Open bar or Consumption Based bar?

I've read that you should expect a person to drink 4 drinks during the reception, so if you have 100 guest that drink thats 400 drinks. Here the average cost for a drink is $7.00, thats $2,800. For my crowd I would rather go with a fixed price. My family and friends are big drinkers and I know they will consume more than 4 drinks in 4 hours. That's a drink per hour. I rather pay for the open bar and not on consumption.

@Stacy G. - Did your 4 hr open bar include any of the Cocktail hour?

Our reception is 4 hr = dinner & dancing

but there is a 1.5 hour cocktail portion before then.

& of course the .5 hr ceremony.

So we're at the venue for 6 hrs total.

I agree with Carole and Andrene, Go Open Bar or Go Home!

BTW, if all you can afford is open bar for beer and wine, that is fine, that is enough.

But I really get my knickers in a knot when I hear about cash bars, one of my pet peeves at weddings.

You don't have to provide everything, but you do have to provide something for the duration of the event.

Good luck to you!

We did open bar all day. Cocktail Hour and reception. We did passed bloody mary's and mimosa during the cocktail hour so if people wanted a drink right away they were there and didn't have to wait at the bar. We had an afternoon wedding, with cocktail hour starting at about 10:45-11 and reception ending at 4pm. We set a budget at around 3k and for 75 people we only ended up spending about 2k. Shots where not allowed at my venue, but otherwise we went middle of the road when it came to the liquior.

If you decide to limit the open bar, I'd be opening it up AFTER dinner, when the party gets started.

I'm not a beer or a wine person, so neither option appeals to me.

If you do a cash bar, just make sure your guests are aware of it.

Party Duration 3.5 hours ~ Guest Count 150 ~ Average Drinkers

What Will Be Served (all 3)

Beer , Wine , Liquor

Drinks Needed

225 Bottle(s)/Can(s) of Beer

45 Bottle(s) of Wine

(750 ml)

12 Bottle(s) of Liquor

(1 liter)

100 average drinkers just liquor

23 bottles of liquor

I kinda agree with the 2.5 drinks per hour. Ask the venue what the price range or average price for a consumption drink is. 100 people 2.5 drinks for 3.5 hrs = 875 drinks @ $5 (?)= $4375. I guess do the math for open bar per person and see how it compares.

http://www.evite.com/pages/party/drink-calculator.jsp

I drink way more than 2.5 beers per hour when I am out, at either a bar or a wedding. Guess that makes me a lush! ; )

Me too Carole - I'm a 6 - 9 per night kinda girl.

@Hayley...lolol.... Yep, that's about it for me as well.