Open bar...

This is likely going to vary by your states laws so I would look into it on whether or not you can pay for the alcohol served at your wedding. Bartenders will most definitely card people, though, and if you aren’t 21 you won’t be allowed to drink.

It depends on the venue. Out of the 6 or 7 weddings I’ve been to in recent years, and the 3 showers I’ve been to, we have never been ID’d (I am 25 now, youngest was 22, so over past 3 years).

i would talk to either your venue or your bartender. If you’re having an all adult wedding they may not, but if you mention you’re having kids or family friendly they most likely will so there isn’t under aged drinking.

will your FH be 21 at the time? I would think as long as one of you are legal you should have no problems paying for it, since they’ll only be serving to 21+

I’d contact your vendor and ask. Will your husband be 21 or older?

I wouldn't do an open bar. And if you have been to a wedding where they bartender didnt ID everyone then that person was super slack. I bartend and I ID everyone. By law you can not drink unless you have an ID, regardless of age. Selling to someone underage or without and ID is a hefty fine (to the bartender and establishment), possible loss of liquor license for establishment, possible jail time for bartender, and not being able to work in a place that served alcohol for years. So yeah whoever said they've never been carded, that bartender was living dangerously.

We've been to 2 weddings in the last 2 years and one had an open bar for the first 2 hrs and we didnt get carded, and the second wedding they carded me but not FH... I think it is based on how well the establishment and bartenders are doing their jobs..

I would think the venue would card, especially knowing that at least the bride is under 21 so potentially lots of friends and other guests are too. I would just think there’s too much at stake for the venue (fines, losing liquor license) to not ID/ possibly serve people that aren’t 21, even if they’re in the wedding. Your age shouldn’t impact what you can offer guests though. I would think you should still be able to have a bar and guests of age can drink, but I’d expect them to have to verify their age.

So I bartender and if I card depends on what information I have beforehand. Usually I'm informed by the venue of who is and who isn't 21 and therefore don't have to card everyone. (When the only people who are under 21 is the 5 year old ring bearer, it is pretty easy to not serve that person). However, when there is a huge mix, we actually do hand stamps to keep it straight between all bartenders. At my wedding, there will be no one under 21 and we are signing off on that fact to the venue so we take liability if someone ends up being under 21 and gets served. I went to 8 weddings this summer/fall and was never once carded (I'm 30), and in the past 4 years I've been to 21 weddings (FH was in a frat and is a super social person....) and have never been carded.

At a wedding where half the guest list, including the bride, is under 21 then I would expect that the bartender would be carding and might actually request wristbands/stamps depending on the mix of guests.

Would it affect you if you were at a bar? Yes, this will affect you. I bartend weddings every weekend......it is my responsibility to card everyone. If they don’t have an ID then they don’t get a drink. We always know how many guests are under 21.......but I will still card you.

No, it shouldn't affect being able to serve it. But I assume your bartender will ID for younger looking guests.