Having a Cash Bar.......Simply must say this!!!

@ meghan I thought that too about the j and j parties =? oh well it is your affair Mrs L so no big deal and if someone doesnt like it then they dont have to respond to you right??? =]

Nothing wrong with cash bar!

I dont think a cash bar is bad at all, i think its great and it cuts down on under aged attendants from drinking, i cant say much we arnt having any drinks mostly because im at a state park and that is a big NO NO, but no one in our family drinks so its not a problem and thats all we have coming is family.

I think there is nothing wrong with it. We are offering free beer, wine, and champange, (along with the soda, water, and tea) and if our guests want anything harder, the hotel we are at has a bar where our cocktail hour will be, and our guest can use it if they wish.

I used to have this convo with brides to be all the time! People really worry about this, and I think it's ridiculous. Cash bar, free bar, no bar.... who cares? That's not what the party is about. It's a wedding, not a frat party!

@Jessica, thank you, I couldn't said it better! My thoughts exactly!

In my area, ny/nj we never see cash bars. I've seen limited bars; wine, beer and soda; maybe one signature drink, but not a cash bar. It's tacky.

But then, if you're asking a question to only agree with people who agree with you, then why ask?

@ Jessica - the wedding is for you guys, the reception is for your guests. Thats why all this stuff about being a good hostess comes up.

@ Celia, Maybe you need to read the whole post, it was not really posed as a question other than "whats the issue?" My post was more of a statement!

Cash bars are used alot here.. you have to be careful in my circle not to spend to much money on things or you will seem snotty.

I think you should serve want you and if they have to pay for other drinks just let people know.

I think as long as your guests are prepared in advance, and numerous free non-alcoholic beverages (water, tea, lemonade, soda, coffee, etc) are provided, and it's the "norm" in your area and among your list of friends, then fine. Go for it.

Personally I don't consider a 2 hr drive a DW but that's me. I've driven 7 hours to be somewhere for 2 hours and back. I don't personally like cash bars although I've been to a wedding where it was a cash bar and it was not made known beforehand that it was a cash bar and I was pretty annoyed. I don't like to get drunk at a wedding but I enjoy having a glass of wine with my meal! We had a DW (Dominican Republic) and had a low-key at-home reception where we had a keg, various bottled beer, wine, and a wine punch. Our family/friends knew that this was going to be casual-I told people to wear whatever they wanted. We just wanted to party.

But regardless of what you actually pay for something, if it *looks* expensive and you're trying to look expensive you shouldn't do a cash bar. I'd be offended.

@ Future Mrs. Landers- How did you word it on you wedding website that you were having a cash bar. Through word of mouth most of our family members that drink already know that its a cash bar, but I would like to put it on our website as well just to be safe.

In my area if you have a cash bar the guests have to pay for everything but water. So in this area it's not just denying your guests alcohol it's also telling them they have to pay for any beverage at all. Not a fan. I actually settled on our venue b/c we could bring in our own beverages, making it much more affordable to entertain. If guests come to my home I provided them with beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic), I couldn't do any less for the wedding.

My venue told me the biggest way to cut costs would be to have a cash bar because the alcohol was a significant cost. But in my family, open bars are the common thing and I know people would be less than happy if they had to pay. My parents advised it would NOT be a good idea to have a cash bar, but they're not paying for anything so if it starts coming down to it and we're really tight, I might have an open bar for an hour or so, and then cash bar the rest of the night.

@Megan W. under the reception page we put..... Dinner, & Dancing. We will be doing a champagne toast. The bar will be open and available for those who wish to purchase drinks. We have a DJ playing dance tunes. Come prepared for an evening filled with celebration!

Ya depends on area..but FYI- when you use two question marks in a thread post people are going to take that to mean a question..it wasn't clear you meant it as rhetorical. You asked what is the issue, so people are informing you of said issue. So for next time post something like:"I only want to hear from people that agree with me".or something like "I'm not looking for other opinions on this"..then you may be happier in reading the replies :-)

@ Ab Z I appreciate all the repilies. It is also great to see what eveyone else is doing in lieu of "Cash Bar" I would like to incorporate other alternatives (if my budget allows) this helps get other ideas and suggestions.

@ Edith W. Great idea!