How to Save Money on Bar Service at Your Wedding

Limit the hours and the types of alcohol

By Cynthia Myers

Photo by iStockphoto.com

Food and drink are not only an important part of a wedding reception, but also often the most expensive part. With careful planning and a few tips, you can offer your guests appropriate alcoholic beverages while remaining within your budget.

• What You Need to Know
• The best way to save money on your bar service is to know what you want - and what you don't want to pay for. Create a short list of which services and alcohols you want to serve and a list of items you're willing to part with. That way you're armed with a game plan when it comes to negotiations with either the reception venue, the caterer or the liquor store.
• Determine who long you want to serve alcohol both before and after the dinner. Limiting the cocktail hour and the length of the drinking after the dinner can save you money.

Step 1:

Decide on your liquor menu. Limiting guest's choices will save you money and will speed up service at the bar. Offer a few basic soft drinks, a red and a white wine beer, and a few basic liquors and mixers. To save the most money, skip the hard liquor altogether and offer only beer and wine. Or choose a signature wedding cocktail as the only mixed drink available. It's fun to have a drink that will remind you and your guests of your wedding. And it can be economical, too.

Step 2:

Save labor. Instead of individual mixed drinks, opt for a drink fountain or a margarita machine. This is a great way to serve a signature cocktail, too. Have waiters walk around serving serve signature cocktails or wine to avoid long lines at the bar. This will allow you to use a single bar and bartender instead of multiple stations.

Step 3:

Buy it yourself. If your venue allows it, buying liquor yourself and hiring a bartender to serve it can save you money. And when it comes to the wine, you have more control over serving the vintage you want. Buy liquor from a store that will allow you to return unopened cases or bottles.

Step 4:

Buy in bulk. When serving wine with dinner, serve in carafes on the table instead of individual bottles. This will allow you to buy less expensive boxed wine. With beer, opt for a keg instead of cans or bottles. Serve soft drinks from cans instead of 2-liter bottles. You'll have less waste and can use the unopened cans later.

Step 5:

Consider serving champagne for a toast only. Champagne will probably be the most expensive drink you serve at your reception. Even the lowest-priced Champagnes and sparkling wines can cost more than mixed drinks. Or offer a Champagne-based punch.

• Tips & Warnings
• Place the carafes of wine on the table with the food, not before. Otherwise, your guests will drink while waiting for the food and you may run out of wine.
• For the toast, serve nonalcoholic sparkling cider to those who do not drink. This will cut down your Champagne costs.
• Serve a single wine with dinner instead of multiple choices for each course.
• Have waiters walk around with trays of Champagne glasses rather than having an open bar for the cocktail hour.