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Alcohol at a wedding is almost as necessary as the bride and groom. It's time to party, which means it's time to drink! Every wedding budget has alcohol on its list, but it's hard to figure out how much alcohol you need for a good time.
I attended three weddings in August, and at every event, the wedding party had more than a few bottles of booze to get rid of by the end of the night. One wedding I took home a case of wine, a twelve-pack of beer and a pound of cheese squares, which I later gave to my dog. That's pretty sweet swag for a wedding guest, but it's a total budget waster.
Don't over spend on alcohol at your wedding. The last thing you want is to give out leftover champagne as an extra bridesmaid gift.
Tips to Shorten the Bar Tab
Besides forcing your guests to pay for their drinks, here are some traditional options for serving alcohol at a wedding:
Beer and wine: The cheapest option around. It might be a small selection, but it's enough to make you bridesmaids and your groomsmen happy.
The Full Bar: Normally, this works by using the bar at the reception area, and picking up your guest's tab at the end of the night, but you can sometimes supply the bar yourself. Having a full service bar at a wedding cost more because you need to pay for:
- A liquor license/bartender - If a caterer looks over the bar, he must have a liquor license. Otherwise, you must contact a liquor-licensed dealer.
- An assortment of liquor - Vodka, Whiskey, Gin, Tequila, Rum, and Brandy. It's possible to purchase a bottle of each, with essential mixers for around $200. Add a touch of class to your drinks with Personalized Martini Glasses
Beer and wine with a "signature drink": Give your guests a little more variety with a signature mix drink of your choice. By choosing only one drink, you'll cut down on wasted ingredients and liquor, and you might be able to get around purchasing a liquor license. I think that mojitos taste like summer, but other appropriate signature wedding drinks are whiskey sours, gin and tonics or margaritas.
Calculate your wedding costs
After you figure out your bar menu, Evite uses your guest list to calculate how many bottles you'll need to party the night away without going over budget.
Tell Evite the amount of heavy, normal or light drinkers attending the event, as well as the amount of time the event should take. In the example below, I said 75 people would attend an event where I serve beer, wine and alcohol.
Even if you do go over budget on alcohol at your wedding, most liquor stores accept unopened bottles for a full refund. Do your guest list math and you'll party smart at your wedding!
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