How broke will I look if I give my guests drink tickets? We're struggling college students with 2 children

Question

With a bartender presented with unlimited drink selection

First Hour $12.00

Each Additional Hour $5.00

First Hour $

Each Additional Hour

Cash Bar

Liquor, Beer and Wine by the Drink Paid by Guest

House Brands $5.25

Premium Brands $5.25 to $6.25

Domestic Beer $3.25

Imported Beer $4.00

House Red and White Wine $4.50

Soft Drinks $2.00

Pat O’Brien’s Specialty Drinks $5.25 to $6.50

Drink Tickets

Limited Drink Ticket $5.00 plus service charge per ticket

Premium Drink Ticket $6.00 plus service charge per ticket

Which is best? Which will look the best? Which is less expensive over a 4 hour period? I'm new at this!!!

Answer 1

Dizzy Lizzy is right. One of the biggest gripes by wedding guests is having to pay for food/beverages at a wedding they've been invited to. They've already traveled and/or bought gifts... they don't expect to have to pay for someone else's celebration as well.

If the budget simply won't allow alcohol, don't serve it. People will not die if they can't have booze.

What a lot of brides in this situation do is have soft drinks, coffee, punch and so forth, but when it comes time for the toast, have single glasses of champagne ready - enough for each guest to have one. It's a gracious way to do the toast "properly" (although ginger ale is just fine too) without infringing on the pocketbooks of the guests.

Hope this helps!

Answer 2

Heres what a friend of ours did- They had the first hour as open bar.  It was announced and it was also announced that after that it becomes a cash bar.  Ask about this.  No one cared and everyone had a great time.  People won't think you are stingy for it.  I'm sure they realize very well what it cost to have a wedding and the importance of saving money!  Congrats!

Answer 3

I know that you are probably on a budget and that I will probably get a heap of thumbs down for this...I have never ever heard of drink tickets at a wedding. I honesty think its a little much to expect of your guests. You can't really invite them to share you day and expect them to be out of pocket. Where are you having your wedding and what food is being served? If you pick on tap beer, a house wines and softdrink, then for 50 people, it shouldn't be too expensive. Especially if you ask the waiters to serve the drinks at the table rather than having your guests get them themselves from the bar. I think having spirits at bar prices is more than reasonable though. Any chance your family ouldn' mind helping you out as a wedding gift by splitting the tab between them perhaps?  

Answer 4

Keep it simple.

Non alcoholic open bar.

Cash bar for alcohol.

That way you are not totally out of pocket for those who like to booze, and no need to feel guilty if someone does get sloshed and acts like an idiot.

Honestly, you are dishing out thousands of dollars already for some awesome FOOD, MUSIC, and DANCING, and other entertainment (you saying your vows, the attire, etc etc).  You do not need to dish out money for alcohol.  So either have a cash bar for alcohol, or make it alcohol free.  Its just the alcohol that is a cash bar, as sodas/tea/etc are open bar.  Anyone who complains has come for the wrong reasons.

Answer 5

This isn’t meant to insult you. I just don’t understand who came up with the idea that you can invite your friends to a party and then ask them to pay for their own refreshments.  Can you imagine if we did this elsewhere in life? What if your kid went to a birthday party and had to pay for his slice of cake?  

I am not kidding you when I say that people will remember having to pay for their own drinks more than anything else about your wedding.  People come to have a good time, and your goal should be to give it to them.  Are you committed to this venue or can you still shop around? I made my choice of locations based on what I could afford. Having an open bar wasn’t negotiable for me so I made sure to choose a spot where I could take care of my guests.  

Answer 6

We need to know how many guests you are having?

Answer 7

It is up to you what you can afford to do for your guests, the tickets sound confusing though.

I like the idea of the open bar for the first hour and cash after that. This gives guests some refreshment and does not make you pay for people to get trashed. Also, the open non-alcohol bar would be a good idea, and not overly expensive.

I was at a baby shower for my cousin and was disgusted by the cash bar! 3 bucks for a coke! And it was a pot-luck dinner! And my birthday! LOL, i digress. At the same cousin's wedding I was not surprised by the cash bar, but I did not drink. The caterer provided water and coffee, which was fine. I don't really think the tickets or cash-bar is overly cheap. If each guest gets a ticket, then the non-drinkers can give theirs away!

Answer 8

have them pay for all their alcoholic drinks.

You have enough to worry about on that day.

Answer 9

What a lot of people are doing now days is putting a one or two "drink tickets" in each invitation. These can be redeemed at the bar for a drink, anything else they have to pay for.  

Answer 10

Skip the open bar, and only offer wine and beer. Seriously. This can save you an incredible amount of money. If you still want liquor, create a special drink (using only vodka and mixers, or something like it), and only serve that drink with your wine and beer.

Don't do the cash bar - it's kinda tacky to invite people to your wedding, and make them pay for it (when they're already buying a gift, a new outfit, and spending the gas to get there).