6 Tips To Save You $$ On Your Wedding Bar
With the national average cost for a full open wedding bar at over $7,000 (yikes!), it makes sense for couples tying the knot to look for ways to save on their wedding bar. Luckily, we have 7 great tips that could save you hundreds or thousandsof dollars on your wedding bar!
1. Buy the alcohol yourself- There is a reason certain venues and catering companies require you to buy your alcohol through them: they are charging a huge markup! If you have the option of buying your own alcohol, you can eliminate this markup. Couple’s often avoid this as they deem it a hassle, but many companies (including Lone Star Drafts), will help you build a shopping list and pickup and deliver the alcohol for you so you don’t need to worry about it on your special day!
2. Go with a signature cocktail- When couples offer a huge selection of liquors and mixers at their wedding, it costs a ton of money. But what’s worse is when given a full open bar, people often refer to what they know, rather than trying something delicious and new. This means your uncle is just going to order a rum and coke, because he doesn’t know what a Negroni is! You then end up with a huge amount of leftover alcohol and mixers (wasted $$), and guests end up with a boring bar! Instead, opt for one or two unique and delicious signature cocktails, such as a blackberry bramble or a sparkling margarita! Your guests will be happier, and you will save money!
3. Reconsider Kegs- Kegs have gotten a bad rap over the years. Maybe it’s those college memories of standing around a trash can and pumping away, but kegs deserve another look! In fact, a keg of high quality craft beer is typically $90 cheaper than the same amount of beer in bottles. Not only that, our beautiful draft bar systems eliminate all the old headaches associated with kegs- so you save money and your guests have a beautiful and fun photo op at your wedding!
4. 4. Offer non-alcoholic options- Providing a few unique non-alcoholic options is a great way to save on alcohol costs. When guests are presented fun, non-alcoholic options, they are more likely to try those, saving you huge! Lone Star Drafts is capable of serving multiple non-alcoholic options, including draft cold brew coffee, kombucha, and signature mocktails!
5. Save on the Champagne- Going with a Champagne toast can cost a small fortune! There are a few different options to save on this expense. First, if you do still want to do the traditional toast with bubbly, opt for Prosecco on draft instead of by the bottle. A keg of Prosecco, which provides around 170 servings, sells for $300. This equates to ~$1.70 per serving. Compare this to the same bottle, the cost per serving is usually double or more! Another way to save is to allow guests to toast with whatever they have in their hand. Many guests will have a single sip of the Champagne during the toast, and the rest will go to waste. Let your guests toast with their beverage of choice instead!
6. Opt for fewer, higher quality choices- When couples try to make everyone happy with their bar by trying to anticipate every conceivable taste, they spend a ton and usually end up with a wide array of lower quality options. Instead, offer just 1 or 2 high quality beers, a high quality red & white wine, and a signature cocktail. This type of bar costs hundreds less than the normal wide selection bar with low quality beers, alcohols, and mixers, and tastes way better!
That’s it for this post! Contact us to talk about how we can create the bar of your dreams for your event and save you money in the process!