Sure you want your guests to enjoy themselves at your wedding

reception, but if you don’t want to break the bank or the law here’s what

you will need to know, including how to calculate how much to buy.

Unquestionably, one of the hottest topics that must be dealt with when

planning a wedding reception is whether to have an open bar or a cash

bar. Why does this particular topic tend to be so controversial?

Well, for one thing, some people will tell you that it would be rude to

invite guests to your reception, then ask them to pay for their own drinks.

On the other hand, an open bar—at which your guests drink for free,

perhaps into the wee hours of the morning if they last that long—could

leave you with a bill that will forever remain etched in your memory.

Both points of view are well taken. It’s true that one wouldn’t ordinarily

invite people to dinner or a party with the expectation that they will pay

for what you serve. But it is equally true that people tend to be overly

indulgent, not to mention downright wasteful, with alcohol they aren’t

paying for. They will take a sip or two, set their glass down and begin

talking, then walk away. Later, instead of returning for their glass, they

will head for the bar to order yet another drink. So, what’s the answer?

Options, Anyone

There really isn’t a correct answer, but there are options. You could:

*Serve free champagne punch. Since it is relatively light in terms of

alcohol content, your guests aren’t as likely to become obnoxious, even

if they’ve had more than their fair share.

*Have an open bar for the first hour or two. This approach will prevent

you from feeling, and looking, like a cheapskate but will allow you to

keep your bank account in the black.

*Have each table set to include the allocated bottles of wine or

champagne. For example, a table seating six to eight people might be

decked with two bottles of wine or champagne. Since you can expect

each bottle to hold between 4 and six glassfuls, everyone will have one

to two glasses for dinner and the toast. (Obviously, you will want to have

the toast as early as possible to avoid an embarrassing situation in

which guests will be forced to hold up empty glasses.)

*Use the open-and-shut-case approach. This requires purchasing beer

kegs or cases of good-quality beer, plus several cases of good-quality

wine. Since you have purchased the supply in advance, you will

determine just how much is being spent on drinks.

For guests who insist upon drinking until the cows come home or would

like something stronger, make a cash bar available.

*Have waiters and waitresses serve drinks from a tray. This approach is

not only stylish, it is also quite cost effective because you remain in

control of how much is consumed.

Choose a few different drinks to be served, including beer and wine.

Then have the staff circulate throughout the reception area at

pre-scheduled intervals. Perhaps the waiters and waitresses might offer

drinks when the reception starts, then just before or during dinner, then a

few times later in the evening but not throughout the night. With tray

service, you guest will not pay for their drinks, but this will still be a lot

cheaper than having an open bar.

At-home Receptions

If you are planning to have your reception in a home or backyard and

you will not be using a caterer, here is what you will need to know.

In this situation, a cash bar is simply not one of the available choices. It

is against the law to sell alcohol without a liquor license. (You wouldn’t

want to spend your honeymoon in the pokey.)

If the home is not equipped with one, you will need a rented bar (or a

sturdy table or two, dressed to the floor or ground with linen). Plan to

stock the bar or table(s) with beer, vodka, rum, whiskey, tequila, cordials

(liqueur), brandy, gin, wine, sparkling juice, and possibly punch.

Offering a sparkling white wine is also nice. If you are planning to serve

champagne (Although only a sparkling white wine made in the

Champagne region of France can be truly called champagne, people

often refer to any bubbly by that name.), expect to pay more. A decent

bottle (You will only disappoint the true connoisseur, and they are a

dying breed.) will cost between $10 and $12 and will serve seven to

eight glasses. Even at these prices per bottle, you may want to reserve it

for the toast.

Borrow or shop for a bartender’s guide (Mr. Boston Deluxe Official

Bartender’s Guide, for example). For your mixologist, you might also

stock such things as lemons, limes, celery, maraschino cherries, and

olives. You’ll also want to have soda water, tonic water, sparkling water,

coke, ginger ale, and a few other soft drinks, plus swizzle sticks and

cocktail napkins. Last, but not least, remember to have an ample supply

of ice (crushed and cubed) on hand.

Standard Guidelines for Consumption

Expect each guest to have four to five drinks at the reception. You’ll get

twenty-five drinks from a fifth of liquor, providing you’re using a

one-ounce pony to make them with one ounce of alcohol each. Using

one and a half ounces of alcohol (that is, a one-and-a-half-ounce jigger),

you’ll get eighteen drinks per fifth of alcohol. A single case of alcohol

contains twelve bottles. Assuming that you’re using one ounce of

alcohol to make every drink, then one case will yield 300 drinks.

If you would like to serve beer on tap, half a keg will yield 260

eight-ounce glasses of beer. Seven cases of beer will yield the same

amount.

With regard to unopened bottles of alcohol, don’t be too concerned

about over stocking. It is better to have too much, rather than not

enough. Besides, unopened bottles of alcohol can usually be returned

to the store.

The Law and Your Liability

Needless to say, it is against the law to serve alcohol to anyone under

the legal drinking age. The sobering fact is that courts have consistently

ruled that restaurants, caterers, and hosts are financially liable when

minors who are served alcohol are injured, become involved in a car

accident, or break the law.

You can also be held liable for an adult who suffers an injury, become

involved in a car accident, or step outside of the law after drinking too

much in your home. Caterers and restaurants are subject to the same

liability.

Your best protection against legal liability involving alcohol is to plan

ahead and react sensibly. If your reception is to be catered, discuss a

plan of action with the caterer before hand. He or she undoubtedly will

cooperate.

Avoid serving salty foods since they make people thirsty. Foods high in

protein—such as meat, fish, eggs, and cheese—will help to keep your

guests sober.

Once a person is drunk, it’s too late to reach for the pot of coffee. Giving

your happy drunk coffee will only make him or her hyper and jittery. If

you need to sober someone up, try to get the person to drink water,

which will dilute the alcohol in their system and flush it out.

By no means, let that person drive—no matter what they say. Instead,

call for a taxi or find another driver to take the person home.

About the Author

Jean Bachcroft is a former public relations director, founder of Bachcroft

and Aloha Labels, and the publisher and editor-in-chief of Town and

Country Shopping Bargains Magazine. For designer wedding, holiday,

and year-round mailing and return address

labels, visit Bachcroft Mailing and Return Address

Labels and

Aloha Return Address Labels

For

bargains and

bargain shopping articles, visit Town and Country Shopping

Bargains.