How Much Is Bar Service At A Wedding

A contempo report found that 72% of couples are opting for an open bar at their weddings, and we are planning on following arrange! But we're too wondering: how much is an open bar going to cost us on our wedding 24-hour interval?

A typical price to pay for an open up bar at your wedding is approximately $20 per person. The boilerplate number of wedding guests is 126 guests* which adds upward to $2,520 earlier taxes and fees (service and gratuity). The total pecker at this charge per unit with 15% added for both taxes and fees is $three,276.

*According to the 2019 WeddingWire Newlywed Report (Source)

I don't know well-nigh you, but I remember this is a pretty steep cost to pay for an open bar, as of import equally I call back open bars are to a nuptials. And there are ways to do it so that it isn't equally expensive as this. It just requires a bit of planning and asking around.

PRO-TIP: f you're going to DIY your open bar, remember to pick upwardly some heavy duty, rustic stainless steel water ice buckets with ice scoops from Amazon (besides every bit various other accessories) well in advance of the big day!

I'1000 going to talk more virtually how to save money on booze at your wedding and what yous can expect to accept to pay for when you agree to an open bar (including those pesky subconscious/boosted fees). If y'all're interested in checking out the best DIY bar accessories, you can find them past clicking hither.

Cost of an Open Bar: Get Limited Bar or Full Bar?

Recall that a Full open bar isn't your only selection.

Yous can save money on your open bar by choosing to serve simply beer and wine (no hard liquor), for example. I tend to think that it's better to have a limited bar than to brand your guests pay for some or all of their drinks at your hymeneals (but that'due south simply me).

Here are some cost options (approximated) for dissimilar types of open bars:

Limited beer choices and business firm wine (plus soda and juice): $15-$20 per person
Full bar with limited beer choices and house wine (plus soda and juice): $20-$35 per person
Full bar with premium brand liquor with domestic and imported beer choices and business firm wine: $35-$40 per person

Of course, prices will vary too as options, depending on your venue. It also depends which city or region you alive in, every bit alcohol in New York City will probably cost a lot more coin than alcohol in a small boondocks in a rural surface area.

Types of Pricing for Your Open Bar that are Venue-Dependent

The mode that open bars are priced are very different from venue to venue, and you actually need to check on how this is done before putting a payment down on a infinite. If you don't, you may cease up paying way more than than y'all budgeted for to get the open up bar that yous wanted.

Commencement of all, venues usually accuse either past consumption, which means that your guests drink, and then yous're charged for exactly how much they drank at the end of the night; or the venue volition charge a apartment rate, which means just that: yous're told to pay $two,000, for example and you pay that toll no affair how much your guests drink.

I personally tend to feel more than comfortable with a flat rate, but if you take a lot of guests who you don't recall will beverage very much, maybe a consumption charge per unit would cease up being cheaper for you.

To calculate a consumption charge per unit, check with your venue! Ask them to give you a adding such equally 2.5 drinks per person at $half-dozen.00 per potable. If yous were to have the average 126 guests, at this rate the cost before taxes and fees would be $1,890.

With a consumption charge per unit, you tin can mentally take out all not-drinkers, significant women, etc. from your invitee list and go a full general idea of what information technology will cost yous. Some venues also offer you a maximum cap, so if your guests drink, say, $1,500 of booze and that'southward your cap, your guests have to start paying for drinks later on that. You lot can permit them know this in pre-wedding correspondence so that they know to bring greenbacks with them.

To calculate an open bar flat rate, it varies by venue! Check with your venue to come across what they charge for each tier of alcohol (express and open up bar). Some venues will charge one flat charge per unit per person for the whole nighttime. For example, $20 per person, period. And all guests are included in that toll whether they are drinkers, pregnant, or not.

Some venues charge a flat rate per person PER HOUR. So for instance, you may pay $5 an hour per person per hour of your result. Some other venue may charge you $20 per person until a certain 60 minutes, and then $v for each additional hr subsequently that.

I have heard actually (in my opinion) high, outrageous prices from pricey venues that charge in the ballpark of $35 per person for the first hour and then $15 per person for each boosted hour!! That would add up to $95 per person for the unabridged nuptials night, and toll a chiliad total (with the 2019 average of 126 wedding guests) of $11,970!! I tin can't even imagine paying this beak but many people do it!

Additional Costs of Having an Open Bar at Your Hymeneals

There are certain costs that you may non realize every bit you're computing and budgeting for an open up bar. Did you factor in the taxes? The gratuity (tips) and service charge for the bartenders? Don't forget these important costs!

If not, you could be surprised with hundreds of dollars added onto your bar nib, and that won't be fun at all.

Often taxes can be xv-xx% depending on where you alive, and gratuity the same. That means that if you lot have calculated $20 per person for 126 guests, yous would demand to add another $756 (for the example of fifteen% taxes and fees) for a m total of $three,276! And for the same base price and number of guests, you'd accept to add some other $i,008 (for the example of 20% taxes and fees), for a grand full of $4,536! Yikes!

Some other fees that venues or caterers might add include a setup toll earlier the issue ($20-$300), a great fee for wine ($1-$15), and an hourly fee for the bartender ($xx-$35).

The number of bartenders you lot'll need depends on your number of guests. Yous should have ane bartender per 50 guests.

Don't be shy to ask about these additional fees (and any others) that the venue may add onto your beak. Go everything in writing and read your contract advisedly before agreeing or paying for anything!

What Should Be Included?

Your venue should include sure items in your open bar flat rate or per head fee. Make sure the following items are included in your contract for an open bar:

Spectacles or cups
Corkscrews
Bottle openers
Shakers
Ice
Ice tongs or scoop
Coolers
Water ice buckets
Garnishes
Rags
Cocktail napkins

Tips to Save Money on the Open up Bar at Your Wedding

If these prices seem also steep for your budget, don't lose hope! At that place are means to save money on an open bar at your wedding. You lot tin take some of the following actions:

Ask if you can bring your own alcohol
Some venues permit you to bring your own alcohol and even your ain bartender(s). If this is the case, you may demand to go an alcohol permit – brand sure to ask your venue. With this option, you lot can select inexpensive alcohol yourself, perchance from a wholesaler, and even opt for a keg. You tin can often Return unopened bottles and become your money dorsum, which is some other perk.
Supercede the labels
If you can purchase your own booze, endeavor this trick: I heard of i couple buying bottom-shelf wine and replacing the labels with custom wedding labels so their wedding guests wouldn't feel like they were being cheap, and the bottles would expect beautiful and fit their wedding ceremony theme!
Do a limited bar with drink tickets
Offer your guests 2-3 drink tickets each, and then they pay for any more after that. People who don't drink tin give their tickets to others who want to drink more.
Ask if you lot can exclude whatsoever guests who won't drink
If your venue is charging you a flat rate per guest, inquire if you can exclude pregnant guests, underage guests, or any others who don't or won't exist drinking. It's worth asking!

How to DIY Stock Your Own Open Bar

If your venue allows you to bring your own alcohol, programme carefully to make sure yous have enough for every guest all dark. Attempt to purchase from a identify that will let yous return whatever you don't beverage and then you'll exist all fix!

Here are some general guidelines for what to purchase, but remember that kegs are ever an selection too, particularly for less formal, outdoor weddings!

These guidelines are from the calculator on Woman Getting Married (Source) for guest lists of 100 and 150 people, which I think are really good estimates:

Open Bar for 100 GUESTS:
70 bottles of vino
175 bottles of beer
15 bottles of liquor (750 ml)
20 bottles of champagne for toast (optional)

Open bar for 150 GUESTS:
105 bottles of wine
266 bottles of beer
22 bottles of liquor (750 ml)
thirty bottles of champagne for toast (optional)

Having a Cash Bar Instead of an Open Bar

In that location'south always a greenbacks bar if you actually can't afford an open bar at all.

Like I said before, this isn't the route I would go, merely if you lot gotta, y'all gotta! Plus, in Canada, it seems that cash bars are much more common than in the U.S., probably due to the higher price of booze in Canada. I'm American but I'm getting married in Canada, and so I experience your pain, guys! I understand the desire to prepare upward a toonie bar and telephone call it a day!

Anyway, do what y'all need to do and only communicate your decision to your guests so they know what to expect.