BUSINESS DIRECTORY
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Serving alcohol at your reception can be a contentious and expensive decision. Do you have an open bar which can be very expensive and will be used and abused by some guests, or perhaps have a cash bar which some people might suggest is not very polite? This page discusses the various option available to you and the pros and cons of each.

Open Bar

The most expensive option. Most guests will love you for it, but will your wallet? Open bars lead to a lot of waste and some very intoxicated guests, which these days is not a good idea as you may be legally responsible for the drunken state of your guests.

Alternative ideas are:

• Have an open bar for the first hour and then pay as you go.

• Put some money over the bar and all drinks are free and until your money runs out.

• Supply standard beer, standard wine and non-alcoholic beverages. Other beverages can be bought from the bar.

Tray Service

The waitstaff pass around selections of drinks, generally wine and beer, on a tray and offer them to your guests free of charge. This is cheaper than an open bar as the servers do not come around with drinks all night, but serve them at pre-defined intervals such as on arrival at the reception venue, before dinner, before the speeches...... Additional drinks can be purchased by guests at the bar.

Wine Only

Purchase a set number of bottles of wine for the night to be placed on each table. Allow 2-3 drinks per adult to cover the nights proceedings, remembering that a typical bottle of wine holds approximately 5 glasses. Some people will want more so additional drinks should be available for purchase from the bar.

Set up your own Bar

A little more work is involved but you can save a lot of money by supplying your own alcohol. You know your guests tastes better than us but here are some general tips for setting up your own bar:

• Allow 4-5 standard drinks per person

• One bottle of wine for the wine connoisseurs

• A 750 ml bottle of spirits provides 25 standard drinks

• Purchase a couple of kegs rather than many cartons of various beers. You will save a lot of money.

• Consider hiring a bar from your caterer or party hire business.

• Make sure you supply non-alcoholic beverages for the non drinkers or those who need to sober up.

For a checklist of items required to set your own bar, Click Here.

For a complete list of caterers in your local area, click here.

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