Hello everyone! Question to those that are having a reception in a hotel...

Hi we were advised not to do this by the manager at our venue as it would be too expensive :)

You could get round it by giving small bottles of alcohol as wedding favours. We have made elderflower gin. We are also making a wedding pinata and filling it with plastic bottles of spirits. Another thing we are doing is a wedding speech sweepstake and the winner of each table will win a bottle of prosecco.

Don't put too much pressure on yourselves by using a free bar. Have the guest pay for thier drinks and yoy can enjoy your night without qorrying about money

I don’t think wedding guests assume they will get free alcohol and I’m sure they understand what an expensive day it is for the bride/groom and should be happy to pay for their own drinks. Maybe put a few bottles of wine on each table for the meal? Xx

We were strongly advised by the venue not to do this. We felt a bit bad but on talking to people who have been to weddings recently they tell me it is now quite usual for guests to pay for their alcohol. We have come to a compromise by supplying prosecco for the toasts (we are allowing for a certain number of bottles) and once those are gone then people will have to buy their own at the bar. We are putting something behind the bar for soft drinks.

We gave 2 drinks tokens per guest, then after that they paid for there own. Staff new not to put any on the tab if they didn't have a token. Only me and husband could put them on tab. Worked out great xx

Not many people do a free bar now days...we did welcome drinks, wine with the meal & the toast...also a token for evening guests to have their 1st drink....x

Perhaps some sort of drinks token or allocate a certain amount of wine and beer.

The only drinks we paid for, for our guests was pimms & lemonade or soft drinks for after the ceremony and then prosecco for the toast after that the guests paid for their own x

We are providing welcome drinks, meal drinks and the toast. The bar in the evening is a "buy your own" as there is no way our budget would stretch to a free bar. Tbh I have never been to a wedding where there was a free bar and would never expect to. I wouldn't worry to much about a free bar if I was you

I've only ever heard bad things - crazy expensive, people often leave half drunk drinks and go get another one and many over do it. The only people who ever seem to be for it are those who are getting the free drinks!

I keep reading places that it's expected, but I've never been told in person that that's the case, so maybe it's more of an american expectation?

Maybe you could give out tickets for one free drink each if you really wanted to do something but I don’t think you need to pay for everyone’s drinks, you have paid for them to eat etc and they get a drink with that too xx

We are not having an open bar as it would be very expensive. We are providing two to three bottles of wine per table plus procecco for the toasts. I think that's enough. Plus I've never been to a wedding with an open bar. Most people are happy to pay for any further drinks.

Past few wedding iv been to this year the couples have provided a welcome drink and a drink (bottles of procecco etc were brought to the table) for the toast xx rest of the time it was by your own drinks. As A guest I was happy with this x

We had our reception in a pub. Our parents and a few other family members put money behind the bar for drinks but people seemed alright with getting their own as well xx

Don’t do it.u cud give them a voucher each for so many drinks but think this is a disaster.people don’t usually do it.never been to one that has.x

We had a cocktail on arrival, 2 glasses of wine during meal, glass of champagne for toast and a litre bottle of vodka or gin on each table 8-10 people and this worked very well x

I had my reception and evening do in a hotel but we didn't have an open bar. We provided everyone with a glass of bucks fizz when they arrived but that was it. It would of cost us a small fortune otherwise x

We got married in a hotel and my dad put 1k behind the bar, but he's Italian and he's been saving for this day for 40yrs! (I'm 46) I only spent just under a £100 for both mine and my bridesmaids dresses and it was only a local hotel, nowhere posh, so he had plenty left over. I've just read through the comments and with my family, it's unusual NOT to have a free bar or at least free to a limit... Perhaps it's an Italian thing?

I wouldnt. People tend to.go silly with an open bar and forget who.is footing the bill. Which could end up.really REALLY expensive for you. Buy first drink.as guests arrive. Have it already served on a tray as they arrive to.take a glass

We had our reception in a lovely hotel and only drinks included were the ones with tje meal. All of the guests for evening paid for their own drinks and it wasnt a problem x

We have a minimum spend at our reception venue so we are debating on whether to put the bar on open bar up until that amount is gone or whether to do it that the guests paying for their drinks after reception drink and then if minimum spend isnt reached or someone can't afford anything we will pay for that, we would have bottles for toast but we aren't having a sit down meal now as we are hiring the national video game arcade in Nottingham so having a more relaxed evening x

We got married in a hotel last year, we subsisted the by 10% I think it cost us about £300. Its so much cheaper than having an open bar xx

We had welcome drinks with the canapés , wine with the meals and champagne for the toast . The evening they paid for their own drinks I think in the UK that's normal no one expects a free bar. It would cost a fortune ...

There is always one guest who sees this as a challenge rather than a courtesy! We have a welcome drink, half a bottle of wine and a glass of sparkling per guest included in the package - if I drank all that I'd be very drunk! Remember that wedding websites are often written by people in the industry who want you to spend even more with them!

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I wouldn’t do it as people will most likely over indulge I am having free unlimited wine and bubbles during the meal then just a normal bar at night xx

I've seen some weddings that Do drink coupons. So you pay for a drink or two and after that the guest will pay for their own if they want more. X

we are having a free bar but only because we are getting married in cyprus and we will need to supply drinks bands for the guests and we don't want them to pay for anything on the wedding day as they are paying to come out for the wedding

We would love to but really can't afford it. We will be paying for the wine during the meal.

I wouldn’t dare! My friends alone would drink us out of house & home!! 😰 the thought terrifies me!!

My venue is including drinks up until and including the meal, after that its buy your own! I'm paying enough to feed them all let alone pay for everyone to get hammered!!

Nope, personally I feel a three course meal and a hot evening buffet, candy cart, popcorn, candy floss, chocolate kebabs, drinks reception, half a bottle of wine with the meal and a glass of fizz for the toast is plenty.

You could do drinks tokens. 2 per guest or something. That way it's still a treat but you won't have to spend a bomb. This is what we might be doing

We are having welcome drinks, toast drinks and bottles of wine on tables but other than that people will be paying for their own drinks. I would never assume it would be a free bar at a wedding and I've never been to one with a free bar. I think drinks toast an welcome drinks is more than enough so I wouldn't worry a d have the added expense and stress of a free bar x

Not exactly advice but I'd say you have to know your guests. I know mine and so I'm giving people drinks voucher (on top of 2 glasses fizz and half a bottle of wine or 2 beers with dinner). Wedding party get 2 vouchers. I don't entirely trust some ppl with a free bar and I figure 5/6 drinks each is definitely a fair start (and probably more than enough for at least half the guests!)

Also one venue we went to (actually not the one we chose in the end) advised against a free bar because in their experience ppl get a drink, go do something, forget where there put it and just get another hence wasting A LOT with a free bar but tend not to be so careless when they pay for it!

We are having drinks on arrival, plus wine with the meal... Anything on top of that guests can pay for. Xxx

We can't afford an open bar, but we have arranged with the venue to provide a drink voucher per wedding favour bag so we get everyone a drink, on top of the wine with the meal and prosecco for toasts. Works out to around £200 for a large wine or large spirit per person (based on 50 guests). X

We have thought a lot about it, both had open bars at our first weddings. This time we are giving our guests vouchers. Once they have used them, they have to pay. That way we can decide and budget. No 'lost' drinks sat around and no worry to our guests. One voucher, one drink. The venue will charge us for wine hythe bottle, not per glass. If guests want a double spirit it's 2 vouchers. We will give the vouchers on the Night, that way if we over spend elsewhere we can give less vouchers to keep to budget. It also means we can decide who's drinks we want to pay for more. We have several families coming, who's grown up children have been invited because of family politics, we know this way those families can share vouchers, rather than our closest people missing out xxx

I would imagine it could work out very costly having a free bar maybe give everyone a ticket which entitles them to a free drink or 2 and then they buy there own after that

Our wedding we have included a drink on arrival.. a drink for the wedding breakfast and a drink for the evening buffet.. so supplying each guest with 3 drinks through the day but they will need to buy any other drinks they require throughout the day

I would advise against it every wedding I been to and there was a free bar people have drunk so much there been trouble , give a voucher favour to each guest for one single free drink that way you sort two things out your wedding favour and at least they get a free drink , As to be honset if people are driving by the time they had a drink with there meal that's there limit good luck but miss weddings these days people don't offer a open bar

I think it's a lovely idea, especially as a guest if it's an open bar. I thought about it for my wedding however I'm glad I decided against it.... My friends and family were big drinkers that night, I would have been bankrupt We gave out glasses of champagne after the ceremony, wine and orange juice during the meal and tea and coffee after the meal. All other drinks were purchased at the bar :-)

We are doing wine and beer. If anyone wants anything else they have to pay for it.

Yes please baby xxxxxx

We are having our reception at a lovely hotel and we won't be having an open bar. The package includes a welcome drink and two glasses of wine with the meal. We are also doing miniature bottles as our favours so people will have plenty to get them started. You need to keep in mind your budget too, lets say the average drink is 3 pound and you have 60 guests if all guests have 3 drinks that's an additional 540 pounds you will have to pay.

I don't drink myself so I resent paying for other people's alcohol lol. In all fairness they have free food free entertainment so the least they can do is buy there own drinks. Plus if people are getting free drinks you are bound to end up with too many drunk idiots

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