When it comes to your wedding bar and the type of alcohol you serve, you have several options: full bar, beer + wine + signature cocktails, beer & wine only, or no alcohol at all. Let’s examine these one by one, beginning with the easiest and working our way up to the most complicated.

Option 1: Serve no alcohol at all

This option is really only common among some religious groups, such as Muslims, who abstain from alcohol altogether in daily life. In these cases, most of the guests are probably also of the same religion, and it’s fine to not serve alcohol. Some guests might even be offended if alcohol is available.

The no-alcohol approach is not recommended if most of your guests are drinkers but you and your fiancé(e) are not. In that case, as a gracious host, you will still want to have some alcoholic beverages available. Let’s be honest: weddings are more fun and entertaining when people have a little alcohol. Not to the point where things get out of hand, but enough to ensure a good time. Your guests are more likely to dance and have fun after a drink or two.

TL;DR here’s the video version

Option 2: Beer & wine only

This is a great option if you are on a tight budget. Beer and wine are less expensive than liquor, and there are ways to stretch your budget further if you’re providing the alcohol yourself. (More on that later.)

With beer, you can get more bang for your buck (or “beer for your buck,” if you will) by purchasing kegs. You just have to be careful with quantities, because you don’t want to have beer left in the keg at the end of the night. You also need to be sure that your venue/caterer/bartender has the capability of serving from kegs. They do require some special equipment, and also space.

Wine can be purchased in large-format bottles called magnums, which hold 1.5 liters of wine (as opposed to a standard bottle of wine, which is 750 ml). Each magnum will provide 10 glasses of wine, and it can be more economical to purchase wine by the magnum. Keep in mind though that not all wine is bottled in magnums, so your options might be limited there.

Option 3: Beer + wine + signature cocktails

Signature cocktails are a great way to incorporate some liquor into your wedding bar without going crazy and breaking the bank. In most cases, the couple will choose two signature cocktails: a “his and hers” or “groom’s and bride’s.” (Or “hers and hers” or “his and his,” depending on the couple.)

The signature cocktail allows you to personalize your wedding and share your favorite cocktail with your guests. If you want to give your guests a bit more variety, you can do as many as four signature cocktails. If your venue has restrictions on liquor, you might have to limit yourselves to just one signature cocktail. This is a question to ask during the venue tour if the bar is important to you!

Option 4: Full bar

This option gives your guests the most options when it comes to drinking. But it’s also the most complicated for you to put together if you’re bringing in all the alcohol to your wedding venue.

Imagine having to purchase and bring in vodka, gin, tequila, mezcal, Irish whiskey, Scotch whisky, Tennessee whiskey, Bourbon, Canadian whiskey, cognac, brandy and more. Not to mention all the necessary mixers and fruit garnishes. And if you want to offer more than one brand of gin or vodka, well that all starts to add up fast!

A full bar only makes sense if you are getting married in a venue that provides the catering and bar service in-house: a hotel, a country club, or some other sort of inclusive venue. They already have all the liquor in stock and available. Your guests can order what they want, and the venue will simply charge you based on consumption. You don’t have to guess in advance what people are going to want to drink. And you don’t have to worry about having too much or too little of any particular liquor.

Service Options

Besides choosing what type of alcohol to serve at your wedding, you also have to figure out how it will be served, and by whom.

If your wedding venue is a hotel, country club, or other inclusive venue, you don’t have to do much of anything! They provide all the liquor, wine, beer, mixers, garnishes, ice, cocktail napkins, and drink stirrers, plus the staff to serve. 

All you have to do is decide which brand-level of spirits you want to offer your guests. “Well” is the entry-level brand. “Call” is the next step up. “Premium” is the top-shelf brand. The venue will give you examples of which brands fall into each level. Prices per drink will be higher for “call” and “premium.”

If you’ve hired a full-service caterer (meaning they set your tables, provide food and waitstaff, and clean up at the end of the night), they probably can also provide bar services. In some cases, they will provide all the alcohol and charge you per drink or per bottle. Or you might be able to provide the alcohol, and they will provide the staff. Check with both your caterer and your venue if you want to provide the alcohol yourself—some of them have limitations on this.

If you’re providing all the alcohol, they may also want you to provide all the mixers and garnishes as well, or they might have a discounted price for those items. You can definitely save money by buying your own alcohol, even if you’re paying retail price for it. But it can be worth your time and money to pay the caterers to provide the mixers and garnishes. It’s definitely worth it for them to provide the ice, if they will. See below.

If your caterer does not provide bar services, you can hire bartenders separately. Many rental companies have bars that you can rent for your wedding—these work better for outdoor venues, but can be used indoors if necessary.

When you hire separate bartenders, it’s expected that you will provide everything they need: all the alcohol, mixers, garnishes, and ice. Here in Northern California, the mobile bar has become popular the past couple of years. These are usually old horse trailers that have been refurbished and turned into bars. They are known as “dry hire” bars, meaning they provide service but you provide the alcohol.

A note about ice

If at all possible, have your bartenders provide the ice. You need a ridiculous amount of ice for a wedding. The rule of thumb is one pound per guest. So if you’re having 150 guests at your wedding, you need 150 pounds of ice. That’s 30 5-pound bags. It’s a lot!

Ice is used in many cocktails, but it’s also used to chill white wines, sparkling wine, beer, soda, and water. You need a lot of ice to fill those buckets or tubs. If you’re getting married outdoors in the summer, the ice will melt quickly and have to be replenished often. Always, always buy more ice than you think you will need!

A big wedding bar no-no

Whatever option you choose, do NOT, under any circumstances, have a cash bar. This is completely socially unacceptable. You’ve invited people to be your guests at your wedding. You wouldn’t charge them for their dinner. Why would you charge them for alcohol? If budget is a concern, serve less alcohol (cut out the signature cocktails, or limit the times for the bar) or invite fewer people. But do not charge people to come to your wedding. Just don’t.