Don’t worry, you don’t have to select the stock to be carried by the bar, however there is a decision to be made as to whether or not you want to fund it as part of the celebrations. Ok, this decision is only for a very select few – for most of us it won’t even cross our minds and if asked the answer would be a swift “no”.
However, if you are considering providing a free bar for your guests weigh up the potential cons – many more of your guests will get excessively drunk (not a good thing!), some of your slightly more jealous guests will think you are being showy, and some will, unthinkingly, get a drink put it down when they nip to the toilet and then get a fresh one from the bar.
Very few guests would ever expect to see a free-bar at a wedding and many expect to pay the slightly hiked prices applicable to hotels and many reception venues. However, many couples worry about the cost of their guests drinks on the evening when selecting exclusive venues, if this is you and you do have a little spare cash, speak to the venue about arranging a “subsidised” bar.
Agree an amount upfront to offset the cost of your guest’s drinks against and agree a percentage of the cost of the drinks you wish to cover. For example a 50% subsidised bar, with the average cost of a drink at say £4, a £1000 kitty would buy 100 guests 5 drinks each. It isn’t advisable to inform your guests upfront that it is subsidised as they may up their consumption early in the night so that they get more than their fair share of the kitty. A devious bunch, aren’t they!
Your venue will be able to inform a designated member of your wedding party when the kitty is almost exhausted so that they can act on your behalf (with your prior agreement) to add to the kitty (or not). A reputable venue will be able to show you till rolls showing the totals spent at the bar and will refund any remaining funds to you after the day.
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