Per Person or By Consumption

Our package is per person. I could never pay for a consumption bar for our two large Irish Catholic families. That bill would be insane!

Can you explain what you mean by reasonable cap amount? Are you talking about your budget or literally putting a cap amount on the bar and then guests pay after that?

Most venues don't give you a choice. Mine is per person, which I prefer because I know exactly how much to budget for and my guests can drink how much and whatever they like.

We are doing beer/wine package and paying per person. Consumption would give me way too much anxiety.

I think you need to know your crowd. You also need to know the price per drinks. I know that the per person cost for me is way under what I would pay for a consumption bar because we have TONS of heavy drinkers coming.

We are doing a per person open bar because again, i would much rather budget a set amount and have everyone be able to drink whatever and how much they want to instead of risking the tab being crazy high at the end. Also, about 75% of our guests are 'drinkers' and the other 25% don't drink at all, so even though I am paying for people who literally won't drink a glass of wine, I know the other 75% would more than make up for it.

When I say reasonable cap, I mean the budget. At no point will there be a cash bar. So, I'm debating if I should get a beer/wine package ($39) or the full bar package ($46). We are also having a signature cocktail which will be charged on consumption at $11 each. The signature drink would be in addition to the package price if we go that way. If we opt for the host bar (on consumption) the cost is $6/beer and $10-$12/drink.

We are doing consumption because that is the only option the venue offers. But even if they offered a package we would probably stick with consumption because we have quite a few big drinkers but also a bunch of people who drink either very little or not at all.

In your case I think it depends on how much you really want that signature drink. I would say that the full bar package is the best value--if someone gets just four $12 cocktails during the night you come out ahead. But the packages don't make a whole lot of sense when combined with the signature drink. If that is the featured item, people are going to order a lot of them and you will wind up with a huge consumption tab anyway. If you really want that signature drink then I think it makes the most sense to do the whole thing based on consumption.

I would do full bar at $46 pp or the beer/wine second if that is more in your budget, consumption scares me I don't like not being in control of something that could easily get out of hand.

Do you already have a signature drink in mind? Just asking because I picked signature drinks that the ingredients were already stocked in the full bar - vodka club with splash of cranberry and a jack & coke. People had the fun "signature drink" experience and they were passed around on trays during cocktail hour but I wasn't charged for the signature drink consumption because it was already included items in the full bar.

Also, I know I order drinks at wedding bars and if it was made too strong I just sit it down or put it on a tray and go get another drink. If I'm at a bar and I'm paying I don't do this, but weddings I just think it's open bar and don't worry about it. That is one reason I wouldn't go consumption.

Ours is per person.

We are doing per person. My family is full of some pretty big drinkers so a consumption bar would make me nervous

Yeah. Maybe I will have to let the signature drink go. We wanted to have a purple drink, but the bar doesn't have blue curaçao and would have to order it.

With 160 people I would say go pp.

We did bar by consumption and had to extend it halfway through the reception.

How does the pricing work for per-person?

I keep seeing banquet menus where it says:

$14 per person first hour, $10 following hours

And then under it, there's a list of the beers and wines, and it says:

$5 Wine (list list list)

$5 Beer (list list list)

and so on.

So does that mean it's $14/per person to have the bar open for an hour, and each drink costs me the host $5, or does it mean like, $14 is the base, and I add the $5 amounts per person to have those options available (so it's actually $24 per person for them to drink all they want in an hour?). Super confused.

Know your crowd...My family all drink like fish...a consumption bar would destroy me lol. I have never seen anyone in FH's family drink any alcohol, ever. If we were hosting a big party for HIS family only, we'd absolutely do consumption based.

@Jenny- at least for my package is $32 pp until the end of the night, we are upgrading the wine $7pp and having craft beers $4pp. So at the end of we are paying $43 pp person for the whole night. One of my coworkers who's also getting married- the open bar is per hour meaning $19pp/ph- so whatever they drink in that hour is covered. Hope this helps

agreed w everyone- know your crowd! we def needed open bar pp... Puertorrican and italian- enough said

@Z_Runner Thanks so much. I was very very confused about this, and completely overestimated the cost. I thought the base price was just to have the bartender stand there, and the rest was per drink.

Generally, if you have a heavy drinking crowd, a bar package is a better option. If you have light drinkers, or very few drinkers, a consumption bar can be less expensive.

It really depends on your crowd.

Per person!