The Open Bar vs. Cash Bar Debate

Everyone seems to have a very strong feeling one way or the other when it comes to the open bar versus the cash bar. The bride and groom can either pay for their guests’ drinks or have the guests pay for the drinks themselves.
Many people feel that it is wrong to invite people to a party and then expect them to pay for their own drinks. Others find it perfectly acceptable since the cost of drinks can become a huge burden for the couple to pull from their budget. So how does a couple decide between an open bar and a cash bar for their wedding?
There are the two extremes. The couple can offer a full open bar. The reception venue may add up the drinks as they are ordered or may set a specific price per person to be paid in advance. The other extreme is offering a cash only bar. Guests will need to pay for all of their own drinks regardless of what it is they are ordering. Another option is to offer an open bar during cocktail hour and dinner and a cash bar afterwards.
There is a compromise that the couple may find appealing. This is to offer a limited selection of drinks at no cost to the guest. This generally includes soft drinks, wine, and beer. If a guest wants hard liquor then they would pay for it themselves.
The debate between the cash bar and the open bar can often be divided by where the couple lives. In many places it is expected that there will be a cash bar while in other places a cash bar is highly frowned upon. It is up to the bride and groom and whoever is paying for the wedding to decide which option is best for them.
Where do you stand in the cash bar versus open bar debate? Should a couple foot the entire bill for their guests’ drinks? Is one of these more acceptable where you live? How will you handle this when the choice must be made? Or perhaps you have been to a wedding recently and you have strong feelings about their choice of a cash bar or open bar. Tell us about it and help other couples make their decision!

21 Responses to “The Open Bar vs. Cash Bar Debate”

  1. Iris says:

    I’m in the middle of planning my wedding and an facing this very decision right now. It all comes down to money and what your friends and family expect. Our friends are not drinkers, but most of our family is. Do we make our family pay? They will be doing most of the drinking, but what do they expect from us? It is a very confusing situation. We are leaning towards a cash bar. It’s not what we are into, so I don’t think we will be paying for it. Maybe a cash bar will cut down on the late night embarassing moments. People might not drink as much when they have to pay for it themselves. Good question.

  2. Misty Kay says:

    This day is about you and your new husband not what people think or trying to spend every last sent you have. cash bars are great!! you dont want to make money off your day but any kind of debt is no way to start your future. We are having a toonie bar this will cover the cost of the bar, 2$ is a very low amount compared to the 7$ you pay in a bar. This includes beer, coolers, and mixed drinks Ive been to weddings with free bars and people abuse it by being wasteful. We are also having a Not for Profit group come in to bartend our reception any of the profit will go to there organization and we feel good about it and so should our guests!!

  3. Learn PPC says:

    Learn PPC…

    ……

  4. Pet supplies amoxicillin….

    Pet supplies amoxicillin. Can you give amoxicillin to dogs. Penicillin vk vs amoxicillin. Reactions from amoxicillin….

  5. Darvocet. says:

    Darvocet 50 325mg….

    What is darvocet. Darvocet n 100. Darvocet-n. Darvocet. Darvocet r n….

  6. Zolpidem. says:

    Zolpidem fedex….

    Zolpidem….

  7. Affiliate Crunch…

    I saw this really great post today….

  8. Craig Merila says:

    i like your articles a lot and will be excited to read more

  9. 8. I was amazed to see my co-worker with really sparkling teeth yesterday. She whispered she went to the dentist to have her teeth bleached. Because of her testimonials I’m planning to visit my dentist next week to have dental bleaching as well.

  10. I’m thinking to set an schedule with my dentist tomorrow for a check-up since I’ve been experiencing from tooth sensitivity lately. I find it very painful to consume a glass of cold water which is absolutely unusual for me. I was amazed to see my officemate with really white teeth yesterday. She said she visited to the dentist to have her teeth bleached. Because of her statements I’m planning to visit my dentist Thursday to have dental bleaching as well.

  11. Bon Voyage 1000…

    I was looking for good info on %keyword% Thanks for the good info!…

  12. wedding planning…

    Wedding planning is not something that can be taken lightly. It is a serious affair that needs to be handled correctly or it could lead to a nightmare event that no one wants to remember….

  13. That is a excellent point to bring up.

  14. John Mcnroe says:

    My wife and I are thinking of spending a week together and leave the country for some bonding time. We’ve been working really hard lately and we agreed it would be good for us to have a break once in a while. Thinking about each other and our life in general made us choose to rest even for a short time.

  15. We were talking in class a painting during the Renaissance period . It was a classy painting about life in general during those times. There were people in the painting performing their daily routines and the painting was like a window of the past .

  16. My boyfriend and I were talking about our encounters and life in general. It was then when I felt how much I’m in love to him and how he feels precisely the same way for me. It was then when we planned it’s time for us to get married.

  17. I was reading a novel by Pearl S. Buck about China and life in general for the Chinese individuals in the past . It was a very fascinating novel about how the Chinese people lived their lives and about their wonderful beliefs and traditions .

  18. My relative loves to read ancient poems and literary works about life in general. She in point of fact convinced me one time to participate a poetry reading assembly and it was a wonderful experience for me because the literary works we read were a good read.

  19. When you are to have a wedding, selecting the right caterer to deal with, becomes a major task to take on.

  20. I thought about car rentals before and they prove to be an aspiring business. I talked to one of the owner and he says that although they only have few customers, the pay would be something that can support the entire business. If you own one car rental that it is sure to make a good amount of profit.It is a good thing for you to have chosen to go with car rentals. It’s one option to consider if you don’t have a personal car yet. If you are hesitant to ask a friend to borrow his car then this would be best option. You can be secure plus you won’t have second thoughts to use it since you are paying good amount of money for it.Car rentals have spread in our town. These are for people who does not have a personal car. Of course people got to places and some see that it’s more convenient to just rent a car than commuting. Instead of paying for the fair, they are more willing to just pay it as rent and have the car.

  21. My friend has a small business on car rentals and he enjoys the idea having it. Part of his business is also cleaning small parts of cars. He has become more thriving than ever with his business and it has really help him a lot.Car rentals are one of the best business trends offered that I find amusing so far. I can’t help thinking about cars being borrowed by people you barely know. Although it is a good business, it is rather risky for me since I am a kind of person who his profit.My father used to refuse the idea of renting a car from a car rental. He would say that it is an unsafe idea since it is not our personal car that we would be renting and using. Although we would be paying for the car, he would still refuse to ride it.

Leave a Reply