Cash bars??

I think cash bars are pushing the cost of the wedding onto the guests. How many people are you inviting? Is it possible to just do open beer and wine and not liquor?

Cash bars are tacky and I woud find a different venue before I would pay for a $15k open bar or make my guests pay for part of my event.

It depends on who you talk to. Everyone has a difference of opinions on alcohol at weddings. I don't think it's tacky and doesn't bother me. I just suggest advise guests in advance.

....how many people are you inviting where they require a $15k open bar? That seems incredibly egregious because there is no way that the alcohol would cost that much unless you have a huge guest list.

I do not think a cash bar is tacky. If you're worried put on the invite so the guests know a head of time...and if they don't want to buy a drink they don't have to.

Edit:
We’re expecting around 300 guests. He is Vietnamese and we’re combining the Vietnamese ceremony with the typical American reception. His family invited a very large number of people(luckily they paid for the food lol).

The cost for alcohol is $50 per person for an open bar for the entire night. Estimating 300 people means it will cost us $15,000- which we absolutely do not want to spend. However, I also don’t want people to think they have to come to the wedding and pay for a bunch of things so that’s why I’m asking!

If you can't afford to properly host your guests, then you need to cut down on your guest list. It is rude to expect your guests to attend a wedding and expect them to pay for things. They are already paying for travel, hotel and possibly a gift. They shouldn't have to pay for alcohol as well.

Cash bars are fine. And if people are too snotty to pay for their own drinks, they can be sober. $15k is insane.

I've always heard and believe that alcohol is a choice, not a requirement. Properly hosting doesn't mean giving people alcohol. Think about it, it's a mind altering substance that we enjoy but aren't required to have. So is it tacky to not provide other legal mind altering substances in states where people partake often? No lol. I am providing alcohol, but it's not mandatory. Non-alcoholic should always be free, that is a requirement.

It's not tacky at all. We all have different lifestyles and opinions buuuut, I really believe it's a certain type of person who would actually expect free drinks and not understand that as an added plus and nothing more. You want to share something special with these people and that 100% does not have to include you buying their alcohol.

I think its tacky to want more than one beer at a wedding, so id go with the cash bar...How many of your guests are even heavy drinkers?

View Quoted Comment How do you know theres travel, gifts, and hotels involved? It depends on the kind of wedding. They may have no out of town guests, and it may be near home (no hotel stay necessary). Theres other ways to thank your guests for coming- like having the reception, catering, favors etc.

View Quoted Comment

I don't know that, but I am saying for the guests that are doing those things it isn't fair to expect them to pay the additional costs. I think it is one thing if it is an optional event like a bunch, after party or welcome party, but for the actual wedding, I don't think guests should be required to pay.

I think $50/person for an open bar is a steal. We spent $6k at my work Christmas party on alcohol for 80 people.

View Quoted Comment Im just saying, its not like they have to pay a fee at the door. Its simply alcohol or no alcohol and 15 grand is ludicrous

View Quoted Comment

Oh I definitely agree that is ludicrous. I don't drink so I wouldn't need to spend anything if I went to a wedding with a cash bar. I think either not having alcohol, having limited alcohol or cutting guests would be the best option. I also would have asked this question during my venue tour before I picked a venue as that is a lot of money for them to be expected to pay.

I think its what you can afford. At cousin's wedding, everyone got like 2 tickets for drinks, then cash after that. I personally would not be offended at having to pay for alcohol, its stupjd expensive. My parents are paying for the alcohol at my wedding, and we're just doing beer and wine. If they weren't paying, I would either have cash bar or dry wedding. If you're going to go in the hole for providing alcohol, i do not think its worth it.


My biggest thing: if people come to a wedding expecting free booze...then they're there for the wrong thing.

Girl, the open bar would be half that per person at my venue and we still decided it would be too expensive for us. We'll be saving ~$2500 by going cash bar. Our only deal breaker on cash bar might be if the caterer can't do card payments for it. Regardless of decision, we'll be telling our guests in advance so they can be prepared. We can't bring our own since our venue is considered part of a state park.

View Quoted Comment That’s what I thought! Obviously a meal and non-alcoholic drinks will be paid as well as champagne for a toast. So basically it’s just me being torn between alcohol being a “requirement” or not. But thank you all for making me feel better, I think you’re right! If they want to drink, they can pay! Alcohol is definitely an extra😊 thanks for all the opinions!!

I don’t know if I would call it tacky but the last wedding I was in I had to buy my own coke. That was sort of annoying. My fiancé’s cousin did something a little different though. They bought a whole bunch of alcohol and soft drinks themselves and then just hired a bartender for the night. It was cool because they had their wedding/reception in an old barn so the bar was in a silo. I imagine they saved a ton of money going that route.