Self serve open bar ....

Huge liability issue!

I mean it is what it is... if it's a backyard wedding laws may be different versus venues (my venue does not allow self serve- can't even pick a bottle of beer out of a cooler by yourself).

It's not really your concern how much they buy and if they buy enough, you don't know what they have planned, just go and enjoy it.

I have and it was fine. It's no different then going to someone's house for a party.

I'd go with an open mind, like Kayla said, it is like a good house party. I'm sure you will have fun!

I've been to plenty of house parties where people serve their own drinks. It sometimes is best because people will have drinks the way they like them!

Bring some backup booze if you're worried you won't have enough.

It's a bad idea for the hosts because of liability concerns, but if they are willing to take the risk that's their call. It's not a guest experience problem, so it's not poor hosting.

I went to a wedding like this last year. It was fine. They had a TON of left over booze. If you have problem drinkers in your group, it will be a problem no matter what.

It's a house party BUT for 150 people. I did go to a rehearsal dinner at a beach/park that was self serve but there were tons of family around to open bottles and help out and tons of options (though they absolutely did run out of the rose). It also was not a wedding.

Let us know how it goes. I think FH went to a wedding and they had drinks in canoes on ice. He enjoyed it and tried to do it for our wedding, but I vetoed it.

Both of my cousins weddings were like this and it was fine and a lot of fun. There was enough alcohol for everyone and then some.

I've been to a wedding before on a vineyard. They bought a certain amount of wine and then if you wante d any different you could byo. It was definitely different.

Hopefully the people attending the wedding are mature adults who can conduct themselves properly at a wedding!

Yeah there's definitely a rowdy bunch of fh's friends who could be trouble but that's just one group of people. Hopefully the rest are mature enough but we will see! I'll keep more of an open mind though

I've been to weddings like this and while I'd never do it or suggest doing it, it was at least better than a cash bar or dry wedding.

That is a dangerous, messy, expensive idea. It will be chaos, the self serve bar will be a mess, they'll go through more alcohol than they think because no one is controlling it, and the liability issue is a nightmare.

I went to a backyard wedding and it was also an open bar but they at least hired a licensed bartender. However they did have a big bucket of beers that anyone could just grab. I would be nervous about liability issues.

If you are worried about liability issues and you don't want people driving- my suggestion is arrange for transportation like a shuttle and give uber discounts or even pay for them. Depends on the state but liability will vary based on the state and local municipality. In one state- you may see, the person should be responsible for his or her drinking. Why should someone else be responsible for someone who doesn't know when to quit ? If they are grown ass adults they need to control themselves, while another state may say- the host provided the alcohol and the drunk drove and got arrested or killed someone it is the host who is responsible as they provided the alcohol and without it said person may not have driven drunk or worse. It depends

@cassidy I agree but just for clarity this is not for my wedding. I am going to a wedding doing this and was curious if anyone had been to one and how it turned out. I think a shuttle is always a good idea but there is no shuttle here which is why I thought it wasn't the best idea. We will see though I will update afterwards!

I have been to weddings like this and had no issues. I don't mind grabbing a beer or pouring my own drink, and I love it if I don't have to stand in a long line to get a refill.

Yes people will get drunk. They will do that at any wedding. They plan to do that before they come. If someone gets "accidentally" drunk because they poured their own drinks instead of having a licensed bartender, that person clearly doesn't understand their own relationship with alcohol well enough for it to ever be appropriate that they drink in public or when they are planning on driving later.

That sounds like a lawsuit waiting to happen.