How much are you paying for a bartender?

We are paying $300 plus tip for the bartender who is licensed/insured/approved for our city and is providing ice. We are providing all the beverages. I thought this was a steal.

Nothing, Luckily my room is including bartenders for no extra cost, plus including all the linens and set up.

The place we decided on doesn't allow alcohol but the other place we considered charged $10.00 an hour for a cash bar.

@Amy- when I said licensed bartender i mean someone with a liquor license who can legally serve alcohol in WA state.

Well according to your prices what I'm paying is a little high, but maybe not that much seeing as your prices don't include other stuff and their does.

Amy in Chicago, catering companies have to show they have a "retail liquor license" in order to serve booze in the city. Even though I'm buying the alcohol from Costco or whatever, and nobody is going to be selling anything on site. I'm sure the staff take some class where nobody pays attention and they pass a quiz at the end for certification, but the company they work for has the licensure. It's asinine.

There are some venues in Chitown that will let you skate by with servers who are insured and certified without the umbrella of the company's license, but technically if that happens in the city limits they are breaking the law, which only exists so that the city can make a few hundred thousand bucks a year. And on top of that, all caterers have to get State of Illinois licensure if they want to pour booze, in addition to insurance and certification.

It's a friggin racket. I have no idea if it's his fault but I blame Blagojevich. #@$&.

@Amy- it must be different in WA because it cost like $20 and is a 2 hour long class for an individual to get their liquor license. Or maybe it's called something else, liquor permit maybe. It's like a food handlers permit.

When I was younger on a dance team the parents had to do it to work at a concession stand at the Mariners games we did as a fund raiser so they could serve the beer.

I am paying 160 for the bartender, and 60 for the ice machine, but we are bringing the alcohol we want to use.

FH was a bartender part time back home. A couple of his old work buddies are doing it for free (tips). I figured we'd give them each a nice tip, too. We got lucky with this one!