Closing bar during dinner? Thoughts on signature drinks?

I know FH has lost his job recently. To cut costs would just beer and wine be cheaper?

They all seem super expensive. That sucks.

I would either cut the hard liquor or try to stick to mixed drinks that can be made with mixers already included in the bar (sodas, juice, lemonade, etc). I'm not sure if that would help but maybe. That's a pricey menu, it's too bad everything has to be done by consumption. I think your fiancé might have to let go of the hard liquor thing. Or just do one "specialty" signature drink that is designed specifically around what you guys like. I was at a wedding where they had a drink that they had come up with with the bartender and named it a combination of their two last names. Or another wedding had a signature drink that was just pre made in a massive drink dispenser that the waiters then poured out and garnished. Doing just one might make it easier.

Not sure how much money you will save by closing the bar during dinner (guess this will depend on your guests), but thought I'd chime in on your signature drinks.

We had Old Fashioneds as our signature cocktail and they were a big hit! Agree with a couple others who suggested maybe you could drop the rum and cokes and just keep your 2 fave drinks as your signature cocktails.

I would leave the lemon drop and old fashioned since those are you and your FH's favorites, but maybe make the third option something a little more "fancy"? Or really just leave it at the two options and if people don't like those they'll have beer or wine

I would ask about kegs and pre-mixed signature cocktails. If that's not an option, leave the bar open the whole reception and nix the mixed drinks. If your FH seriously wants an old-fashioned, he can have one any other night of the year.

I just looked at your menu. Your provides nice spirits at the well cocktail level! I would suggest simple cocktails that you can give fun names to. For example, so a Buffalo Trace & ginger ale, but call it "Whisk Me Away" or Tito's & lemonade, but call it "Citrus Kiss." (I'm actually terrible at naming drinks, but you get the idea.) Choose an $8.50 option that you like and one that FH likes, and give them personalized names. He gets his liquor, you save money all night. Win win.

Old Fashioneds are my FAVORITE drink to make!!! I'd do OF. For sure.

I'm not sure I would close the bar during dinner it may cause confusion. My reception includes 5 hours open bar and during dinner they have table side bars come around to serve drinks. I don't think it'd save that much money because most people get their drinks before dinner anyhow. For my signature drinks we are doing Malibu bay breeze (my fave) and Redd's Apple Ale with Fireball Whisky in it (FH's fave) Haven't decided on names for the signature drinks yet!

We just went through the same process. Can you do an open bar? I ask based on our recent experience. I was thinking of doing beer & wine on consumption, but one glass of wine is $9 and an "open" beer & wine bar is $10 per hour per person. So basically, if 1 person drinks 2 glasses of wine in one hour, that's $18 and already over the min. cost (2 hours open bar). They also charge $5 for a coke, so even non drinkers would be running the number up, while it's included in the $10 per hour charge. If you can do an open bar at $x per hour, it won't matter about beer, wine, signature drinks, switching to wine at dinner, opening back up to whisky after dinner, etc. But if the only answer you want is whether to close at dinner or not, I'd leave it open because most people if they run out of liquor at dinner will just drink the water, or if they do get up, it'd be awkward when they get to the bar and can't get served.

The only option is that we pay per drink. It's considered an open bar because our guests are not paying for any of it. A by the hour option sounds amazing but it is just not an option for us, neither are kegs or large portions of a signature drink pre-made.

I think I'm leaning more toward 2 signature drinks, wine and beer, and everything available the whole time. I don't think the cost is worth the confusion and like many have said I don't think a ton of people will get up during dinner.

What is so confusing about closing the bar during dinner and having wine on tables?????

The DJ announces, "grab your last drink the bar will be closed during dinner and wine is on the table". After dinner, DJ says, "Bars open! Go grab a drink and meet us on the dance floor".

I have confidence my guests can follow that without confusion. Its how my venue does every wedding. He said there was more confusion, cold food, etc with people getting up during dinner service.

Kathryn, it's not confusing. I have seen the bar closed at dinner at almost every venue I've attended for weddings and other events. I guess some people have just never experienced it and therefore they can't understand how it works.

Ya that's how the weddings I have gone to have been run.

Coming from a bartender, again, i'd urge you not to do OF. Get your groom a nice gift of whiskey. Most guests will order one, then not finish it, and then go get another drink. Think of all the $ wasted. If you don't know your bartenders, odds are they won't make them very well and the proportions will be all messed up.

We won't be having a DJ to make announcements. But with a guest list of 50 I'm sure that a small sign on the bar that says "closed" will do just fine. I contacted my venue. She says that they normally keep it open but I can have them close it and do table side wine service if I'd like.

I'll see if I can get FH away from the OF!

Its confusing because you don't know when it closes and you don't know when it will open again.

I'm not used to it so I don't like it. If there was wine on the tables though it wouldn't be as much of a problem.

Consumption bars scare the crap out of me. Honestly, with those prices, I would probably stick with just beer and wine. I'm seeing this option and more and more weddings and I think it's perfectly fine.

We're closing our bar during dinner. We're going to have the DJ announce it so no one is mad they don't have a drink with dinner.

Honestly, all the wedding's I've been to in the last 2 years have closed the bar during dinner. No one has had a problem with it.

I think it's really common to close the bar during dinner. However most people like myself and my husband will "stock up" after cocktail hour so we have drinks during dinner so I'm not sure how much that actually helps to save money lol. Normally I would say go ahead and close the bar during dinner but I think if you were only closing it for the signature drinks that is too confusing. Most people pick one drink and stick to it so if someone has a cocktail and then need to drink during dinner they would have to switch to beer or wine and then back to a cocktail. I think people will think that the signature cocktails are no longer available.

If you are having wine service during dinner, then closing the bar is standard. If you are not, then you have to determine if you want people getting up and down during toasts, dinner, etc. That will happen if you leave the bar open.

With regards to signature drinks, I would not have the signature drinks and put that money towards wine service at the table, or keeping the bar open during dinner. Everybody has different tastes for cocktails and you do not want to pay for cocktails that end not up not being consumed.

Just ask the venue if there can be a special beverage or two for you and the groom. My FH and I love craft beer, and our reception venue agreed to order special beer just for us.