Would you be offended? Limited Tab Bar

I would try limiting to beer and wine first and see if that saves you enough. We're doing keg beer and 1.5 liter wine bottles and aren't spending a fortune.

Our calculations that made us worried were for just beer and wine....

We are expecting around 150 guests and limiting the guest list is not an option. We've already made our difficult cuts.

I had a consumption bar and it worked great for me!

Bottled beer (dom: $3.00, imports $4.00), Signature Drinks (mimosas & BMary's) $3.00, and house wine - red & whites ($4.00) per glass.

We had approx 40 ppl over the age of 21, most are moderate drinkers. I had capped my bar at $1,000.00 and didn't use nearly that amount - It came in under $800.00.

**HOWEVER** I had a brunch reception and served drinks from 11:30 am thru 4:30pm. Most ppl may drink more for an evening wedding. I don't think there is anything wrong with limiting to beer, wine and a signature drink or 2 and stop serving 45 min before the reception ends. Will there be coffee served?

While it is not the perfect scenario, as long as you let your guests know about it so they can be prepared with cash in their pockets, then it is okay.

Also, when you are informing your guests don't refer to it as an open bar. An open bar is just that, guests can choose any drink(from the bottles the venue offers). What you are planning to do is a limited tab bar or limited consumption bar. Keep it at beer, wine and one signature drink.

I would have it open for cocktail hour. Close it during dinner. Reopen it for an hour after dinner.

Pass the word via your website.

I also agree with Amy. CHeck the prices for the drinks and if the venue will charge for soda.

Is it keg beer? We would be spending a lot more if we served bottles. If it were me, I would shut the bar down completely instead of making it a cash bar. I feel like if you don't tell people it will be a cash bar they can't prepare to bring money and then it wouldn't go over so well.

I think it depends on your crowd and your bar/bartender

I've been to a wedding where they did a cap, and then people would buy their own. Problem was that the bar was serving expensive drinks ($10 a drink), AND serving shots (which shocked me)...so it was about 5 people who used 90% of the bar tab, and that was before the wedding party even made it to the reception.

I would be

We are doing a $2000 bar tab for beer, wine, and a signature drink for 150 guests - I guess what you would call a limited tab bar. That may change if a relative offers to pony up for a full open bar, but I absolutely do not feel bad about the route we're taking. Nor would I be offended if another couple did the same. It could just be the area I live in, but I'm not sure I've ever been to a wedding with a truly full and open bar. The cost of weddings is skyrocketing and the economy is in the shitter. Do what you gotta do to make your wedding happen the way you want it to.

ETA: we are playing with the idea of either including drink tickets with the invitation suite OR explaining the bar situation on our wedding website, so that guests know what to expect in advance. I agree that some may be caught off guard if all of a sudden halfway through the reception, they have to start paying.

Well I am not a drinker, so I don't really have an issue with it. But it could also be a safety thing. If you limit the number of drinks you might be less likely to drunk drivers leaving. But it is also my experience that a true drinker will be able to get arround the limits by having a non drinker go his drinks. One of the reasons I am not a drinker.

What about limiting the amount of $? Telling the venue to let you know when a certain amount has been consumed? You could hit that amount half an hour before the wedding is over, so it wouldn't be a big deal. Also, if most of your guests are social drinkers, they won't have 5 drinks.

Ive been to weddings where the open bar was only during cocktail hour. I personally think all weddings should have some type of alcohol offered for the whole night free. I would not be offended though, that's a word I would not use, I would just think you were on a really tight budget and hope I brought money lol

To add on to what Mrs. S said....

The venue would let me or my husband know once we hit $750.00. So we could make an adjustment during that point of the reception. We came prepared to add to our bar bill if needed - but thankfully, we didn't need it.

I really don't understand people being offended by you limiting how much free stuff they give you... oh wait, that's America but seriously, do what you can afford. If someone doesn't think that dinner, entertainment and a few free drinks is enough, they got probleeeems.

Ray Chull....I think whether or not you are offending your guests depends on your culture/social circle/geographic region you live in. In my culture, it would be an insult to the guests because everything about a wedding reception is guest centered. On the other hand, if you were to stop in and visit me right now, I have beer, white wine, red wine, a vodka, a gin, a Scotch, Jack Daniels and 2 kinds of rum. And...nope...I don't drink all day. It's just the way things are in my culture. lolol I will confess that sometimes I think about drinking all day.; )

After being on WW for wayy too long, I have learned that not all weddings are like the weddings in my culture or where I live.

Were having an open bar but having a tip jar. My aunt did this at her wedding and made enough to cover alcohol plus pay the bartender. This way you arent making them pay and they dont feel obligated to pay. Makes everyone happy.

You can always talk to your venue for what they would recommend. My venue was very upfront about what they like to get per legal drinking person for the whole wedding. We're paying $20 per person for booze. They said that most weddings don't go over that for booze, if anything they are really under and you just get a cheque in the mail with the left over amount on it.

Also are you having table wine? that's a pretty big bill from what I understand. we aren't having table wine, because it would definitely be a waste of money.

Yeah, Carole, in my circle no one would be offended. Maybe disappointed lol. Another thing that people are pretty adament about on WW is not going into debt over a wedding. I couldn't agree more and the bar would definitely be the last thing I would want to go into debt for.

And I think I'll take a visit to your house we always keep our bar pretty stocked too!

I wouldn't be offended. If I were invited, I'd be honored to be there, not to drink on your dime. Maybe drink tickets? I know some people do that. But I also think limiting the $$ is a good idea, too. I wouldn't let the bar make or break my budget. Don't feel guilty about it- I wouldn't and I wouldn't be offended as a guest.

I wouldn't be offended, but I would let people know that it's a cash bar or that at some point they will have to start paying -- just so they aren't surprised.