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Savvy May 2021

Cash Bar vs. Open Bar

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Sarah, on July 15, 2019 at 11:31 AM

So, our venue is really expensive already, and they are TABC certified. That means that all alcohol has to go through them, They have marked up the prices insanely($320 for a keg of bud light). We don't know what to do about a bar, we want our friends and family to be able to drink, but it will cost us at least another 1000 dollars. We aren't heavy drinkers, but most of our guests are. Is it tacky to have a cash bar? Thanks for the help, I feel like this is probably a small detail that I am way overthinking.

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23 Comments

Expert October 2017
Florida Marlins · on July 15, 2019 at 10:30 PM
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I have been married twice, and both times had open bar. (Second wedding was lunch wedding, not a lot of drinking going on.) Having said that, I am not offended by a cash bar. It is way better than a dry wedding - at least you have a choice. People here have great suggestions: Free Beer and Wine a few signature drinks, either favorites of you and your mate, or you could ask what are the most popular cocktails are these days,
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Master October 2019
Jolie · on July 16, 2019 at 12:21 PM
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If you do beer & wine and cash for everything else I am fine with that or just beer & wine and a signature drink or two. I think coming from a guest perspective I would like to be told this though. I am always under the assumption that it's open bar and we don't much bring cash, enough for a tip for a bartender. My best friend didn't even tell us she was only having beer, wine & one cocktail. I was annoyed simply because I don't really like wine or beer. I would mention it on a wedding website and details card of an invite so people know to bring cash. I went to another wedding where we had zero clue it turned into a cash bar after a certain time and we were annoyed cuz again we didn't bring enough cash. My fiance basically got beers for free because he was friend's with the bride's brother.
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Just Said Yes June 2019
Brittney · on July 16, 2019 at 3:44 PM
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I was in a similar situation with my venue, and ultimately decided to have a cash bar because, when push came to shove, I was not willing to overpay for alcohol. Everything was perfect - people drank, hung out, and had a great time. Bottom line: $320 for a keg of Bud Light is excessive, and I can only imagine it gets worse from there. Even if you were to cut costs elsewhere to make room in your budget, why spend all that money overpaying for alcohol unless you truly want to? It’s your wedding, and there is no reason you should feel pressure to pay any more than you’re comfortable with. I think it’s perfectly fine to just put a “cash bar” notice on your wedding website, detail card, etc., and if your invitees don’t like it they don’t have to attend. Anyone who truly cares about being a part of your wedding celebration won’t be offended if they have to spend a few bucks on their (optional) drinks - they’ll just be happy to be there for you and your groom!

Of course, if you truly want to cover the costs of alcohol - go for it. But if you don’t want to pay for it - don’t. Your guests will be just fine either way.
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