Providing a free bar

nimbo

I'm hoping to do a booze run to France. IF my mother or step father will drive. As I can't drive in France.

Then I'll suggest maybe bring a bottle - but depending on budget may not need to. We'll be using a village hall (or something similar) to get married in though.

nimbo

I've just spoken to my partner.

We're considering a local hall that a friend is his used years ago as a venue. Apparently he load on a fair bit of booze. However as he'd married in a hall which was known to have no bar facility many people bought a bottle of something. So he ended up having a load of booze left over to drink up.

My partner may well wish to buy a barrel of ale of a local brewwmer friend of his as he'll lend him the pumps etc for free. I don't want to go too mad as I'm not planning on inviting many people and the whole thing seems to be getting bigger by the day ��

People may do something like that without being asked?

skintpaul

see if OP can negotiate some reduced prices, then put £x behind the bar to cover a couple of drinks each-

or give vouchers for same to each guest- up to them after this, how much they spend..

I would not expect bride and groom to pay for the venue, meal etc, AND all booze on top!

DD265

A couple I know posted something about people who received their invites will also have received a request for £20-25 if they were drinking, to allow a free bar to be provided.

I'm not sure how that works, tbh.

What I would say is don't forget the non-alcoholic drinks

I wouldn't take the risk of a free bar as lord knows what it'll end up costing (and we aren't providing our own booze) but if we can afford it, we'll put a tab behind or drinks on the table etc. We'll probably do this for the "cocktail hour" and ask the venue to let us know when we're nearing a certain limit so we can decide whether to continue offering paid for drinks or not.

Interestingly enough I'm on a wedding forum where the users are predominantly in the US, and there is absolute outrage whenever a cash bar is suggested.

Pollycat

DD265 wrote: »

A couple I know posted something about people who received their invites will also have received a request for £20-25 if they were drinking, to allow a free bar to be provided.

I'm not sure how that works, tbh.

I don't think it works at all.

How can anyone ask for up to £25 from guests and then announce they're providing a 'free' bar?
It's nonsense! :rotfl:

Rytta

This sounds awful, a bucket to put "donations" in. If it's a free bar a suggest you put a few bottles of wine and spirits on each table with lots of mixers and let guests help themselves.

arbrighton

Buy what you/ couple feel you can afford for people

If no option to buy other drinks there, state so on invite and ask people to BYOB

It's not a 'free' bar if there's a donation bucket and someone has to sit by the bucket to make sure it doesn't empty itself.....

parking_question_chap

Could you set up your own bar, but perhaps just charge 50% of the drinks value?

Just say to guests there is a cash only bar?

Keep it nice and simple with one kind of red and white wine, larger and cider purchased in bulk?

Owain_Moneysaver

If you set up your own bar you will need an alcohol sales licence. This may include if you ask for 'donations'. You might also need to arrange with the venue about glass hire and whether this includes glass collection/washing.

Do one or both of limited supplies of free drink on the tables, or a voucher system so people can get a free drink or two from a limited menu. Remember you can make a little alcohol go a long way in spritzers and punches.

Gloomendoom

We had free bar at our wedding. It was one of my "must haves" after attending too many weddings where the venue, in my view, grossly overcharged for drinks. Our guests weren't asked to pay or donate anything.

We sourced the wine: 100 bottles each of red, white and fizz, cheaply from France. Beer and cider was bought and stockpiled in the months leading up to the wedding whenever we saw it on offer. Soft drinks and tea were available for non-drinkers and children. The only thing we didn't provide were spirits. If anybody wanted those, they were forewarned to bring their own.