What does "open bar" mean to you?

Open bar to me means you can order alcohol and not pay for it. You can have a limited open bar I guess where you only allow signature cocktails. If you don't just do a few signature cocktails, it is kinda weird to say "no shots" in my opinion. If someone wants whiskey on the rocks do you consider that a straight shot since it's just alcohol? I don't think you need champagne by any means. It probably varies by region but where I'm from I would assume tequila, rum, bourbon/whiskey, and vodka to be "standard".

If you're doing it yourself, here is a fantastic guide to what should be purchased. http://apracticalwedding.com/2013/01/calculate-alcohol-for-wedding/. Otherwise you're caterer will know. Our caterer charges a flat fee per head.

"Open bar" simply means that guests don't have to pay for anything at the bar. What you choose to serve at the bar is up to you.

I would definitely serve wine in addition to the beer and liquor options you mentioned. Many people enjoy wine, especially with dinner.

We are doing an open bar of beer and wine!

Thank you all! I guess what we are offering is a "limited bar" since our venue requires us to choose the alcohol that we are providing (they are a restaurant with a fully-stocked bar for their restaurant customers, but we have to choose our wedding alcohol and they purchase it separately. We can't use the alcohol they have on-hand). Guests can mix alcohol with soda free of charge (since the restaurant has a soda machine), but any additional mixers would be up to us. And as far as your question about whiskey on the rocks being considered a shot, we aren't sure yet-- that's what we are trying to figure out now. @Karen, I'll have to show that article to FH-- he doesn't think we need to offer wine at all, and they are suggesting that the majority of your bar consist of wine! Thanks so much for your help!

To me an open bar just means a guest doesn't have to pay for their alcohol. You can do a limited open bar (beer and wine) or a full open bar. The liquors that I think are standard in a full open bar are vodka, rum, whiskey, gin, and tequila. I might be forgetting something there.

It means I'm going to be a happy camper.

Beer and wine is all we are having. Bought 1 keg and 20 bottles of wine.

Its opened and its the gesture to me that counts. They want anything else then sorry !

But i agree, you should have at least 2 or 3 kinds of wine and your "basic" liquor. Things like rum, whisky, vodka, etc.

I would say liquor-wise: unless you know what kinds of liquors your guests will be drinking, rum and vodka are most popular. From there you could add tequila or whiskey (or both if you want).

Open bar only means the guests don't have I pay or tip. You can serve whatever type of alcohol you want without having to warn anyone by calling it limited. I think people expect beer and wine only at weddings.

Unless you only do signature drinks (which usually aren't very popular), you can't really say "no shots." That's kinda weird anyway, I'm a beer drinker but I might like a shot of tequila. You're treating your guests like children. And you really need to offer wine.

It sounds like your venue allows you to bring in your own alcohol??

Open bar to me means an array of mid-shelf liquors, limited mixers, 2-3 beer choices and a red and a white wine. I could care less about the wine personally.

Just curious. Why don't you want to allow straight shots?

Anyway, I'm a wine drinker so I would definitely want some wine with dinner. I think most people expect for there to be wine at a wedding so you could have some disappointed guests by skipping it. That being said though, maybe none of your friends and family drink wine. If that were the case then I could understand omitting it.

I always assumed open bar meant unlimited (free) drinks of any type, but maybe that's because I've never been to a wedding with a limited open bar.

I agree with PPs about the oddity of the no-shot rule- not only do people enjoy a nice whiskey or scotch on the rocks or neat, but if you are serving alcohol then you just have to accept that your guests are adults and should be treated as such.

ETA: Brandy and amaretto are not "standard," although having amaretto or baileys might be nice for guests looking to spice up their coffee after dinner. But by no means are any of these liqueurs necessary.

Most of the weddings I've been to in my life have been Top Shelf Open Bar. That means you not only have free access to alcohol all night, but you're served the best brands of each variety (i.e., Grey Goose vs. Smirnoff). I recently went to a wedding with an Open Bar, but the choices were limited to what was displayed on the shelf behind the bar stations. At first I was wondering why they'd have a top shelf variety sitting next to a bottom shelf variety, but as the night went on, it became clear. When the top shelf stuff ran out, people had to order what was left (the bottom shelf stuff). So, I guess they bought a mixture of top shelf and bottom shelf of each variety and they were probably refunded for any of the left over, unopened bottles). I thought it was a pretty good idea for a more economical open bar with variety. There's a open soft bar which is still an open bar, it just doesn't serve hard liquor. That's generally a wine/beer or wine/beer/signature cocktail mix. Your guests should appreciate whichever option you decide to offer.

If you want to do a nice limited open bar with some variety, get Vodka (probably the most popular alcohol in America), Rum (very popular -- Captain Morgan's is a good choice), Whiskey (lots of choices and price ranges), Gin, and perhaps Bourbon. Some people add Scotch and Tequilia, but the selection is completely up to you. Just be sure to add a few wine selections (I don't drink wine -- I know nothing about it) and some beer to the mix, and you've got a very decent open bar.

There's a lot of good information onlline about alcohol choices that will not break the bank and will still taste good. For example, there are quite a few good vodkas with mid-range pricining (Skyy and Svedka come to mind). Do your research and save yourself some money. You could also stop into your local liquor store and ask the manager about pricing/quality. Seriously, they can be very helpful when you're trying to stock a good bar for a crowd.

Wine is usually pretty standard to have. And then, a vodka, whiskey, rum. I wouldn't even get tequila, since you aren't doing shots and you would have to provide a mixer for a margarita. I would keep it simple. Guests will be beyond thankful that there is open bar and no one will (or should) complain.

You know your guests and budget best though!

Open bar is just free for all, all night! Having a full or limited open bar is another thing. Get some red wine for me and you're good to go!

Just no charge. I think you could absolutely do wine, beer, soda, a signature drink and call it a day. Many of my venues don't even allow shots any more.

Amaretto and brandy are not standard. Standard bar would mean just gin, vodka, tequila, rum and rye. Then offer a couple selections of beer and at least one red and one white wine option. I'm a wine drinker so yes, I am disappointed when it isn't an option at a wedding.