Open Bar Brainstorming 🍷

View quoted message Yeah, definitely makes sense! It’s a helpful guideline for sure. And our crowd will also have a bunch of rye enthusiasts! (Including myself!) haha So, we’ve decided to not just do wine & beer.

View quoted message Makes sense!

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It wasn't a "you should get this" it was a guideline for what to buy. and they are one of the busiest/most popular halls in our area. so I feel their accuracy is pretty good. and some of the things they recommend so they could make a fun shot (like the cherry brandy and the peach schnapps)
but take into consideration how your family friends are. my family drinks long islands. so we will be buying that. and we all drink a LOT of rye amongst my friends and in our city. so i'm going to buy more of that.

View quoted message No! Definitely not! Haha This was a list of possible alcohol & amounts for parties that another WW user shared 😊 We can bring (or nix) whatever we want.

View quoted message Your venue recommended that you get each item? Just to clarify

View quoted message Sounds like a good mix!

View quoted message Nope to that wine either.
But those make your own wine. The wine will last for a long time.
Or just buy magnums from the lcbo. Then it can be returned

View quoted message Oh awesome! 👏 Thanks so much for sharing this, Jennifer! Really appreciate it.

(But wait... I can’t return unopened “make your own” wine to a little biz for a refund, though. Right??)

In Ontario. All unopened bottles can be returned. Except open cases of beer.
Here is that list for you.

View quoted message Thanks Vinod. That’s a really good tip for ppl buying through LCBO etc. We’ll be making/bottling our own wine from a “make your own” place, so any unopened wine is ours to keep (although I’m doubting there will be much! haha)

Do inquire with the manager at the liquor store when purchasing your bottles to see if they would take back unopened bottles so you don't end up eating that cost. I know my cousin returned some at their destination wedding location.

View quoted message That makes perfect sense. Also makes it easier for you for sure! I’m definitely making sure there’s a bit extra wine for ours haha

View quoted message Thanks Nikki - really great points for sure! That’s what we’ve been wondering with open vs. Toonie bar too! Something to consider for sure. Plus, I think that if we DID go the Toonie route, that’s totally feasible & not crazy for ppl.

I would definitely add some hard liquor for mixing- Vodka, Rum, and gin are the best 3 in my opinion...they can make countless drinks with those. I LOVE toonie bars tho.. I find open bars, people tend to get careless and leave half to full cups of liquor, and just get another..

We're just sticking to beer and wine, our guests arent really cocktail people, so for us it's extra work. We are at about a 75 headcount and we are getting 5-6 cases of wine and about 3 50l kegs of beer. We have a lot of people who can easily polish off a bottle of wine on a Friday night, so we're going over board with extra. Just incase.

OR - feedback/thoughts on having a toonie bar...?? Tacky? Great? Been to or hosted weddings where this worked? Where it didn’t?

View quoted message Yeah, that’s what we’ve been leaning towards too. Want to make sure ppl have options & enjoy themselves! Thinking maybe vodka, gin, rum & rye.

View quoted message Thanks Jennifer, that’d be great! I saved a couple of “alcohol tally” lists but it’d be good to see if you have a different/more comprehensive one!

I would add some liquor as not everyone like just wine and beer.

You could just do the basics in terms of liquor. like vodka, rye, rum. and do a signature cocktail that can be mass made.
if I remember when I get home I can message you a list of how much booze to have for how many people you have (my reception venue provided it for me to help with budgeting). its awesome!

I'd say bring in a few other options, but it doesn't need to be anything crazy! If you're wanting open bar, maybe get some ciders or twisted teas?

One thing I will definitely suggest though is that open bars tend to get messy and the bartenders tend not to care as much. I've bartended lots of weddings and I will no longer do open bar weddings. People get sloppy (yes, even when it's only beer and wine) and to top it off, you make ZERO tips at an open bar. Of course tips aren't the only reason to do it and they're never expected, however it kind of goes without saying for the most part that you'll get tips, which usually make a loooong night of dealing with drunks a little more bearable Haha

We are the same. We have to bring our own booze, venue doesn't provide it. We are getting red & white wine made for the wedding. Probably going to get 2-3 kegs. For liquor we are going very basic, rum, whiskey and gin (based on the knowledge we have one what our guests drink and what we like) probably 2 bottles of each. We are expecting around 85 guests. We are pretty much around the same budget wise, but my mom is paying for all the wine so we don't even count that in the budget.