Open bar Vs Cash bar

Are you able to provide your own alcohol? Maybe that will allow you to have an open bar and still stay within your budget

Beer and wine or even a signature cocktail are fine. Some stores even allow you to return unused bottles. Maybe this is a better option for you. Tip: Wal Mart has $3 bottles of wine!!

Excuse me but I am having an open bar...but not everyone can. Some expenses have to be cut somewhere. I'm not one to judge what others do on their big day though.

Taylormade...can we stop with the over the top labels? Scum of the earth? Pedophiles are the scum of the earth, not couples who hand out two silly drink tickets at their wedding. Being clueless and being the scum of the earth are about as far apart as a sun shower beckoning children to dance under the sprinkles of rain and a city devastating Tsunami with a death toll in the thousands.

Go ahead, advise couples to consider themselves before they consider their guests. Will you be there when they're blaming the venue manager (or whatever vendor they can think of blaming) for a reception that's emptying out two hours before it's supposed to? No, you won't.

Receptions are just like any other party. Host them well, and they'll be amazing. Don't host them well, and you'll be left blaming the guests.

No one here is judging. We're trying to let users know that guests need to be properly hosted. Everyone agrees it's not worth it to go into debt for a wedding. But you still need to properly host your guests - ie. don't make your guests pay for anything at your reception. How you go about cutting the budget from other areas to accommodate that is up to you. Cutting the guest list is a good option. Either treat your nearest and dearest to a nice meal and drinks or do cake and punch for a larger guest count.

Honestly I don't think the price will be much more if you just have a fully open bar with beer and wine. You're willing to pay for 2 drinks a person, I couldn't imagine EVERYONE will drink a lot more than that. You have to think that there are people who don't drink, people who are DD and (hopefully) won't drink much, and people who stop at two anyway. And those people could possibly make up for the people who do end up having more than two. I would just have an open bar. Causes way less confusion anyway.

Oh no! Not tickets!! I agree with the others, cut back in other areas and make room for liquor.. Guests will appreciate liquor more* than flowers and decor.

Why do people not understand that an open bar = a bar that is fully paid by the hosts. Open bars can be anything from strictly wine and beer, to top shelf of any liquor available, as well as everything in between, and as long as it is HOSTED by the hosts, it is an "open" bar, meaning it's already paid in full.

Choosing to do a cash or partial cash bar is just being cheap because you don't want to host properly or are having a large guest list for gifts. At least, that is how guests will see it.

It's a shitty thing to do to your so-called nearest and dearest, and can easily be avoided.

We don't drink and we each have kids. We're hosting our people properly, including a full open bar, because we'd rather have our 30 closest family and friends over having 200 people we happen to know in an attempt to get the gifts at our guests' expense.

Florist input: We make our money servicing brides who have the budget to decorate their weddings with beautiful florals. In my opinion, of course, beautiful flowers wow your guests and elevate your wedding.

However, if the budget is decor or alcohol, go for the alcohol. Go the grocery store and have your bridal bouquet made for a fraction of the cost that I would charge you (but realize, they're not answering your emails or taking phone calls at 11:00 PM six months before you wedding). Buy dollar store vases and order 30 roses from the grocery store. Stick them in bud vases, put them on your tables, and call it decorated. Spend your decor budget on the bar if you want an amazing party..

I have plenty of clients who can afford both. My calendar is filled, so I'm not slitting my own throat by saying this: If it's a question of decor or alcohol, spend the money on the alcohol. Food, entertainment, and alcohol -- that's the trifecta for a winning wedding.

So long as your guests don't have to pay for anything the entire night (food or drinks), that is pretty much the only option. I hate tickets, $2 drinks etc.

Yes, yes. By all means, don't listen to the overwhelming majority of people here who are telling you that a cash bar or drink tickets are rude. Listen to the small handful of people who are telling you to not properly host your guests.

We are paying for our wedding. I'm a single mom of two small children. We cut the guest list and other things like favors, photo booth, etc because we know our guests would appreciate unlimited drinks over all of that other stuff.

If you give out drink tickets and/or have a cash bar, most people at your wedding will tell you it was wonderful, but they will leave early and side-eye you all the way home.

Open bar! Cut flowers or a limo or costs somewhere else.

Drink tickets remind me of college-sponsored events with alcohol where you swiped your student ID and got 2 tickets for 2 glasses of crappy, watery beer and listened to a really bad band on the college field. Please don't do this. We've all moved past this scenario.

Drink tickets don't go over well on here. People agree that cutting favors and decor such as centerpieces is a better option

OP- Don't do the tickets. I know I would lose them.So will your other guests. Also who would be controlling this ticket thing? Are you going to pay for a ticket monitor?(doesn't that sound silly?)

If you can't afford to do open bar do wine and beer that will cut cost.

I have been to one wedding with drink tickets--threw them on the table for other guests to use and left after the meal because, well, because tickets.

I have been to two cash bar wedding in my 60 years. At one I listened to the bartender complaining about the lack of tips since guests had to pay for drinks. At the other I had most of the bridal party with me drinking out of the cooler in my truck (complete with glasses and cocktail napkins. When I heard the bride request "a large vodka" I pointed out the hotel bar where she said the "guests who wanted to get shit faced" could go.

For the cash bar/ticket bars who say it's not in your budget I call bullspit. It's not a matter of "can't" but instead it's "won't."

Do you, boo boos, but don't pass it off as ok.

Do us a Favor and search cash bar

OP, please don't listen to Kim or anyone else telling you it's ok to do a cash bar. It's NOT. You should properly host your guests for your reception. Because YOU chose to invite them, so YOU should host them. There are plenty of ways to do so on a tighter budget. Drink tickets are a terrible idea because of the confusion and mess they cause. Your entire reception will become about tickets. "Do you have tickets left? Are you going to use your tickets? Do you know anyone who has tickets?" Uh. Absolutely terrible. There are other ways. Please listen to the great advice you have already received. Good luck.

I am ok with it. I think it may promote responsibly drinking too...personally I'm concerned about our open bar and I can't also afford to pay for everyone's transportation home.

@Ayesha, so you don't trust you guests to not drink excessively or get home safe? Yikes....