Shots shot shots....the bar

Oh, the bar. One of the most talked about portions of the evening for any event. This can, believe or not, be a sore subject or a touchy subject for some, especially being part of the South, a.k.a the Bible Belt. 

Let's first talk about the different types of bars your venue may offer to you and then we can talk about what you can do to help control costs and elevate that 10 PM sideways walking. 

bar package vs bar consumption

You might be in a situation where your venue provides your bar. You don't have to do the leg work of getting bartenders, bringing the beer, wine, liquor, cups, glasses, etc. That's awesome! You can, obviously, cut down on bar costs if you have a venue that allows you to do all of that but honestly, it's SO much less work when the venue takes care of it or if you even hire out the bar service from a third-party. In this case, there are basically two most popular bar services; packages and consumption.

Bar packages

Bar packages, this is where you'd find the venue gives you the option of different bar packages and a price per head you are paying. You can get house wine, domestic beers, and well liquors for $20.00 per head. You give the amount of people coming and boom, there's your price. It's definitely more of a fixed cost. You know what you are paying out of the gate. Some of the downfalls of this is, you may be paying for some people who either A) don't drink, or B) won't drink that much. If you have 100 people, and you know that your entire mom's side of the family isn't going to drink, say 30 people, doesn't matter; you still have to pay that package price. Because, what if they do decide to drink that night or have a glass of wine or two. The venue does not know who belongs to which family nor do they really care to know. They just know that's how many people are showing up and that's how much alcohol they need to have ready. 

In the flip side, you could have those 30 people not drinking but then you'd got your wedding party that drinks enough for all of them and plus some, you could end up on the better side had you had to pay it per drink. This same situation, you could find yourself mopping the floor with some liquored up guests. It could be a gamble! 

Consumption bars

"Ahhhh! Scary!"
This is the reaction I get A LOT with consumption bars! But, guys, it does not have to be. As long as the venue/bar is willing to work with you and your needs, which let's be honest; they should be. Consumption bars are essentially, bars that are paid based upon what is consumed. Whatever is ordered, that goes on your bill at the end of the night. HOWEVER, this can work to your advantage as well because well, you are actually paying for what is drunk vs packages where you don't really know the real number and the bartenders are not keeping up. 

Here are ways I try to show that you can control costs with a consumption bar:

• Price per drink - you can limit the total price per drink that is allowed on your bill. Beers and house wines typically are under $10.00/drink, depending where you are.  Most well liquors are under $10.00, most call liquors are under $14.00. I am in Nashville so that is where my numbers come from. If you are wanting to avoid those higher end whiskey, vodka, and scotch beverages that can get up past $15.00+ a drink, limit the price per drink allowed. Anything beyond that, you can have the guests pay for it. But also, if they are trying to get those drinks, c'mon guys, play fair. 
• Beer and wine ONLY - Only offer beer and wine! This is absolutely fine, do not let others tell you otherwise. Having a fully hosted (paying for everyones drinks) bar with no restrictions is very 2010. Luckily, many of learned from their mistakes in 2010 and found that no one actually wants to have very sloppy people at their wedding at the end of the night. This is very much becoming the new normal and is absolutely acceptable. You are still offering beer and wine at your expense and you guests should be very appreciative. 
• Speciality cocktails- If you can't get yourself only to offer beer and wine, another way to incorporate is speciality drinks. This is what I did at my wedding. I understand that there may be some of my guests that don't drink beer, maybe wine gives them headaches. We found two cocktails that we both enjoyed and provided those for the evening. You could also only offer during cocktail hour. This can sometimes be difficult though because some guests will want to enjoy these cocktails for the duration of the evening after having them for cocktail hour so be mindful of that. 
• Total overall spend - Limiting the total overall spend. This is another great way to control cost. Let the coordinator/manager know that you only want to spend X amount on the bar. That amount can be based on the number of guests you have or just whatever you have in your budget! However, be mindful of any taxes and service charges that the venue will add, you may want to back out of the total overall cost to include those in it. 
• Combination - my favorite is a combination of these options above. You can control your spend at the bar by only providing beer, wine, and the two speciality cocktails all evening but once you hit your own all spend, its cash bar! Another way of a combination of these, would be to allow any beverages that's under $10.00 and then when your bar hits, say $2,500.00 stop the hosted bar. Another great way! 

One thing is for sure though, always talk with your venue representation about your options. It may surprise you! Don't feel like you are trapped in a consumption bar. Always ask how you two can work together to find a compromise that will be mutually beneficial for both parties. Keep in mind logistics as well. 

In the meantime, NO SHOTS!