Hosted bar then cash bar....

Tacky. Find somewhere else to cut back not something that directly impacts your guests

Edit*** we are at 25,000. Can't figure out how to change the original post. There are drunk tickets available for purchase too. I just feel like we will be paying more than what people are actually going to be drinking if we add on additional hours. This is the predicament I am in.

A good majority of the several hundred weddings I've been to have had cash bars. Most of them were my friends from the Army so everyone liked to drink a lot and they were always huge events. I don't think there's anything wrong with doing the cocktail hour as open and reception as cash.

There shouldn’t be a cash bar at any point. Can you host just beer and wine for the duration of the reception instead?

A good host covers the cost of their event. Figure something out that doesn't require a guest to open their wallets.

For my daughter's wedding the per person cost covered dinner and the bar. It didnt matter that about 20 people were under age or that my self righteous mother-in-law looked down her nose at those of us who were drinking, we payed the fee the venue established to have a properly hosted event in their space

Guests should not have to pay for anything at your wedding. Do you charge guests for drinks when they come to your house?

If you insist on doing this, I feel like it should be spread somehow. I would never carry cash to a wedding because I would never expect a cash bar. But if I knew it was a cash bar, I'd come prepared (with a flask or minis in my purse).

Could your venue do a consumption bar? That way you’ll pay for alcohol, but only what your guests drink. A cash bar is tacky and rude, and then confusing after having a hosted bar at cocktail hour.

In the very beginning we were considering a cash bar (we don’t drink, had a few family guests that we were concerned about how much they would drink). I told two of my best friends who didn’t say much beside ok. Fast forward a few months on WW, we decided to host full open bar. In convo with the same two friends, I told them our change. The response from both of them “Oh thank god! I was trying to figure out how to tell you that was tacky but didn’t want to hurt your feelings”. Host fI’ll open bar or see if you can do a consumption bar. Where else can you cut costs to help pay for it?

This is extremely confusing to your guests. I also recommend a consumption bar, that way you only pay for the drinks your guests actually consume.

Unfortunately there isn't a consumption bar option. It would be 7,000 to have a hosted bar the whole evening. Ugh! Feel so stuck!

Think about it as a guest...the couple has fabulous flowers but they are making me buy my own alcoholic beverages? That really doesn’t go together at all. Host the bar even if it’s just beer and wine for the entire reception.

This is for beer and wine only... the cheapest option is 1,400 an hour... so 7,000 for the whole night.

View Quoted Comment You could "technically" have a cash bar, give the bar tender your card and have all drinks charged to it. That's basically what a consumption bar is. Just don't forget your card at home, in the car, etc...

Can you cut anything that doesn’t have to do with guest experience like flowers, a more affordable invitation, shorter photography package etc? Or even cut the guest list. I decided to cut down on a lot so that I could make sure we have good food, a hosted bar and an awesome DJ.

View Quoted Comment This is an idea... would probably be much less than 7,000. That's the only thing I had a hard time justifying, that seems awfully high for alcohol!

View Quoted Comment I like this idea. As long as the tab is paid why would the venue care if you pay vs your guests pay? I feel like this issue should have been considered at the beginning stages of wedding planning rather than the end. You say you went over budget in other areas like your flowers, but hosting your guests properly should have been where you spent the money.

View Quoted Comment Just don't forget to have your card ready to go IMMEDIATELY. So help me, I'll send evil sprites to steal one sock from every pair you own if even one guest has to pay for a drink!

It was discussed in the beginning, and my fiancé said heck no! we will do one hour! Which I was so on cloud 9 wedding planning, and haven't been to many weddings, that I didn't see an issue. But now Im getting anxiety. He just doesn't see the value in "paying for other people to get drunk". People behaving responsibly is also a concern of his as well, which I can get.

View Quoted Comment I think that is an awesome idea! If they dont offer a comsumption bar you make you're own!

If your guests won't drink a lot maybe a consumption bar would be a good option.