How many hours should the open bar be?

Ours closes 15 minutes before the end of the reception, per venue rules. We're keeping it open during dinner. People have told us we're crazy too, I think in reference to how much it's going to cost. That didn't affect our decision. If your reception ended at 11 and the bar closed at 10, I'd probably leave shortly after 10.

It should be open from the minute arrive until shortly before the end of the wedding. The bar closing is shorthand for, "The party's over."

Now I'm second guessing myself because I thought that having the bar open for as long as the venue allows was basically a necessity, but everyone we talk to seems to think it's not only excessive but stupid.

FH brought up the possibility of cutting the open bar by one hour(till 9pm) which would free up tons of money for extra treats for our guests like a late night snack bar, nicer favors etc.

Would you be mad if a wedding stopped serving drinks at 9pm? I know some people might not stay as long, but at most family weddings the majority leave by around 9-9:30 anyway.

I just wanted to get some unbiased opinions on this one because I'm really torn, I think everyone would really enjoy the late nights snacks and etc, and it definitely gives us more budget wiggle room, but I don't know if people after 9pm would prefer more booze or more food at that point.

I'd say it depends on your crowd. Most weddings I've been to, most have cleared out by 9 or 10. I've also been to others where it was just a bender for most. They kept the drinks going till late because people weren't stopping. Although at that wedding, the bride & groom brought in their own alcohol...so MUCH alcohol.

When the bar closes, I leave. Last call is pretty much the universal signal for "time to go home, folks." If your bar closes at 9, that's when your reception ends.

At our wedding last call was about 15 minutes before the scheduled end of the reception.

Short answer: all of the hours

Long answer: you can get away with closing the bar during dinner as long as there are red and white wines on the tables. Other than that, the bar should not close before the night is over - maybe 15 minutes early so that drinks don't get wasted.

At our venue when the bar closes the reception is over. We are only allowed 5 hours max. The cocktail hour, 1st hour of dinner, and then once the dancing starts until it ends.

I'm only having open bar for 2 hours mainly because my wedding is on a sunday evening and don't want it to be a total waste for ppl not wanting to drink in case they're going to work monday

I have the venue for 5 hours and they have a 4 hour bar package. They said it's very common to close it for a half hour during dinner and then a half hour before the end of the night.

OP, to answer your follow up, yes I would be mad if I went to a wedding and they stopped serving drinks at 9. 9 is really early to me.

Our venue serves for 4 hours. 1 hour for cocktail, closed for dinner but there is wine on the table during dinner then open for 3 afyer dinner. The bar closes when the reception is over. We have the option to extend the bar for 1 more hour and either have another hour after dinner or keep the bar open during dinner.

Every wedding I have been to, once tje bar closes people leave.

We are doing a 4hr bev package.

5:45 for cocktail hr

6:30 closed to 1/2 hr during dinner/speeches

7:00 open for reception

10:15 last call/reception to end by 11:00

ETA More recent weddings that I've attended will sometimes end by 10pm; but back in the day....it was always midnight.

My open bar is open until the end. It opens at 3 (need to check) and closes at 8. My wedding is on a Sunday and those are the hours set by my venue. I'm keeping it open because my guests can get other things to drink through the bar (i.e. Soda) so I cant really close it down. I don't pay by the hour, I put a set amount toward the open bar and if we go over we go over and they bill me later.

Ours was originally 4 hours, but now we have extra overage $ to use or we lose it, so we are planning on extending it to 5 hours. I felt 4 hours was a bit short (of course my mom thought it was too long) and our coordinator also said most wedding do the 5 hours.. FH still thinks 4 hours is fine since a lot of his side doesn't drink, but I still think 5 would be best.

Our package comes with 5 hours open bar

What my venue coordinator suggested was to do 3 hours open bar and then the last 2 hours of consumption. I'm thinking of doing consumption during dinner and open during cocktails and dancing but I'm not too sure yet.

Our package is for 4 hrs, starting after the ceremony. We will pay per hour after that that it is open. I think we may pay for an extra hour. An hour for cocktail hour, an hour for dinner, and 2 hours for the reception seems short to me.

My daughter's venue package has 5 hr open bar...we'll have one hour for cocktails then 4 hours for dinner/dancing. We're already extending the reception an extra hour (end at 11pm instead of 10pm) and we'll have the bar open...but by law we cannot have an open bar, must be cash.

I'll arrange with the venue to run a tab and charge my card, or put a chunk of cash on the bar to cover any additional drinks so no guest is paying.

Most every single guest will either be staying at the venue overnight, or we'll be running a shuttle to the other nearby hotel we've arranged a block at so no one is driving.

We are doing the same. Reception ends at 11. Bar closes at 10p.

I'm having a 5hr open bar.