There is a lot to consider when planning the bar for your wedding. Here are some wedding bar varieties and regulations you can use to make sure your beverage service is stress-fee and successful for both you and your guests.
BAR TYPES & OPTIONS FOR YOUR WEDDING
Let’s be clear: you don’t have to break the bank when planning the bar for your reception. Start exploring your options early and then determine what will work best with your budget. Here are the standard wedding bar varieties and regulations so that you can explore and begin thinking on what may be best for your day:
Beer & Wine:
This is a great option if you are looking to offer alcohol at your reception but want to be cautious of spending. With the wide variety of beer and wine brands, it’s easy to find selections that are within budget. And sometimes, a beer and wine bar is chosen to eliminate the risk of adding hard alcohol into the mix. Although it is your bartender’s responsibility to ensure that people do not overdo it, hard alcohol will add another level of safe responsibility that your guests will need to take. While you want everyone to have a great time, you also want everyone to make it home safely.
Added Champagne Toast:
The toasts given by friends and family at the reception are a very special moment, so you may wish to have something nice for your guests to toasts with – likely being champagne. You can provide champagne to your wedding party at the head table, extend that offering to your immediately family, or even bestow a glass to each of your guests at the wedding.
Added Signature Drink:
If you want to have something a little more than just beer and wine, add a signature drink to bring flair to your bar menu. A signature drink includes liquor and typically has a fun name to go along with it. If you wish to have the fun addition of a signature drink but want to keep liquor out of it, add a mocktail to the menu. Not only is it less expensive to make because there isn’t liquor included, but it also gives your non-drinking guests a way to feel included.
Full Bar:
A full bar includes beer, wine, and liquor options for guests. Given the budget, you can choose which specific brands you wish to serve at which price point, but the four main spirits to include are vodka, bourbon, rum, and gin. Sometimes tequila will be added if it’s bound to be popular with the wedding crowd. However, this does not give permission for guests to take shots. Most reputable insured bartending companies will not allow shots for liability reasons. So, if your crowd likes shots, it may be best to leave tequila off the menu.
HAVE SOME FUN WITH IT!
One of the fun elements of planning your bar can be choosing your signature drink(s). It’s a fun way to showcase your personality, share your favorite libation, or even create a theme around your honeymoon location. Here are some different ways you can explore ideas on finding your perfect signature cocktail:
- Meet with your bartending company to brainstorm ideas and taste-test some of their creations.
- Plan date nights throughout your engagement at different restaurants until you find “the one” that perfectly matches your tastes.
- Experiment at home together by buying some of the ingredients and mixers you like the most.
- Enlist your friends to taste-test your top three favorite cocktails to see which one they think would be a wedding guest favorite.
Once you have your drink selected, time to give it a fun name! Something easy might immediately come to mind like where you first met, a pet’s name, or your favorite destination. But if you are feeling stumped, make it a fun interactive piece on your Instagram where guests can submit their ideas or vote on your top three names.
Now that you have a breakdown of the different bar options and how you can have fun with it, here are some things to consider when putting your bar into wedding-day action:
INSURANCE
The topic of event insurance will likely come up early within your planning, as most venues will either require you to hold event insurance yourself or will ask that the bartending company you hire provide proof of their insurance. A professional bartending provider will carry general liability and liquor liability insurance. In most instances, if your bartending provider has insurance, they can add the venue as “additionally insured” on their policy and provide you or your venue a certificate of insurance, eliminating the need for you to carry your own policy. Insurance will be the least exciting thing you spend money on for your wedding, but it’s important to make sure that you are protected, especially when serving alcohol.
LICENSING
There are certainly perks about living on a state line, but liquor laws aren’t one of them. The regulations around ordering, serving, and charging for liquor vary significantly between Missouri and Kansas. Here are some things you need to consider to keep within regulation:
- If the company or bartender you are hiring is bringing the alcohol, they must be licensed in the state they are serving in. Not an individual bartender license, but an actual state, city, and county issued license.
- If you want a cash bar at your wedding, you by law need to have a licensed company that can acquire the correct permits to legally sell alcohol at your event. It is illegal to purchase alcohol from a liquor or chain store and then resell it. Doing so would put you and the venue at a significant legal risk, and could lead to your event being shut down, fines galore, and court appearances. Make sure the company you hire is legally able to provide a cash bar and you’ll be good to go.
Planning for wedding bar varieties and regulations should be just as fun as tasting cake or choosing flowers! Don’t let legalities worry you – by relying on the expertise of a professional beverage catering company, they will guide and assist you that you can enjoy the experience. They’ve seen just about every situation and scenario you may experience and will ensure that your bar is a stress-free and fun experience for you.
Cheers from Top Shelf Bartending!
ERIN JARSULIC
COMPANY: Top Shelf Bartending
Erin Jarsulic shares ownership of her liquor store and bartending company with husband, Justin. Together they have built Top Shelf Bartending to be one of the leading professional bar service providers in Kansas City. They are licensed and insured in both Missouri and Kansas and offer premier drinks and service to all of their clients. You can view more details on their website at kctopshelf.com.
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