Want To Serve Alcohol At Your Wedding Without Burning A Hole In Your Wallet? Here Are 6 Ways You Can Save Cash On Your Cocktails
Once you have survived the ceremony anxiety and officially tied the knot with your partner, there is no better feeling than kicking back and sipping on an ice-cold drink with your guests.
If you opt to serve alcohol at your wedding, the beverages can really shape the atmosphere of your event– encouraging your loved ones to let loose and celebrate your nuptials.
While many couples want alcohol to be a part of their wedding festivities, though, the drinks can put a serious dent in your wallet. This is especially true if you host an open bar and allow guests to order unlimited beverages.
In fact, wine, beer, and liquors generally account for between eight and 20 percent of your overall wedding budget.
So, according to Event Planning, alcohol alone could cost you approximately $4,500 for a wedding of 150 people– assuming each person drinks an average of six drinks over a six-hour event.
Obviously, this figure will vary depending on the location of your venue, the size of your guest list, how long you actually serve alcohol, and what kind of beverages are available.
Still, your alcohol expenses do not have to leave you feeling totally hungover following your big day. Instead, there are actually a few key ways you can save money on your wedding drinks without sacrificing any of the fun.
Forego The Pre-Ceremony Cheers
While you and your bridesmaids get ready to grace the aisle, you may want to offer a pre-ceremony welcome drink to your arriving guests.
LIGHTFIELD STUDIOS – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only, not the actual people
Don’t get me wrong: this is a very nice gesture that can encourage guests to mingle and set the tone for the event.
Honestly, though, alcohol is typically such a critical part of the reception that pre-ceremony drinks are just unnecessary. And opting to skip this gesture can save you a ton of cash.
Plus, if you really want to offer your guests a drink without putting a huge hole in your wallet, you can provide non-alcoholic beverages like fruit-infused water, iced tea, or lemonade.
B.Y.O.B
While you search for your ideal venue, be sure to settle on one that lets you bring your own liquor. This is a great way to avoid paying pesky markup fees– which can be significant.
On top of that, bringing your own booze allows you to hunt for bargains or even buy in bulk– saving you even more money.
Finally, after the wedding, any unopened bottles can also be returned to make sure you only pay for what your guests really drink.
Stick With Signature Cocktails
You may be dead set on an open bar, and that’s totally okay. After all, this setup saves guests time and money by allowing them to forego bill paying and focus on celebrating.
Keep in mind that you don’t have to go “all out” to have a great open bar, though. Instead, you can actually limit drink offerings to save a lot of dough.
So, instead of offering everything under the sun, limit the drinks to two “his” and “hers” signature cocktails. Do you love rosé, martinis, or a good old-fashioned mojito? Throw a fun twist on the name, and call it your signature!
The same goes for your beau– who might enjoy a whiskey sour, Moscow mule, or an old-fashioned.
Whatever floats your boat is perfectly okay and can save you a lot of expenses in the end.
Don’t Miss Out On Mocktails
Non-alcoholic drinks will always cost less. At the same token, it’s important to keep in mind that not every guest will want to indulge in alcohol anyway.
So, offering mocktails can be a great way to both lower your tab and accommodate all of your loved ones.
You can stick with standard beverages– like juices and canned sodas. But you can also get creative without breaking the bank by creating fun mocktails like Shirley gingers or baby bellinis.
Schedule Liquor Service
If you really want a complete open bar, you can limit the amount of time alcohol is actively served.
There are a few different ways to achieve this. First, you could only serve signature cocktails and offer an open bar during cocktail hour.
Then, for the rest of your reception, you can opt to offer only beer or wine to save on liquor costs.
On the flip side, you could have an open bar for the first half of your reception before closing up shop after dinner. Then, offer coffee and other hot beverages with dessert.
Any way you choose to slice it, even closing down your bar just one hour earlier can make a large difference in your tab.
Skip The Champagne Toast
Toasting to the newlyweds is a classic, yet pricey, tradition. After all, pouring a fresh glass of champagne for every one of your guests is a surefire way to rack up a considerable bill in a matter of minutes.
So, if you still want to make a toast without the hefty price tag, you can skip the champagne and just have your guests clink their glasses with whatever beverage they are already drinking.
Or, if you still really want to serve champagne, you can opt to purchase a more budget-friendly brand of bubbly.
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