Self serve bar

Find out what the liquor license requirements are. I would have a bartender for liability purposes alone.

You are liable for anything that happens if you don't have a licensed bartender. If one of your guests crashes their car on the way home, you can be held responsible for any and all damage, including injury and death.

This sounds like it will go poorly, especially if you just have liquor bottles people can access,especially children

There will be no children at our wedding or hard liquor but thank you we will look into a bartender

I honestly feel like it's much safer to just get a certified bartender. It will be easier for the guests and takes the liability off of you. It's honestly not hat expensive. I've seen some places supplying bartenders for as little as 30 per hour (plus tips). So I opted for a couple and I'm even adding on liability insurance coverage of my own so I'm not liable for anything.

Agreed with Jessie, I would be nervous about the liability. A bartender would alleviate any issues.

I would highly recommend hiring a professional bartender.

On a side note 16/17 year old me definitely would have served myself some alcohol if it was available. Having a bartender just makes sense

I went to a wedding once that had a self serve bar. It was great. Everyone had a great time and nobody minded pouring their own wine/beer. They had cocktails as well which was even better

It's safer to have a BT, honestly. And you'll go through less if it's controlled a bit.

Erin, please. How is it possible that every piece of advice you post is irresponsible?

Bartender for sure its safer! Plus that could be a really cool experience having a bartender on a campground!

FH's groomsman had a self-serve bar at his wedding when their bartender/bride's brother got way too drunk. People were getting totally wasted and then wanting to drive home. It was not good. It was chaotic as well with like 20 people trying to get drinks at the same time.

Hire a professional bartender.

Oh look, more bad advice from @EW. At least the acronym is right for the advice.

@OP, gets bartender at least. If someone drinks and drives and kills someone, guess who is liable, both civilly and legally? You. That means any charges are yours and any damages to be paid are your responsibility. If someone drinks to the point of alcohol poisoning, you are responsible. A bartender will cut people off if they're getting too drunk, and have insurance to cover that type of thing. You, however, do not have that type of professional immunity/coverage.

She said there are no kids there and they are just serving beer and wine. People have events all the time without bartenders. I just don't think it's a big deal. Adults can be adults in most cases. If people are going to drink to the point of alcohol poisoning (YIKES!!!) they are going to do it regardless. It's a campground. I am sure people who drink like that will be bringing a flask. I guess OP knows her guests more than we do. The wedding I went to had no trouble. Everyone used uber and cabs because we are responsible.

HAHA What Celia said. EW no, the liability isn't worth it.

She may not have children there, but still have 18,19, 20 year olds, so yes a bartender is needed.

When I was looking into a different venue that didn't include staff, I was pretty impressed with how cheap it is to hire a bartender for a few hours. You might be surprised!

This was just a simple question and was looking for a simple response not fighting back and forth. Thank you all that have responded we will look into a bartender!

@Vicki - It seems you're new here, so you're not aware that some posters (like EW) have a long and glorious history of jumping from post to post offering horrible advice. They deserve to be called out for it. No need to play hall monitor.

Holly C. Our venue doesn't include the bar staff or any of the alcohol so that is why I was asking is a self serve bar worth it. I will look into finding us a bartender!