Open Bar vs Cash Bar - need help choosing

Open bar. Would you make people pay for drinks as guests in your home? No? Then don't invite them to pay for their own drinks at a formal event.

Only have an open bar

I'm having a open bar also

Sounds like the people you were talking to were maybe being polite since they knew you were planning a wedding in case you went the poor, cheap, rude route as well. Go with your gut and properly host your guests. No cash bar!

I feel at this point this is just a troll post. Please make sure to search the forums before posting. There are so many threads on this and the opinion is a resounding NO on a cash bar.

Open Bar. If not beer/wine. Either way, your guests should not have to pay at the wedding.

I agree with your observation. It wasn't until WW that I even realized a cash bar was rude. The weddings I attended had an open bar just for cocktail hour, one had 1 drink ticket per person and another was a cash bar. Multiple had no booze I have only been to 1 open bar wedding. I decided on a beer/wine/soda bar myself....well....my FH decided this I guess- it was a middle ground since he disagrees on the open bar scene.

We are choosing to just do craft beer and wine. We might add a signature cocktail before we finalize our beo. We don't have a big drinking crowd and for our venue it saved alot of money. I dont plan o being plastered at my wedding nor do i want anyone else to be so i thought it was a good happy medium. I would never do a cash bar though i've only been to one wedding that had one and people were surprised about it.

Do Not Do a cash bar. It's very rude.

Open bar. You can look around on here and see MANY posts about this topic and almost everyone will tell you to have an open bar, even if it is just beer and wine.

Open bar definitely

I am the opposite of everyone on here. I never knew that a cash bar is rude before coming on here. I have never been to an open bar wedding in my family/circle of friends. I would do what is comfortable for you. Don't go broke because of a alcohol.

I have never been to a wedding with a cash bar. I would definitely not expect it. An open bar is the expectation and also proper hosting. You should never ever charge guests for something at your own reception. I would die of tackiness!

@Andrea if alcohol will break the bank, the bank is not big enough. I bet people who have cash bars are the same ones who are inviting everyone and their mother.

@annakay not really but ok....

I personally think having an open bar is more of a reason that everyone at your wedding will get drunk. Which i personally do not want at my wedding. .. if you trust your guests to not get super trashed and cause problems or make a scene then go ahead and have the open bar you have been thinking about having.

Just adding on, I don't think a cash bar is rude since 99% of the weddings I have been too have been cash bars and I personally don't mind paying for my own drinks.

Melissa if you have friends that act like that and can't handle alcohol like an adult, why the fuck are you friends with them?

I have seen cash bars before at weddings. I've also seen weddings where open bar was open at some point during the reception, but not the entire time. I've also seen beer and wine. I think at some point you should offer your guests some kind of free alcohol. OP if you planned for open bar then stick with the open bar.

Richard, logic is hard.