Great Tips for Stocking a Bar
If you’re planning
a wedding in a location where you’re making the bar arrangements,
it can be mind boggling.
How much liquor should you
buy? What kind do you buy? Can you return the unopened liquor?
If you have the ability to
stock your own bar, it can save you lots of money! Expert wedding
planner, Kelsey Randoll, gave us some great tips and some creative
ways to cut your bar and liquor costs. Take a look…
Choose a reputable company
that will consult with you and help you select the right wines,
champagne, etc. for your guest list and menu. In addition, be
sure they don't charge for delivery and most importantly, that
they will credit you for any unopened wine and spirits.
Think about your guests…are
they beer, wine, or hard liquor drinkers? This will help you
to determine quantities. But remember, the choice is up to you
as to what you serve. Maybe you want to have a cocktail reception
with just beer and wine. Maybe you want to serve a specialty
drink like a Mimosa or Bloody Mary for a early afternoon reception.
If you’re having a
champagne toast, find out if the guests will see the champagne
being poured. If not, it's a good place to save some money by
selecting an inexpensive brand, since most people just sip for
the toast! It may enable you to spend a bit more on the wines
you'll be serving with dinner.
Set a budget for liquor. A
good liquor company will work with you to stay within your means.
There are thousands of wine choices at different price points,
so you can find one to fit your budget. In addition, you can choose
between "top shelf" liquors or "house pour"
liquors (i.e. Absolut vs. Smirnoff).
When trying to determine how
much to buy, you should ask the company you select to provide
the alcohol, to make recommendations and help you to determine
the appropriate amounts. Here is a chart to help determine the
amount of liquor to buy.
Be creative - instead of offering
your guests the typical run of beers, try to include some of the
newer micro-brewed beers. You can still offer the old stand-bys
for those guests who are committed to "their" brands,
but you'll be pleasantly surprised by the feedback you'll receive
on being somewhat adventuresome!
Consider an international coffee
bar during the dessert hour. If you do, you'll want to be sure
to serve Kahlua, Bailey's, Tia Maria, Grand Marnier and other
cordials that your guests will enjoy with coffee.
Check into liquor liability
coverage. Does your caterer provide coverage? If so, find out
how much. You may find that the hall carries some coverage and
it will be important to determine their role.
The best part about putting
together your own bar is that you can save a tremendous amount
of money! Brides and grooms can keep their costs low....often
under $5 per person for the entire evening! Not bad when you consider
what it would cost at a hotel!
