Beer and wine only provided by you. Talk to your venue to see options. If your venue offers it, have a cash bar for hard liquor portion. If they do and someone wants hard liquor, they can purchase it themselves. Also, let your vendors, DOC, whoever else is relevant know that you may have issues with over drinking and trust that they'll handle it appropriately. It's their job and their ass if they "over serve". (Coming from someone that's been on the bartender side of this type of things.)

It's not going to slow them down. It's just going to make you look cheap.

Poor hosting isn't going to stop your guests from buying drinks, it's just going to piss them off.

Hire a bartender who knows when to cut people off, and host the bar.

The reception is a party you're throwing to thank your guests for being a part of your big day.

"thank you for coming, that'll be $6 please"

You don't thank people by making them open their wallets

Do not worry about those with a drinking problem. They will drink no matter what. If you are worried about them getting hammered and possibly ruining the event, get security.

It is not your job to monitor their sobriety or non sobriety. And they don't want you to do this either.

If I was ever invited to a cash bar or dry wedding, you better believe I would be packing alcohol in my purse or car. Your guests will do the same, I promise you, and then there will be no one to monitor them and cut them off as a licensed bartender would.

Thanks for the opinions! I hadn't considered getting security and will definitely look into that as well as speaking to my venue.

Your wedding isn't the place to send a message to people.

Why would a cash bar be better for people with drinking problems? I don't get that logic

Does having to pay for alcohol slow them down when they're out at a bar? Probably not. Plus, as a few others have already mentioned, it will likely least to them also pregaming before your wedding so they're already buzzed when they arrive or they will have flasks so they can mix their own drinks, and a bartender won't be able to monitor the strength of the drinks your guests mix with whatever's in their flasks. It's actually better if you provide drinks for free because then your guests won't be doing those things. They won't drink ahead of time to save on their tabs and they will be drinking appropriately mixed drinks where your bartenders can actually gauge when a guest has had enough.

Plus, it's rude to ask your guests to open their wallets at your reception. It's a party hosted by you to thank them for coming to your ceremony. So you should fully host it and not ask your guests to pay for part of it.