Free bar restrictions - right or wrong?

jenhug

I haven't read all the replies, but why not give everyone one voucher for a free drink, and stipulate no doubles, cocktails etc on it? One free drink is more than enough.

My sister had jugs of beer on each table as well as a bottle of red and a bottle of white wine on each table. There was also orange juice or water. Also a glass of bubbly each for the speaches.

polejunkie

Im toying with the idea of free soft drinks, there will be a lot of children at the reception and a lot of guests who will be driving, i dont drink either so i dont give a hoot about drinkers or their needs.

poet123

polejunkie wrote: »

Im toying with the idea of free soft drinks, there will be a lot of children at the reception and a lot of guests who will be driving, i dont drink either so i dont give a hoot about drinkers or their needs.

Surely all your guest deserve consideration, assuming they are all family or friends?

polejunkie

poet123 wrote: »

Surely all your guest deserve consideration, assuming they are all family or friends?

I think soft drinks are considerate enough. I know too many people who will take the p155 and ruin it for the rest of the guests.

joho

tryingtobetheperfectHW wrote: »

Bar bill was around £10,000. Granted there was part of a rugby team there, but the bar bill was probably the same amount as the wedding!!

:eek:

Yes, I can see all the negatives! Like wastage and greed and taking the p, and I can see how the bill can easily spiral out of control!

We talked about it yesterday and he is in agreement that there should be some restrictions - so no premium spirits or beers, no cocktails, no shots. And we will put a set amount behind the bar and when it is gone, it is gone.

Have to say I am surprised this generated so much discussion! But thank you to everyone for your responses. x

elvis86

I can't help but think that maybe there's a little bit of the green eyed monster going on here, with some people who perhaps couldn't afford to put on a free bar at their own wedding (probably the same people who think it's entirely acceptable to expect bridesmaids to pay for their own dresses and guests to pay for their own wedding breakfasts, so that they can have the big white wedding on a shoestring budget, rather than planning a wedding that they can actually afford!). I don't see how you can disagree with a free bar? It's not really a moral issue is it?:cool:

If the OP was asking, "I feel like I should put on a free bar, but that would mean I couldn't afford X, Y, Z", then I would absolutely encourage her to reconsider the free bar as it's not something people generally expect these days.

However, having said that, I think it's quite a nice tradition and I can completely understand why fathers of the bride especially have often wanted to do it. My grandfather did it at my parents' wedding, he was a very proud man and it meant a lot to him to do that.

If you can afford it and are happy to do it, then I say why not, it's a nice touch. If you are worried about the bill getting out of hand, then by all means adopt one of the suggestions for capping it.:)

My friends did that at their wedding in the summer, and it was absolutely fine. Everyone took their wallets to the bar and it was a nice suprise for as long as the bar staff were able to say, "it's on the tab". I don't think anyone abused it, but then I guess that depends on the kind of friends and family you have.

However, I have to say whilst I agree that issuing vouchers or putting £X behind the bar are good ideas, I think limiting guests to cheap drinks/singles kind of defeats the object. If I wanted to buy a guest a drink, and they would regularly drink a double Gordons and Tonic, then that's what I would want to buy them. I wouldn't want to buy them a single no-mark gin and tonic, iyswim?

minerva_windsong

I'd say put the amount you can afford/want to spend behind the bar and then after that limit is reached people start paying for their own, as a compromise. I used to work in a hotel that did a lot of weddings and that was probably what most people did - I certainly never worked a bar where it was entirely free, although I know that some families (including my own) would do that and my dad will insist on covering the bar bill if I ever get married.

Generally I don't think people expect a free bar all evening - I know when I've been to weddings I've always taken money to cover me for drinks and certainly never expected anything beyond maybe a glass of wine with dinner - but a free drink is always appreciated.

mirrorimage0

must just be the norm now then, my wedding was only 3 yrs ago, and i am a very frugal person so was all done in a bargain hunting way lol i saved so much on other things and even though we had nearly 200 people, i suppose its just the way i have been brought up, but i did make sure i had a venue where i could supply my own drinks so no high bar prices.

if any of my family have parties, weddings etc there is always a free bar, i did have my 30th at a clubhouse , still had a free bar and ice cream van lol but the drinks were cheaper as its a clubhouse.

Hollie84

I think tokens are a good idea like others have said.
ive never expected not to pay for drinks at a wedding how wrong is that to go to a wedding and not expect to buy your own drinks lol and saying if i have to they get less money spent on them lmao never heard anything like that,talk about tight
Only free bar i went to was a greek christening,my boss's little girls,he is majorly loaded so did a free bar think his tab was £1500 by the end but then they were ordering bottle's of jack daniel's to certain tables

BugglyB

I think free drinks are nice to a point. If there is half a bottle of wine each per guest per meal, a glass of bubbly and one free token for another drink, how much more booze does someone need? Anything above that is binge drinking and should be bought out of their own pocket, surely.

I like the idea of free soft drinks though. I went to a wedding last year where it was three quid for a coke.