Open bar alternatives? I need ideas and suggestions Pretty Please!!

My FH and I aren't huge drinkers either, some of my side really like their alcohol but most of our friends won't need a whole lot. We're planning on doing a beer and wine only bar where it is essentially open (we're paying by consumption). But we also are probably going to do a couple signature drinks like mai tais and blue hawaiians (at least during cocktail hour). Then if people want the hard alcohol they can pay for it on their own (and we're informing people of that on our website). We also get wine served with dinner and a champagne toast included. Mimosas make me think of morning/brunch drinks, so I'm not sure what time your reception is at but maybe you can choose a few signature drinks and maybe get a keg of beer.

What are you trying to accomplish? Low cost or less drunks? I think Hawaii makes some great suggestions. Beer and wine or wine only during dinner. Maybe add a signature drink for cocktail hour.

Spike some punch or lemonade, give it a name and be done with it. There are a lot of suggestions if you do a search of prior posts. Good luck.

I'm always fine with a beer/wine reception. As long as something is provided, I'm a happy camper. I don't care for sweet drinks, so a signature drink would not appeal to me, but I'm sure I'm in the minority.

Yeah just beer and wine is fine

Just beer and wine is workable - as long as there's something alcoholic available, I'm happy.

At our venue, we have to supply the alcohol so there is no way that we can have everything that would be included in an open bar. We are getting two kegs (yuengling and probably coors light or some other light beer) and I'm getting a case of red and a case of white wine, and then we will have like jack daniels, vodka, captain morgan and I think I'm going to do a signature drink fountain, maybe Whiskey Sours. That way there is something for everyone to enjoy but we don't have to go buy 100 different things.

Depends a lot on the age of your guests, their party habits, and the time of day for your reception. So, for instance, a brunch reception will obviously have a different feel (and level of alcohol consumption) than an evening one. Besides open bar, you could do:

1. Cash bar, but wine bottles on the table, champagne toast.

2. Beer and wine only. Everything else cash.

3. Signature cocktails. Everything else cash.

4. Limited time open bar (only during cocktail hour). Everything else cash. Or limited funds open bar - when it runs out, everything else cash.

5. Mocktails (sweet tea, fresh lemonade, etc).

6. Any combination of the above that works for you. Talk with your venue coordinator to work out what will be best for your wedding guests.

We're doing a cash liquor bar but we're supplying a keg of beer.

I had a mimosa bar at my bridal shower and it was amazing! I don't really know how well it would work with a large crowd though because it may get pretty crowded. We had different juices (orange, peach, pomegranate, cranberry.. and st. germain and hypnotic, fruit, and then a variety of champagnes (sparkling cider for non-drinkers as well).

I don't know what you define as "open bar"- you could just serve beer and wine or beer, wine and a signature drink instead of having a lot of hard alcohol.

Beer and wine is perfectly fine... that's what we are doing! You could do a signature drink or your mimosa bar (especially if your reception is early in the day.) LOVE me a mimosa!

I'm doing a full open bar, but the beer/wine version is just fine at anything I've ever been too.

We did what they call a consumption bar. We allocated a certain amount of money to the bar (for example $2,000) and that amount can only be used towards beer and wine. Once the set amount is gone then it goes to a full cash bar.

That way your money gets better used then just doing the first hour of beer and wine. When you do first hour you have to pay per person and some people don't drink. A consumption bar makes sure the money is sued towards people that actually drink.

My venue offers the option of open bar, beer and soda, or soda only. We will likely go with beer and soda. I don't drink, he rarely drinks and there is a few binge drinking 20 somethings in my family. One already has 2 DUI's at 27.