Open bar... the norm?!

I honestly don't expect when I go to a wedding. I've been to 1 with and open bar, one BOB, and 2 that had no alcohol. With alcoholics on both sides of our families there will be a limit to our open bar, plus we don't want people getting sloppy drunk.

From NC by the way.

The midwest is huge.

I am from Michigan. I was in my 40s when I went to my first and only cash bar wedding.

This really is not a matter of where you are from. It has more to do with social circles and family norms. When this question comes up, there are always people from the SAME place (city / state / province) giving opposite answers - "I've NEVER seen a cash bar" vs "I've ONLY been to cash bar weddings". If it was a regional thing, that would not happen. In some social circles and families, cash bars are the norm and that is all some people have experienced so they believe that *everyone* in their area has cash bars based on their own experience (which isn't the case). The flip side is also true - many people on here think their area only does open bars because that's all they've witnessed personally (again, not true). I have also noticed it has to do with urban centers vs rural areas rather than specific cities / states / provinces. Cash bars are more common in rural settings.

I'm from Baltimore and 95% of the weddings that I have been to have an open bar. The one wedding I went to that didn't follow that rule offered beer and wine then switched to a cash bar which was disappointing.

I've been to weddings, in Boulder, CO, Atlanta, GA, DC, Rural MD, and Boston, MA. They always were a full open bar (I've never even been to a wedding that was just beer and wine).

Agree with PP, this is not a locale thing, this is a social circle/socioeconomic thing.

I cannot remember the last wedding I went to with a FULL open bar... the norm around me is a modified open bar, which we are also having. So we have 4 signature drinks, 2 signature shots, 3 beers and 3 wines.

I'm in Minnesota and I've never been to a wedding with an open bar (though I do know one we'll be going to this summer is a totally open bar). Usually it's beer/wine and you can pay for mixed drinks if you want. Even then sometimes it's only a certain amount and then once that's gone it's a cash bar. We'll be paying for beer and wine all night but of course s full bar is available if they want to purchase something more than that.

From michigan & every single wedding ive been to has been open bar except 1 & people were very put off by it & every single person left early except parents & bridal party....

I'm from SoCal, live in NC now, and have only been to dry weddings but I also tend to associate myself with people who don't drink because I don't really drink and never really have. I don't tend to hang out with people who love to spend time drinking because it's not what I enjoy doing in my free time. Which means that even during celebrations/big occasions, there isn't usually alcohol involved. It all depends. I've never seen a cash bar though and I have to say I don't love that idea. Either supply it or don't.

Im in MO - im in STL and have lived in SEMO for most of my life... i remember being younger and going to family weddings in SEMO, and i have been a guest to a few since being in college. almost all the weddings ive been to in both areas have been beer only/beer&wine only with a cash liquor bar, if not a full cash bar only. i'm not doing my wedding this way, we're only offering beer/wine so it can be open, but i think it really does depend on the people and the area

I've lived all over the country, but all the weddings I've been to have always been dry weddings or cash bars. I think I've only been to one smaller wedding in Philly that had wine for anyone who wanted it. So yeah, dry is normal for me :3

Wisconsin here and cash bar is the norm. I was surprised at the amount of open bars! LoL I guess it depends on what region you're from as far as etiquette goes!

I'm from the Midwest too and have been to zero weddings with open bars! I don't think it's the norm here at all!

I'm having an open bar, and all recent weddings I have been to were open bar. I'm in New York!

I’m so glad you asked this! I asked a similar question and was baffled by the snarky comments about it! We are only going to provide keg beer for free. Wine and spirits will be cash bar. We might offer some wine but not sure yet.

Everyone in my family has always had open bar for their wedding. I live in MA. At 26, I was in a friend's wedding. One of the other BM's asked me if I knew if it was going to be an open bar or not. I was honestly confused by the question and said, "what do you mean? All weddings are open bar." She was shocked that I had never been to a cash bar wedding. Since then I've been 4 other cash bar weddings. I wouldn't say it's my norm, but I've definitely seen it happen. It's not good though. We are doing open bar all the way.

I’m from PA and open bar is the norm

So, I asked my event coordinator out of curiosity. and this is what she told me,

"I honestly see so much of both and a little of everything. Some people fully open, some people put a $1000 and say use that and turn to cash when it's up, some people do purely cash." She then said, "I think it matters more what you can afford. If you can afford an open bar, great! If not, cash and carry is totally acceptable. At the end of the day, it's what you can afford."

i honestly think what she said made tons of sense to me. The open bar at this venue would cost $3k in the Poconos.

And since I can't edit, she also told me it depends on the crowd to. She said that ultimately we know our guests best