Full Open Bar: Overrated or Underrated?

Underrated. I think having guest pay for their own drinks is a bit tacky.

Totally overrated. Most bars where I live are cash bars.

Neither overrated or underrated. It all depends on the guest crowd

If you can afford open bar then offer it! Beer and wine is a good alternative if you want to offer it but want to keep cost down. My fiancé works for a wedding venue and they can get totally out of control if nobody is monitoring the intake.

We are having an open bar. We are having everything Beer wine soda liquor. We brought all our liquor wine soda beer. Liquor was actually the cheapest we got it from Costco in South Carolina..

Underrated. I am having a full open bar. I don't expect my guest to pay for drinks. Do people still carry cash? That was my first thought. If I attended a wedding with a cash bar, I wouldn't drink because I NEVER have cash on me.

Overrated.
It's nice to have but it's expensive and honestly wine and beer is plenty

Underrated. Sorry but my family is West Indian and they would look at me crazy if they traveled all the way from Trinidad and such and didn't find an open bar. Plus his family parties just as hard as mine. Ceremony is the sweet moment, the reception is a party for our entire family who are becoming one. Why not loosen up with alcohol. Open bar was the first thing we decided on, no question. I'm going to a wedding in a few days and its a cash bar, at least have beer and wine open bar pleaseeeeeeeeeee

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This. It is a personal choice and it can't really be categorized as overrated or underrated. Some weddings are dry due to religion or knowing their crowd. Some weddings have a full bar because the bride and groom want to be able to drink as well (like myself). The only thing I think is overrated is a cash bar. Why have a bar at all if you are going to make people pay.

Overrated. As long as you have beer, wine, and maybe a signature drink you're fine!

I don't drink but many of our family and friends do. I thinks it's overrated but will be having an open bar for the drinkers.

I think beer and wine, or beer wine and a specialty cocktail is plenty. If you can do the full open bar it's a nice touch.

Overrated. We're not even having alcohol. I understand why people have it but it'll cause us more harm than good so it's a total pass for us

Overrated. As others have said, wine and beer are sufficient. Even though the bartenders are supposed to cut people off, that may not always happen. FH's family are drinkers (not necessarily alcoholics, except one) and even his own parents are worried about his side drinking too much. We are going to have wine, beer, and champagne. The wine will be used as a mixer for "cocktails." As his mom stated, "so that people don't try to drink wine all night just to get drunk" or something like that.

I think it’s more about budget than being over or underrated. Beer, wine, and signature cocktails is a more affordable option to a full open bar if that’s out of budget. I want my guests to have a good time, but if getting drunk is the only way they are going to have a good time something went wrong in my planning. Looking at cost per person, I would rather spend the extra money on food than alcohol.

Sometimes the bride and groom don't have the money to pay for an open bar, It's just too expensive! We will most likely do one free drink for every guest, we can't afford anything else.

If guests have to pay for his / her drinks it’s extremely tacky. It makes the people getting married look like they are cheap.

I am having a open bar at my wedding! But the venue I’m having it at comes with everything included. Besides the DJ / photographer.

Overrated. As long as people have free alcohol, all is well.

Overrated. In an increasing community of brides and grooms paying for everything, open bar needs to go the way of the dinosaur. Bye bye

Underrated. We're all there to have a good time, but it's obviously expensive.