Drink Ticket Etiquette

I wouldn’t put a dollar amount. Instead can you just restrict it to 2-3 different drinks within the price range you can cover?

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See I was thinking of doing that, but that really shortchanges our vendor who is then limited to only making cheaper drinks. I would like the guests to have the option to pay more to get a different drink so she can make more money and they can get a drink they want (for example, all her iced drinks are mediums, she doesnt do them in smalls, but we cant afford to let everyone get a medium drink)

Not only do I think it's tacky to put the dollar amount, but I also think it's tacky to have drink tickets in the first place at a wedding. My opinion would be to have your coffee truck people serve a limited menu with pre-selected drink options that are in your budget range. (i.e. don't have them offer expensive drinks). That way guests would have to choose from the menu of what's being offered, and you wouldn't have to worry about people consuming multiple $6+ drinks in the first place, since they wouldn't be offered. People do this all the time with regular bars at weddings by only offering certain types of wine and beer.

View Quoted Comment I think it’s ok to just limit your menu to the drinks you can afford. A lot of people just do like a brides choice and a grooms choice and a wedding drink or whatever.

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The way I see it (and not to sound rude), but why is it your responsibility to try to help your vendor make extra money? Vendors are hired professionals, and unless she has a minimum that you'd have to meet in order to book her, it is not your responsibility to worry about this. I would pay for what you can afford, and that's what the guests would be able have. I don't think that guests should be expected to open up their wallets at a wedding reception.

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Youre right, but she is a friend, small town area and everyone knows everyone so I would feel a little bad. I've heard of a lot of people doing drink tickets, so I don't think the concept of them is tacky. Guests know that the couple is literally emptying their pockets to host them, so I think most guests would find them totally reasonable.

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I understand that she is a close friend and you want to help her out. If that's the case, then I do think there are other ways you could help her out without having to have guests open up their wallets. Maybe allow her to distribute business cards, have a tip jar at your event, or promote her on social media when you receive your wedding photos back? Another point to consider is that unless all of your guests are avid coffee drinkers, I can't imagine that many folks would want to order multiple caffeinated drinks. I went to a bridal shower last year with 40 guests at an expensive restaurant and we were allowed to order any drink we wanted from the (also expensive) coffee bar, and the shower hosts were covering the entire tab. Only 8 guests chose to order drinks! That being said, maybe your crowd has more coffee enthusiasts, but I wouldn't count on all of your guests even wanting to order multiple expensive drinks.

Truthfully, I think it will be very awkward for people to order a drink then realize their drink ticket doesn’t cover the entire price of it. While I typically have some cash with me at weddings, it’s typically in my purse at the table.

View Quoted Comment I agree with this. Most beverage providers will have $x/pp for 50 guests for 2 hours, regardless of how many drinks they consume. See what the coffee company will include for a set price per person for the duration. At the end of the agreed on time, they will discreetly break down their setup.

View Quoted Comment Along with this, some people are hesitant to drink coffee in the late afternoon or evening.

Guests should never have to open their wallets. Serve what you can afford and don't offer what you can't. Many people don't carry cash on an everyday basis and almost never to a formal event.

I think if you can’t afford to offer non-alcoholic beverages at your wedding then you should decrease the size of your wedding to something that you can afford.

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I agree with this. Also check the regulations of your state if you really plan on having 100+ guests. In addition to it being unwise, this is illegal in many places right now.

I would limit the vendor to serving drinks below a certain price, regardless of friendship. Dry weddings can be tough for guests. Cash/ticket bars can be tougher. I’d really try to avoid combining the two. However, I DO love the idea of doing fun coffee drinks instead of alcohol (especially depending time of day). I also do not think too many people are going to have multiple coffee or tea beverages and you won’t even need to limit it.

I understand your budget concerns and I appreciate wanting to give your guests more drink options, but your “tickets” should really cover one entire drink no matter what extras the guest orders. If you can’t afford to cover speciality drinks, I agree with PPs to limit the selection to what you can afford to cover. I think it’s fine to give drink tickets, but I don’t think it’s okay to set a dollar amount for the ticket and expect guests to cover the difference. If you can’t afford it, it’s better to skip it altogether.

It’s difficult to have something like a coffee cart but then put limits on it for your guests. It might be better to host for a certain amount of time or up to a certain dollar amount or limit the menu to only certain drinks. Otherwise, the coffee cart just becomes something cool for guests to look at.

Just limit it to a few drinks you can afford. Realistically people aren’t going to have more than 1 cup of coffee anyway, MAYBE 2. And some people won’t have any.

To add to my comment... maybe you can have a list of drinks that are in your price range. People can select from that menu and it’s paid for by you. If they want something off-menu, they can pay for it themselves.

View Quoted Comment You can still safely host 100 guests in the states that are allowing it. I just had a wedding of 120 a little over two weeks ago. This thread isn’t about Covid regulations. I’m sure the poster has already done her homework on that.


As for the drink tickets, I agree with the others who said to scrap them and offer a limited menu of drinks that are within your budget. Your friend can still have the more expensive drinks available if a guest chooses something different, but I think it’s important to offer guests a range of drinks that would more than likely suit their taste and not require payment. Best wishes...your wedding is right around the corner!

Quite frankly, it sounds like you can't afford the coffee bar. Offer what you can afford. Don't have drink tickets, especially for only partial payment.