How to notify guests of open bar for beer/wine only?

Funny enough, a cute sign does not make it any better.

I get confused with setups like you mentioned as a guest.

I would only offer beer and wine.

Team UO here. I loathe beer and wine only with no option to purchase whatever the hell I want. This makes it a dry wedding for me, or worse, a flask in the parking lot wedding for some guests. Post a drink menu with your offerings/options/what you have available. Guests will get the hint that they have to pay for liquor if they want it.

Beer and wine only is perfectly acceptable. If you start worrying about who doesn't like beer or wine when does it end? You'll have to have individual drinks for each person. You can still do a menu listing what beers and wines are available, but do NOT write "FREE" on it. Just list what is there and leave it at that.

I say just have the beer and wine available.

Thanks for the feedback everyone! I would like to make other liquor available to the guests IF they want it (some people don't like beer or wine and might want a vodka tonic or something). It's a full bar as the reception is at a restaurant. Would that not be a better option for everyone instead of having ONLY beer and wine? I've been to weddings that had a cash bar and I wasn't as offended as some people on here but maybe I should have been (esp since I had to fly in for the wedding). I would pay to drink what I wanted to drink. If they have only house wines available and I don't drink wine, I'd want the option to be able to buy a drink that I'll actually drink. That was my thinking but the consensus here is that I should ONLY offer beer and wine (and nothing else) because it might be confusing? Trying to understand all points...thanks!

I would only offer what you are paying for just the beer and wine and no other options unless you can add in a signature drink that would be free to your guests.

If its at a restaurant, is there another bar that people could go to in order to get a drink if they want something else? Will there be a bar specifically set up for your reception? Like PP said, if there is another bar, then you could just have the sign specifying the beer and wine that is available, and if people want something else, I'm sure they will realize they can go to the other bar.

We're making signs for the kinds of beer and wine available to them for free.

Our venue also has liquor available for purchase, my dad is paying for the bar and didn't want to pay for liquor. I know that's a hairy subject but it's never bothered me as a guest in the past. More often from people I've heard that they're more upset that there isn't that option at all.

There have been quite a few people saying they would appreciate the option to pay for a liquor drink. I like wine so that wouldn't be an issue for me but I think it's thoughtful to still have liquor available. I know I have guests that would rather pay for a drink they will enjoy.

You really don't need a big sign or announcement either. Maybe a small sign on the bar listing the liquor prices but theres no need to do more than that. If beer and wine is flowing people will be drinking.

A sign with the available options by the bar and smaller at the bottom you can include "additional beverages available for a fee" or something like that.

Just offer beer and wine. Since it is at a restaurant guests will realize that if they want liquor they can just go to a different bar and purchase it themselves. It makes it too confusing to deal with some people paying for drinks while others do not.

And Fay, it is extremely rude to have open bar for half of the reception and then switch to cash bar, pay for all of it otherwise you are going to have guests confused or making a mad dash to get the last free drinks.

@Laura - The reception will be on the 3rd floor of the restaurant and in that room, they have a full bar on one side and a small "kitchen" area on the opposite side. There's also a full bar on the 1st floor.

I wouldn't reference a price or free or anything like that. How's the setup? Will the beer and wine be offered from a bar separate from the main restaurant bar, or is it all the same? If you did have cash liquor where would that be served? The only beer/wine only wedding I have been to was at a legion, so most of the adults left the reception hall and drank/paid at the full bar with the regulars. It was weird and left the room a little empty and boring.

ETA: I see you posted the setup. You don't want your quests going down to the first floor from the third just to get the hard stuff.

I say do beer and wine only without the option of liquor for cash. My parents just went to a wedding like ''tis over the weekend. (Except it was ONE beer and ONE wine. Not even a variety to choose from) and then cash for liquor. Left a bad taste in everyone's mouth.

There is no such things as "CUTE" sign for prices... lmao!

But anyway, I really hate when we go to someone's event.. I order a wine, my fiancé ( he is very high maintenance when it comes to his drinks, lol) will order his regular dirty martini on the rocks and only AFTER they make his drink, they tell him "wine is free, you have to pay for your other drink" and so that ultimately annoys us!! Like, no, no, no, no!! of course he pays, but its annoying when we put a very generous gift in their envelope and we still have to pay for alcohol...sorry, I m rambling, its just disappointing. Wish we'd know this in ADVANCE!

Have the bartender let them know, and the DJ announce last call for open bar

@janz - we have a full bar in our reception room (which is on the 3rd floor) and there is a full bar on the 1st floor as well. All guests will be getting their drinks from the bar in our reception room. It's not set up like a kiosk bar, or a travel bar (not sure what those are called exactly..maybe a mobile bar?) as our bar is actually part of the room. If people want any drink at all, they can go to the bar and order it, whether they pay for it themselves (liquor, shots) or whether they choose to go the beer and wine route (which we are covering).

It's not so much because it is confusing, it's because a cash bar is poor etiquette. Guests should not have to open their wallets at an event you are hosting even in a limited bar situation. If you were offering dinner choices of chicken and salmon, would you also give guests the option of upgrading to the filet mignon if they pay an extra $20? No you would not. Because you are the hosts and you have chosen to offer chicken and salmon. Upcharging for a different option is tacky. It is the same thing with a bar. Guests have a responsibility within etiquette standards too - they should be happy with the options they are given by the hosts. If they don't like beer or wine, I'm sure you have many non-alcoholic options available.

To be honest though, if this is a restaurant with a full bar available, I'm not sure how you can avoid the cash bar scenario. But I certainly would not promote it through signage. And honestly, I would try to find it in your budget to offer a full open bar since all of those options will be on display.

I went to a wedding with only beer and wine.. I don't like beer at all and only like sweeter wines which were not available. Thus, it was a dry wedding for me. I like the idea of adding a popular signature cocktail. It really won't be that expensive and will give our guests an alternative option.

I have also been to a wedding where the open bar stopped after the cocktail hour. I was not a fan. Maybe you can find a way to cut other expenses so that you can have the open bar throughout your event.