Bar Stock & Ice

Hi everyone!

My fiancé and I hired a bartending service outside of our caterer, as it’s way cheaper, but we’re having a little trouble working out the details. Our venue allows us the whole Friday for setup, so we will be able to get in and organize tables and chairs and the bar. This is a huge plus for such a Type A person like me, but I’m worried about how to get the bar stocked and most importantly, how to store the ice.

The bartending service we hired is providing two bartenders, the glassware, and rustic “coolers,” leaving my fiancé and I to supply the booze, bar stock, and ice. Since we are only going to be having beer and wine at the reception, with two His and Hers signature cocktails, we don’t need to do a whole lot in terms of bar stock - just the standard soft drinks and juices for those not planning on drinking (it’s a 19+ event).

My question for all of you is, if the bartenders are not showing up to the venue until 2:30 to set up (our ceremony is at 3:00 and cocktail hour starts at 3:30), how the heck are we going to get ice to the venue and keep it frozen until they get there?! We contemplated buying a cheap chest freezer and stocking it at the venue on the Friday, but this seems unnecessary. Has anyone else had a problem like this? The last thing I need to be worrying about as I’m *literally* walking down the aisle is, “Did the bartenders get ice?”