are drink tickets at a wedding tacky

And no, beer and wine only are not something we're interested in, nor much cheaper anyhow since they charge by the drink and house wine is $8/glass; even soda is $4/ea. I had a question about doing drink tickets at weddings. I had always figured we would do signature drinks at our wedding (along with Its difficult to say which is the right answer to open bar or cash bar policies for weddings. The venue where we are going to be having our wedding has three options for a bar: cash bar, open bar, and drink tickets. I know here guests would be upset if they were limited or cut off after a certain amount of time, it's just unheard of. I will be sure to pass on that info to the fiance, I agree with PP that there isn't a tactful way to tell her that her idea is tacky. I like wine better. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. A timed bar is better than a $ cap bar, in my opinion. Now, the reception package already includes complimentary wine service with dinner and a champagne toast. As Emily said, you are hosting a meal for your guests. More than likely the customers just drank more than they thought they did and immediately feel that they have to blame the establishment rather than own up to their own. The girls at the birthday went on and on about how a cash bar was tacky for many reasons and how an open bar is the only way to go! When you're planning a wedding, don't pay any attention to people who call things tacky. At least with drink tickets, they would have the option to buy more drinks, whereas if the plated meal isn't enough, they don't have the option of buying more food. FI is the first to get married on his side of the family, so there isn't a trend to follow there. Ultimately, it is up to the birthday party host to decide whether or not to use drink tickets. Drink Tickets The Knot Community Hi ladies :) I'll start off by saying, I'm sure there is another place this post would be more appropriate BUT, I've found that Knotties from other parts of the country can't look past the idea of a cash bar as it's completely unacceptable in other parts of the country . For the record, not asking about my own personal wedding. Our plan is to do a hosted bar of wine and beer. I think a PP had the best advice when she said to just bring up possible questions to her rather than outright criticize it. Fishin- I thought about that, but that's not at all common in my area/circle and I think our guests would be confused. Capped bars ($1500 alcohol cap before bar shuts down), basically gives everyone X amount of free drinks before they're just all cut off and the booze is gone. Plan your wedding wherever and whenever you want on the WeddingWire App. Okay, first, I know how many of you feel about drink tickets and say it's rude. At most, we might stretch it to 3 tickets a person (5 drinks total per guest then) but it seems unnecessary considering at least 50-60 of our guests don't drink at all. FH can't drink wine or beer. If your wedding is more casual and fewer of your guests drink, a cash bar may be appropriate, according to Shelby. Just my $0.02 but I definitely don't think cash bars are tacky. If you're worried about what people may think is tacky, then ask your friends and family since they know you and the situation better. Im having trouble coming up with how much alcohol to buy. I asked if the restaurant will do pitchers of mimosas for the table, but they won't do that. Get the answers to these questions before you sign on the dotted line. Is it the difference between wedding types? Cookie Notice Despite my preference for mixed drinks, I can easily combine one with free beer and wine. 3 drinks in 4 hours is fine, if someone wants to get wasted they am do it on their own dime. At the end of the reception, we owe the venue for all alcohol consumed. If I am a more distant family member / courtesy invite I'd be totally judgey. Personally, the drink tickets do seem a bit odd, I've never seen this. Just genuinely asking about what the differences are for others since I've noticed things are done much differently (in a lot of ways!) I don't care if people think it's tacky. I used the quote from one of the companies I reached out to and they basically recommended 1 drink per person per hour that alcohol is served. There will also be a champagne toastplenty of alcohol. Chances are if that's how most weddings are in your area most of the guests are probably already expecting it. I agree with you that this is horribly tacky and a very bad idea. Drink tickets allow an equal amount of covered drinks per person, makes it more even. The venue has a classy atmosphere. For more information, please see our I think you'll be more than fine so long as the E board police dont come lurking our board. It really depends on your group. At the end of the reception, we owe the venue for all alcohol consumed. A post like this is going to stir the pot whether you want to or not and I can forsee alot of drama coming up. Do the tickets move hands pretty easily on their own? In Response to . Try again. In the hours after than, you can figure one drink per person, per hour, and half of those will be soda too. So you would have 4 drinks. In Response to : Why are drink tickets considered tacky? Typically, you have 1-3 options in the beer and wine categories. Well I don't care for the idea. One 750-milliliter bottle (fifth) of wine contains 16 glasses. I'd go with the beer/wine unlimited and forget doing the tickets. My venue is doing this for us, you just have to ask. Design_mom: Ive always been taught that if a host does not offer anything to drink, you take what is offered and say thank you. I think that you are fine because you said it was kinda the norm in your area and in my opinion drink tickets is better than having to pay to drink. Playing Your College Fight Song. In MY opinion, alcohol is a luxury anyway (in my social circles/area) so anything is really nice. In Response to : Drink tickets are pretty common in NEbraska and Iowa. 36 votes, 40 comments. Find wedding inspiration that fits your style with photos from real couples, Sit back and relax with travel info + exclusive deals for the hottest honeymoon destinations, To unblock this content, please click here. She suggests taking inspiration from the non-alcoholic components of trendy cocktails as . I thought about doing a cash bar (so there would at least be alcohol available), but my caterer doesnt do that and from my research so far, I cant find anyone near me who does that either. Open bar is so common in my area that my venue includes full open bar in all of their packages. And I don't see how this will save money in the long run? She put it right by the guests name cards but Im having open seating so that wouldnt work. We doubled the estimate by the end of the night. . Many people believe that cash bars are rude because they put guests in the position of having to pay for their own drinks. In order to estimate how many bottles of wine you will need in an hour, divide the number of wine-loving guests by 5. Where I am from drink tickets or "toonie" bars are very, very common. It sounds like a traditional consumption bar would be fine. Folks tend to get more tickets if they need them-seen that a lot at office parties, etc. Most weddings here are almost always held behind closed doors. I'm not asking to stir the pot, I promise! Yeah I cant see these drink tickets lasting past cocktail hour especially if sodas arent even included. If you dont care about the couple or want to have a good time at your wedding, you shouldnt go. This goes for literally any point in the wedding day, be it ceremony or reception. Timed bars usually work out best IMO and I think they are pretty common for weddings. Cash bars are the norm in my region/social circles, so any paid liquor is greatly appreciated, haha. If you were a guest would you pass hardcore judgement? And as far as your future husband is concerned, this isn't a Green Day concert. You will also receive complimentary wine service with dinner and a champagne toast will occur later in the evening.". Everyone had a blast, and there was plenty of wine left over. Avoid driving under the influence. If you're planning to do a full bar for half the night, I would suggest switching that to beer and wine for the entire night. But as far as drink ticket logistics (which I find distasteful), are children or people under 21 also getting drink tickets for sodas and whatnot? Can some of you who are more familiar with the other options explain to me why they're better etiquette wise than providing X amount of free before switching to some form of cash? Our plan is to do a hosted bar of wine and beer. It's an afternoon reception so I don't think there will be all that much drinking and we are glad to pay for our guests. Ultimately, it is up to the couple getting married to decide whether or not they want to use drink tickets at their wedding. A cash bar is a bar at a social event where guests pay for their own drinks. That being said we're buying 3 kegs and putting a cap on the bar, which is almost the same as you're doing. I would not mind drink tickets and frankly I would probably have like 3 or 4 drinks during a reception. I've been to plenty of weddings and never expected an open bar so maybe it depends on where you're from. We're doing a signature drink during cocktail hour and beer/wine. It is a way to control cost and while I am not doing it I don't consider it tacky. Our plan is to do a hosted bar of wine and beer. A beer/wine/soda only open bar is fine, even if the guest doesn't like beer, wine, or soda, because the host is not under any obligation to meet each individual guests alcohol/food/beverage prefence. The quote from the company I got the drink amounts from also had it as 31.25% wine and 68.75% beer. That helps with the cost if you're concerned about paying for non-drinkers. We're also having a champagne toast (add a third drink) and giving everyone 3 (or maybe 4) drink tickets which brings the total number of drinks per person to 6 (or maybe 7). And if not, how would I give them their tickets? Non drinkers vs heavy drinks? nbsp;Is there a way to tell her this without it sounding like I'm a jerk and critizing her wedding?nbsp; Posted by tristalwedding[/QUOTE] This is opposed to an open bar, where the host pays for all drinks. Hard alcohol can be on a cash basis. 1. Is this the norm or tacky? With wine as an exception, he said he won't pay for anyones alcohol, pretty much because we spent so much on catering to feed our guests well. But that being said, I agree with a bunch of the PP that if it is the norm in your area go ahead and do so. Go to the bar and buy one. Yes its tacky, even if you are not restricting the number of tickets having to flag down a groomsman every time I wanted a drink would be annoying and would seem like I was having to ask for permission each time I wanted one. I'm used to cash bars, so having free drinks (whether they be tickets or not) is a luxury for me. Each drink should consist of one-half ounce of liquor. I wouldn't look down on it. Please know we've pretty much made up our mind based on the details below but wanted feedback on a few logistics.It doesn't appear we have another option unless we had a dry wedding so do not try to talk us out of it (a friend got married at the same place and it turned out her open bar tab was $10,000 for only a slightly higher guest count). Optionally, we can pay a set rate per person for What would be the best way to celebrate a friends or family members birthday party? Creating A Stylish Look With Table Runners: A Guide With YouTube Tutorials, Turn A Large Wall Into A Showstopper Without Furniture: Creative Ideas For Decorating Big Spaces, How To Decorate A Ballard Coffee Table: A Step-by-Step Guide To Transform Your Living Space, How To Create A Stunning Centerpiece For Your Kitchen Table With A Decorative Tray. The choice of an open bar may be more appropriate if your wedding is more formal and your guests are more likely to drink. Alcohol is not a requirement, and neither is it a requirement to provide ALL forms of alcohol. Limited beer and wine is one of the options I mentioned. The issue is that we would have to pay for every guest over 21 and we have several guests who don't drink at all and I don't want to pay for alcohol for non-drinkers. I would love any other ideas. If you're doing a per-person hosted bar, not consumption, most allow you to not pay for 5-10% of your guests if you have a non-drinking contingent. We have no idea if light drinkers will give them up to heavy drinkers. We did drink tickets ($2 a drink) - of all the weddings I have been to 95% have had drink tickets so it's not "tacky" here, but I do find it a bit weird to give them out for drinks no one is paying for. There are so many rules and regulations on etiquette that are not followed nowadays. My aunt (bipolar and an alcoholic) RUINED Christmas Eve and held my entire family up from going to Christmas Eve mass because she drank too much. Any suggestions? The beer costs from 3.75-4.75, wine is from $6-$7, and mixed drinks are $5.50-$7.50. I don't want to feel judged every time I go for a drink lol. More than doubled it, even with our non drinkers not drinking (and few of them did have a few drinks!) This is how rich people party!" haha. I am a 33 year old wife, mother, beauty professional, blogger, amateur chef, craft maven and DIYer, living in a small rural suburb outside of San Diego, California. I know a few heavy drinkers, but I would think the average number of drinks per wedding guest would be less than 6 so you might be ok going with a full open bar for a couple hours. Tacky and uncomfortable. If you can't be sober for four hours then you have a problem (which many of my guests actually do). Here is the full question: "If not doing an open bar, is wine on the dinner tables and 2 drink tickets per person enough? Do one or the other, open bar or cash bar. I think maybe a difference might also be alcohol costs? Also a "toonie bar" ($2 per drink) is a cash bar. In my social circle/area people would probably think that tickets are tacky. At your party, youll need to make more restrictions for yourself as the night progresses because the more options you have, the more options youll need to make. At the end of the reception, we owe the venue for all alcohol consumed. If so, we don't know your guests. I would like to do the drink tickets, but my fiance is completely different, he said we are having a cash bar. If 95 of your guests drinks, and you average the beer/wine/mixed drink costs, that's about $3,800 if you just pay for what your guests drink. if they choose to join - here receptions usually run until last call (1 or 2am), so no need for an after party at a different location. I also had a friend chose to do this route that had friends/family that tend to overdo it and cause issues, limiting the amount of free booze kept people rom misbehaving. Some people believe that they are a necessary part of keeping track of how much alcohol is being consumed, while others find them to be an unnecessary hassle. The tacky location is erased with the help of the tacky plan. YOU as a guest cannot get everything you want at an event that someone else is hosting. We want to offer some free drinks for our guests and one option we were considering was including drink tickets in the invites, 2 or so per person. I have known wedding to not have alchol. My groom's side is handling all of the alcohol and they are leaning towards open bar, but I have never heard of drink tickets being tackyWhat about not having any alcohol at all? As a result of that, I threw my SO a 40th birthday party at home. Find wedding inspiration that fits your style with photos from real couples, Sit back and relax with travel info + exclusive deals for the hottest honeymoon destinations, To unblock this content, please click here. Do an open bar with a limited selection. poison+kisses March 2012 Honestly I wouldn't care, in my mind you're giving me free drinks so I can't really complain at all. Even if it was a GOOD meal, if I paid for it. maybe just limit a cash bar for a specific time like just the cocktail hour or something because offering people drink tickets to a wedding is extremely tacky, and to offer only 2 that would actually turn me off from attending. Share with your guests to collect your wedding photos. U dont have to have alchol for your guest to get drunk. Also, 150 isnt even close to pretty small. Free wine with dinner (2 bottles/ table) and then 2 drink tickets. It worked out really well, I don't remember anyone having to pay for drinks, and every still drank what they wanted, those who didn't drink passed off their tickets to those that did. A standard shot of liquor contains approximately 1.5 ounces, whereas a standard mixed drink contains approximately 1 part alcohol to 4 parts soda. Ways to cut down on the hammered factor: Daytime wedding, beer and wine only, serving food with drinks, having water and/or other non-alcoholic beverages easily available if guests are just plain thirsty, shutting off the bar during dinner and for the last hour of the reception and offering coffee instead, not announcing last call. Are drink tickets tacky? If you do decide to host a cash bar, make that clear to your guests so they know to bring cash or their credit card. People probably won't think you're being tacky if that's the norm in your area. A Cash Bar allows you to keep the cost of attendance low while still providing drinks for your guests. How much do you think your guests will drink? Find wedding inspiration that fits your style with photos from real couples, Sit back and relax with travel info + exclusive deals for the hottest honeymoon destinations, To unblock this content, please click here, Posted in Etiquette and Advice The wedding we were at had two color tickets - one for beer and one for mixed drinks/wine. She also worked as a luxury wedding planner and produced over 100 high-end weddings and events in Colorado Female guests will likely not all have pockets so you have to go to your table to grab your purse or carry it in your hand the whole time. In Response to : Wow, everyone here's so much nicer than well, every other place I've seen this asked! Its perfectly fine, I wouldent post any thing on the e board everything that comes out of that board is nasty. I have been to plenty of weddings and the couple always hosts 1-2 kegs and anything the guests want beyond that is their responsibility to pay for. I have been a bartender at many different weddings. For a wedding, drink tickets play an essential role. In the hour before the event ends, almost no one will have more alcohol, so you're looking at about five drinks per guest, half of them non alcoholic. People forget that wedding guests will grab a drink, mingle, set the drink down, get distracted and walk away. By only offering the limited choices people were drinking what was offered. Are sodas also on the ticket system? Also, it cuts people off before they get drunk enough to make a fool of themselves, unless they are given tickets from lots of other guests. Check out this years best local pros, chosen by couples like you. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. However, I also knew that 2 of my Aunts did not drink wine or beer. If you have a lot of non drinkers, a consumption based bar will probably work out better for you, but tickets are just weird. Plan your wedding wherever and whenever you want on the WeddingWire App. Share with your guests to collect your wedding photos. I've noticed a lot of people here go out for "after parties" where I assume people then pay their own way (?) Or are you doing beer and wine e, then cutting people off? Maybe they are normal where you are from. Our main questions are: 1. Not everyone used their tickets so other people did and everyone had a good time." . one of our non-drinkers was the last party animal to leave and go to bed that night, he was not a non drinker that night for sure! Setting your own standards and showing your guests that their food does not meet them are two great ways to set your own standards. I do not think 150 person guest list is small at all. Again just know your crowd and traditions and it will be fine. In other words, your guests will not be required to pay for anything other than a free bar. To be honest, most guests wont drink more than two drinks at a time. and our 4.