When planning your wedding day, you’ll need to decide who is paying for the drinks. Will you provide a free ‘Open’ bar? Or will guests buy their own drinks? It’s often a topic of debate between the couple but more so, from the wider family! Even for our own wedding it was a hot topic and it was eventually our Best Man who encouraged us to run a subsidised bar.
Key Points;
- During UK Weddings it is the norm to provide a welcome drink, wine and water with the meal and a toast drink with a cash bar for guests to purchase alternative drinks and their own drinks in to the evening
- Cash Bars or any exchange of money for drinks will require a premises license or Temporary Events Notice (TEN)
- Communicate beforehand that guess will purchase their own drinks
In our experience, in the UK, couples will very rarely have an ‘Open Bar’ for their wedding. The norm for a wedding would be providing your guests with a welcome drink, ensure that you cater for non alcoholic options, and not just with orange juice and some table drinks. It is common to provide table wine and water for your guests and open the bar alongside this so guests can get alternative drinks if required, whether this is paid for by themselves, or by the host.
It is still tradition to provide a glass of bubbly for toast during the wedding breakfast, however we have found that so much of this gets wasted, especially if you are having a toast towards the end of the wedding breakfast. We suggest providing the additional toast drink during the welcome drinks/reception and holding your speeches and toast before you are seated. This is also helpful for people who are nervous to enjoy their meal and relax with a drink if they wish. In this instance, do allow a good amount of time for the speech before your wedding breakfast so that the caterer can run to your timings and not be caught out by an over enthusiast long speech. You can also ask guests to ‘charge your glass’ for the speeches with their own choice from the bar or table drinks. You could also make the toast fun and personal providing something that means something to you such as Baby Guinness Shooters or Limoncello.
What is an Open Bar?
An Open Bar is when your hosts cover the cost of all drinks throughout the wedding or event whether this is reception drinks, table wine, toast or any other drinks served over the bar. As a mobile bar company, Sip ‘n’ Swig operate a bar tab so the hosts will prepay the minimum spend required, then any further spend is kept as a running tab, which is available to check at any time during the event, which is invoiced following or cleared at the end of the event.
What is a Cash Bar?
A Cash Bar is when guests pay for their own drinks from the bar. This can be via cash or card payment. Sip ‘n’ Swig operate with a minimum spend so after you have paid the booking fee for our mobile bar services and travel cost if relevant, guests will then purchase their own drinks to reach a minimum spend. If this amount is not reached, the hosts would cover any shortfall. The cost of staff, glassware, ice, garnishes etc. is all covered within the price of the drink with the minimum spend ensuring that this is covered and that there are no additional costs to you. We do take a damage deposit that covers broken and missing glasses for example.
Most couples choose to communicate that it will be a cash bar within the invitation or wedding website.
What if I just want to pay for some of the drinks?
You could provide all your guests with a drink token or two, these can also be made and personalised for you or using our Sip ‘n’ Swig Wooden Drink Tokens. You could choose that these only cover beer, wine and soft drinks or even just cocktails to have some control over the costs.
You could also put a set amount behind the bar and once this has gone, guests have to purchase their own drinks. Similarly you could say that you would cover the cost of wine, beer or soft drinks but guests would purchase their own spirits, cocktails or shooters.
A subsidised bar can also work well where your guests pay half price for all drinks and you cover the other half so for example a guest pays £3 a pint and you pay £3. This is calculated by just doubling the bar spend at the end of the night.
Another option alongside the expected provided drinks and cash bar is to offer a Cocktail Hour, you could have a timed window of free cocktails such as an Espresso Martini hour or His and Her Cocktails.
What if I want to provide the Reception and Wedding Breakfast Drinks?
Sip ‘n’ Swig can offer staff to serve your provided drinks during the Wedding Reception, Welcome Drinks and Wedding Breakfast Wine. We often keep the bar open during this time also. We only offer this service alongside the evening bar and we always stock the bar ourselves. In this case, Sip ‘n’ Swig do not provide any glassware, ice, garnishes etc for the drinks we have not provided.
What are the Pros and Cons of a Cash Bar?
Cash Bar Pros
- Expected at UK Weddings in 2025 and beyond
- Less chance of over indulgence
- Budget friendly
- Guests can purchase the drinks that they want
Cash Bar Cons
- Some guests may not expect to pay for their own drinks – limit this by communicating beforehand
- Can’t guarantee guests will hit the minimum spend required
- Decision can cause friction between couple or wider family who may wish to cater for all their guests throughout the whole day and evening
What are the pros and cons of an Open Bar?
Open Bar Pros
- Guests are likely to stay longer
- Guests are hosted throughout, feels generous and considered
Open Bar Cons
- Hard to manage budget and predict final spend
- Drink choices may need to be limited to allow budget control
- Guests can over indulge and over order with potential wastage (this can be managed by good bar staff)
Licence
If alcohol is being served at your wedding, you are likely to require a Temporary Events Notice (TEN)
