Cash Bar

I don't think it's tacky at ALL! We're paying for all their food, non-alcoholic drinks, and entertainment. We will be providing a couple of kegs, but beyond that... it's on them! If people want to enjoy themselves, that is up to them. Besides, if someone were to get crazy drunk, drive off & get in a wreck, I wouldn't want that on my conscious that I provided their vodka. Honestly, I think an open bar is nuts. It'd be like going out on a date, having the guy pay for dinner, the movie, etc., but then getting pissed off at him for not paying for your babysitter. Some things are expected... others definitely are not.

I should mention that we are providing our guests with pop water coffee and tea free of charge. AND a sunday brunch the next day..lol weddings are expensive!

If you are planning a cash bar, check with the venue. We are having our reception at the church hall, cue to liquor laws and nonprofit status issues, we can not "sell" alcohol there nor can any of the guest bring there own. We can have an open bar. Due to budget issues, we decided to have wine availble to all the guests. Any bottles that aren't opened can be returned for a refund.

* "cue to liquor laws... "should have been "due to liquor laws..."

Honestly its up to you and it depends on the type of people that you are inviting to your wedding... I personally have never been to a wedding that the bar wasnt cash .. We will probably have a cash bar (its $2 for beers and $3 for mixed drinks) but if there is money left over in the budget we might consider adding that to the bar tab and when its gone its gone... Our location will not negotiate a set price or give us any kind of discount if we pick up the tab... I wanted to originally just purchase like 3 kegs and call it a night but they wont let us do that.. Also if budget is an issue dont blow it on an open bar... people will understand and if they dont do you really want them there anyways?

Every wedding I have ever been to has been a cash bar on everything except water. I plan on having a cash bar for guest and a open bar for the wedding party and immediate family (my father is paying for it and he said he has to be included in it too)

Jamese it is your wedding its nice to get advice but in the end its your way what ever you like! i have been to severral open bar weddings everyone hung at the bar! were so drunk they needed taxis some abuse it some dont! and i have been to cash bars where we were told a head of time it was cah bar i personally was not offended im there for the bride and groom not to get drunk! don't get me wrong i like a glass of wine! lol if i have to pay i dont mind and are you having alot of family attending? if so they will understand more then non family my wedding we are almost all family and close friends not all drink i will have open bar from 5-30 to 9-30 then from 9-30 to 11-30 i will not cause people will be driving home and dont want them tanked! its 2010 every bride is different if you dont want it then dont you have every right not to no one is tacky or rude! its wise and safes money good people will understand! good luck

I have been to a wedding where there was a cash bar and people left early. The bride however could not wait to find out what gifts she got and how much cash their was. the wedding is a celebration but lets not live in lala land. Yes you provide them food and all that but you also invited them. Who wants to travel, pay for a hotel and gift and then pay for soda and alcoholic drinks? Most places only offer tea and water for free. Consider your guests as much as they consider you. I'd rather no bar than making a guest pay for anything more than they already have.

Personally not a fan of a cash bar. It's your wedding and your family and friends are buying their outfits and getting you a gift and they have to pay for their drinks too? I know it can be expensive but if you can do it, I would.

I really think it depends on the type of people that your friends and family are. They may be perfectly find with a cash bar. I Do not have a problem with one.IT is nice to know ahead of time to perpare. Also the whole beer and wine bar. I don't get that because not everyone likes beer and or wine. I come from alot of people around me do not even drink wine, and mostly the guys drink beer very few of the ladies touch beer. So that would be out of the question for me... To check in for a few hours of an open bar-that is a good idea as well make it an open bar for 2 hrs then a cash bar I think that is very reasonable.

Of course we wouldn't make our friends and family pay for food and drinks while visiting but it's completely different going to a wedding. Wedding Means money spending one way or another. As someone said.. Food and entertainment is free the drinks are not a given/must.

I would talk to your venue about the options. A lot of people find it "tacky" (ALL weddings are tacky, in some way, to someone!) or rude to have an entirely cash bar. There are so many possibilities though. You can host for X hours. You can host all beer & wine. You can have a few bottles of wine at each table, plus the champagne toast, but anything else is cash bar. You can host certain brands of beer, wine, & liquor for the whole night, or certain hours..

I just went to a wedding last weekend at a country club and they had a cash bar. The place ddn't allow ANY outside catering/beverage bringing in.

They offered the cash bar during cocktail hour and dinner. One thing tho: They didn't have ANY free beverages during cocktail hour (water, tea, soda), just finger food. I had to pay $2 for HALF a can of coke poured over a huge glass full of ice because I was about to die from the super spicy hot wings they had as finger food. I thought that was not nice: having no sort of non-alcoholic beverages, not even water, for the guests that don't drink during cocktail hour and yet having food that requires a beverage.

During dinner, they did provide water, tea, lemonade, and Dr. Pepper (yuck!). And the cash bar stayed open: FH had to pay EIGHT DOLLARS for a friggin' Corona. Talk about RIP OFF.

So, my opinion is: they are fine, just make sure they are reasonable priced, and that you can provide free alternatives to guests that don't drink

I dont think its tacky. I have been to several weddings where there is a cash bar and have never thought anything of it. We are doing an open bar with two signature drinks and beer. Its not because we think a cash bar is taky, its just easier for our small wedding. Nobody knows your group of people as much as you do, and im sure they wont mind paying a few dollars for a drink at your wedding. Im sure some will appreciate it over the idea of having no drinks at all.

I agree that is where you are from and the circle you run around in. My sister did not have a cash bar, but also spent several thousand dollars on alcohol (which ran out before the reception was over--her friends can drink apparently.) Most of my friends have had cash bars with either tickets for every one to have a couple of drinks of their choosing or free margaritas and beer. What might be fun if you have a bartender friend (or a friend who's good with the alcohol) is to have them whip you up a unique drink mix that is all your own. You can name it after yourself and your fiancee and make it the hit of the party. (Not to be cliche, but Brad and Angelina might have a Brange-tini.) It's all in the marketing.

I have been trying to decide the same thing about the bar. FH and I both dont drink and we were thinking of excluding alcohol all together but my parents really want there to be alcohol there. Many of our guests dont drink so we were thinking of doing a tab bar. So we still pay but it is per drink not per person. I wanted a cash bar but my parents think it is tacky and rude. I still have not made a decision

After reading how someone paid $ for just soda. That I would try to make sure you can pay for the non-alochole drinks.. Have bottled water, tea, coffee, soda free for your guests. Making guests pay for these is very rude and tacky in my opinion that is beyoung the whole cash bar for booze.

Do whatever you can afford. no alcohol, cash bar, beer and whine only, open bar. whatever. It is about the uniting of you and your FH. If someone is going to complain then they don't deserve to spend that special day with you. It's a wedding not a bar crawl. They can do that on their own time.

@dme_cjm Thank you so much you know and i can agree with that i mean it is not a club and i do have food beverages favors etc...so its not like i am not appreciating my guest i just would rather not pay for an open bar that is not what is important on my day ya know?

I have been thinking about this issue a lot recently as well. Both myself and my FH come from Irish families who like to drink. I am worried that if I have an open bar, people will end up drinking too much, but on the other hand, I don't want them leaving because they have to pay for drinks. I want them to be there with us to celebrate. I have been to weddings that were open bar, and some that were cash bar, and never really thought anything of it until we started to plan out wedding. The jury really seems to be out on the etiquette question here . . . :/

I don't think it's rude at all. I enjoy a drink every now and then, and so does my fiancee', but it's not that important to us. And since we're paying for everything ourselves, we had to consider the expense of an open bar. We wanted people to have the option of getting a drink if they want one, so we have decided to have a cash bar at our reception. We did want to give everyone a heads-up so that they know to have money with them if they want to get alcoholic drinks. On the bottom of the invitations, where people usually put "reception to follow", we put "Reception, with cash bar, to follow". We'll pay for the champagne toast, but after that, they're on their own.