Timeline for 3 hour open bar

Can you split it up? Like 5:30-6, then 7:30-10? I don't know, it seems like a bad idea. What will it be other times? Cash bar? No one wants to pay to attend your party.

I don't think that's going to work, to be honest. You want people to have a drink as soon as they get to your reception, so then you have to cut off drinks at 8:30?

Do you mean that during part of the night it will be a cash bar? You're not "saving" $1000, you will be making your guests pay it.

My venue only includes a 3 hour open bar with its packages. I am adding $4 per person to extend it for an hour. 3 hours wouldnt do.

If guests arrive at 5:30, cocktail hour should start at 5:30. If the bridal party arrives at 6, and dinner is at 6:15, you can close the bar for 30 minutes of dinner maybe? I don't like this option but it's better then not hosting cocktail hour.

Closed bar from 630-700, still leaves you with 2 hours of reception open bar if you have 3 hours total. Open bar 530-630 for cocktail hour, closed for a half hour, then opened from 7p-9pm.

If you can, I'd try to spring for one extra hour until 10pm. But definitely host cocktail hour fully... you can't expect guests to pay for their own drinks during the hour that is dedicated to drinks.

The venues we've looked at stop the bar service for 1 1/2 hours during dinner. You could do 1/2 hour cocktails before dinner since you'll get there at 6:00, then resume bar service after dinner for 2 1/2 hours around 7:30 which would then take you to 10:00.

5:30-6:00 cocktails

6:00-7:30 dinner, no bar

7:30-10:00 bar

Does your venue do wine on the tables during dinner?

Maybe cut the guestlist, to properly host your guests, you dont want guests going up and having to either open their wallets for a drink, after they were free a few mins before, or going up and being told the bar is closed with the reception still going on.

Its very common to shut down a bar or have a cash bar during dinner service. going to cash bar the last 30 minutes- 1 hour is common too(:

You need a bar during dinner. That's like, the most important time to have a bar.

never, ever, ever, make anyone take out cash at your wedding.

Our bar will be open for cocktail hour, closed during dinner then open for the rest of the night. I say do what you gotta do, people shouldn't be attending your wedding just to get drunk. They should be there because they want to support you and should be grateful for whatever amount of alcohol you decide to provide!

Along the lines of what @ALC said... closing the bar for 30 minutes during dinner is reasonable. I've seen this at a few weddings. I wouldn't personally do it.

1.5 hours is not okay.

Cash bars are not okay.

@A.L. not one venue we've looked at has the bar open during dinner. Maybe this is a regional thing, but I've never been to a wedding, banquet, fund raiser, or any other formal event that didn't close the bar during dinner. Our venues do however offer unlimited wine and/or champagne (upgrade) at the tables during dinner and everyone knows to get a drink before you sit down if you want something besides wine/champagne. I live in the Midwest.

We have a 4 hour bev pkg where we are stretching to 4.5 hours be closing the bar for 30 minutes during dinner.

Also, you can have last call at around 9:30...still ending the reception at 10.

I'm having a partial open bar. It'll be open for half of the reception. Those shaming you on this thread don't have to pay for your reception so disregard them. I'm having it for the first 2 hours so my guests have the time to sober up by the end of the reception. If we have less RSVPs, we'll upgrade it to the full Reception.

Sora-- You're right. We have to pay for our own receptions where guests are actually hosted properly. Making people pay money to attend YOUR party is rude as fuck tbh

I've attending a wedding where it was open bar for the first few hours and cash after. No big deal, people just want 2-3 drinks to break the ice and then they should be dancing and mingling the rest of the time. Just be prepared for people to be drunk sooner, as they are trying to squeeze in drinks within the timeframe....but that is for the bartender to worry about

We are dealing with the same issue right now. Our coordinator suggested that we keep the bar closed until after dinner. But we will be serving wine with dinner.

Most weddings I have been to have an open bar before/after Dinner with just wine service during dinner. Would that be a good compromise?

Just do open bar from 5:30-6pm and then from 7:15-9:45pm.

During dinner, just offer wine service.