It’s fun to have drinks at your wedding whether it be champagne toasting or cute cocktails, but it isn’t always the most economical and can really put a dent in your wedding budget. If having alcohol is something that you see as a necessity it’s important to decide what/how much you are going to serving and decide how well that fits into your budget. Here a few tips to keep it budget-friendly but still enjoyable:
Limit your options
You don’t need a full service bar at your wedding. Either pick a champagne or wine and buy the bottles in bulk. If you want to make it more personalized the couple can select or create a signature cocktail and provide that in addition to a basic drink. People truly don’t need a multitude of options and being able to stick to 2-3 will save you a lot of stress and money.
Provide your own
Many venues offer bartending services which sound nice at first glance until you realize how much more it will cost you. You can save hundreds of dollars simply by saying no to the bartending and doing it yourself. While you won’t have quite as many options, as stated above – you really don’t need them! Just bulk order your own and you can either do self serve or hire someone to serve for you!
Set a limit
Whether you are worried about money or not this is still a good idea to help keep your guests fully functional as the night goes on. Some couples will give their guests a two free drink limit and then make them pay for any additional. You can also just make the bar all paid and not give out any free drinks – this is completely up to you as there are limitless options.
Have a cocktail hour
A great way to keep your guests sober and drinks free is to only serve them before dinner or after dinner. Select a specific hour or two to open the bar and close it once the time is up. You can pick something alcohol-free for once the bar closes like a coffee or soda bar so that you can keep the bar feel alive without having to pay a significant amount for it.
Give each table one bottle
This is a great way to lose the cost of the bartender and the drinks. Simply place a bottle of either wine or champagne (or both) on each table. People are more likely to drink conservatively and responsibly when they are sharing. You can have replacements for when the bottle is empty, but this will also keep the guests aware of just how many bottles they’re going through.
Which option do you think is best for your wedding day? Use these tips as a guide to pick the perfect route for your reception!
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