Consumption Bar Experience

I was thinking about a consumption bar but was too afraid of the final tab so I decided on the per person option. I'm paying about $4000 for 95 people to drink unlimited amounts of beer, wine, and liquor for five hours. ETA: drinks at my venue would range from $8-11 per drink if I went the consumption route. I also have a portion of guests that are heavy drinkers so I didn't want them to cost me more than the per person amount

What is the average drink price? Are your guests light, moderate, or heavy drinkers?

I'll have to ask about the average drink price, but I think it was about $10. The guests definitely range. There's several people that I know won't have any alcohol, but there's also several guests that I'm sure will more than makeup for those who aren't drinking.

If you decide on beer and wine, PLEASE skip the cash bar portion. It is ALWAYS rude to make your guests open their wallet at your wedding.

We will probably go the consumption route, just because we will have 30 guests, with roughly half being minors, and our wedding and reception will be roughly 4 hours long in the afternoon. That said, if you're having an evening wedding with 150 guests? Then yes, I'd do a flat rate per person option.

If you do beer and wine, you could also offer a signature drink option to cover those who don't drink beer and wine. I don't like beer or wine, but I'll drink sangria, so you might consider something like that.

I know it's a touchy subject, any thing to do with a cash bar. However, I am one of those people that don't really like wine or beer, so I would appreciate having the option to have a hard drink. I personally don't see it as making anyone open their wallets. If they don't want what is offered for free, then they have the option to buy what they want. As much as I love everyone who's going to be there, I also don't want an open bar to be taken advantage of, and have several people run up hundred plus dollar tabs just because it's free. I've been to several weddings with both cash and open Bars. I didn't mind at all when I chose to pay for an upgraded drink. And at the open bar, I noticed several people just leaving half full drinks around, because they could just go get another for free. Any sort of cash bar may be seen as poor etiquette, but I also see it as poor etiquette to waste someone's money or just show up to get shit faced on someone else's tab.

Also, most of our guests will be staying the night at the venue, since it's a hotel. So they will also have the option to put drinks on their room tab, so they don't have to literally open their wallets.

@Dani, if your venue doesn't offer a per person option for open bar I would just stick to beer and wine instead of full open bar. My circle is full of liquor drinkers and I know for sure this would drive up a huuuuuge tab.

Also, I am in the unpopular opinion that giving guests an option to purchase booze is okay. A lot of people on here will certainly disagree but you are offering beer and wine and personally I would be happy to have the option if I wasn't feeling beer/wine that night.

FH did the math and determined that for the per person cost to be worth it, every single guest would need to have over 5 mixed drinks, 17.5 beers, or 6+ glasses of wine. We have a small amount of really heavy drinkers, but half of fh's family doesn't drink at all and the rest of the guests are average, maybe a couple of drinks max , so we're definitely doing consumption. We thought about it, and I worried about it, a LOT, but ultimately we asked the venue to ban shots and doubles, and to not pick up half-empty glasses, and we have to just hope for the best. Not ideal, but we really can't imagine we will go through as much as the per person package. I recommend figuring out those numbers to help you decide.

I know it's unpopular and I'm sure I'll get scolded. But to be honest, anyone who gets upset over not having whatever they want for free, isn't someone I'd want at my wedding anyway. (Also unpopular opinion) People should be showing up to celebrate with us, not to get drunk without having to pay for anything. I've never showed up to a wedding expecting free alcohol.

I will definitely crunch numbers with the venue. And I really do want to offer our guests everything they could want. But like I said, I'm not wanting a ridiculous bar tab. Originally I was hoping to keep the bar cost at $3,000. But I'm not even sure that's enough.

What a lovely attitude to have when hosting people Dani...

Once you invite people, it is no longer just about you. Properly host with free alcohol.

I am doing consumption bar. My venue prices were $4 per beer/wine. $2 per soda/water.

But it's a know your guest.

Over 50% of my guest don't drink. (I'm having about 100 people)

So either pay the $25 pp for open beer/wine. (2500) or pay $4 per drink for about 30 people to drink

I'm not sure what attitude you're referring to. My guests are going to have great food, awesome cake, and at least free beer and wine. I don't think having a cash bar available for those who want harder drinks is having a poor attitude.

I actually just looked at my contract again, and realized the only option IS a consumption bar. So basically it's just deciding to do full bar, or just open wine and beer.

I'm having 250 people at my wedding and its 26 per person for open bar so thats the way I went, its easier to do open bar and pay a head of time then worrying about it later on.

Does your venue have the option of beer/wine + 1 or 2 signature drinks?

That way your guests could have more options without the confusion of hard alcohol costing guests.

What is the per price person if you hosted a full open bar?

I am also of the UO that offering liquor paid for in cash in addition to free beer/wine is better than not having the option of hard alcohol. I'd rather be able to pay for a drink I actually want than not have the option.

@Kels Our venue doesn't actually have a per person option. It's consumption only.

If you do open bar look for one you pay per person not per amount consumed you will be shocked at how much people drink, a girl i work with did this ended up paying for like 12-13 drinks per person it was a rediculious bill im talking in the thousands

We got our open bar for 1500$ for 150 people.