The short answer
A wedding bar package is the way a venue or caterer bills for drinks, and it comes in four contract structures: a per-person package billed on your guest count for set hours, a consumption bar billed on what is served, a cash bar where guests pay, and a limited bar with a set menu. Compare them at your own count and hours, with fees, service charge and tax.
How do bar packages work? Per person vs consumption
A per-person package multiplies a rate by a headcount for a stated number of hours. You know the cost in advance, whatever is poured. Read who is counted: a contract may charge all guests, only guests of drinking age, or a lower rate for guests under that age or those who do not drink. Note the hours, and what adding an hour costs.
A consumption bar, sometimes called a host bar on consumption, bills what is served, per drink or per bottle opened. The cost is unknown until the end of the night. Ask how drinks are tallied, whether an opened bottle of wine is billed in full, and whether you receive an itemized count with the invoice.
How do you compare a per-person package with a consumption bar?
Find the break-even: divide the per-person rate by the average consumption price per drink. For example, a hypothetical per-person package is $38 for four hours, and the consumption bar averages $12 a drink. The break-even is $38 / $12 = 3.17 drinks per guest. At 120 guests, the package costs 120 x $38 = $4,560, the same as 380 drinks on consumption.
Then test your own estimate of what your guests will drink. If you expect 3 drinks per guest, consumption is 360 x $12 = $4,320. If you expect 4, it is 480 x $12 = $5,760. The package caps the cost; consumption can come in lower or higher. Apply the same service charge and tax to both before deciding, and include any fees one structure charges and the other waives.
What is an open bar package at a wedding?
An open bar package means guests do not pay for their drinks; you do. The phrase does not say how you are billed, so an open bar can be a per-person package or a consumption bar, and it can cover the whole reception or only some hours. Ask the venue which structure its open bar uses and write it on the comparison sheet.
Then read the hours and the drink list. An open bar may stop at a set time, pause during dinner, or include only certain brands, and adding an hour is priced separately. Note when last call is and whether it is set by the contract, the venue or you.
How does a cash bar work in a wedding contract?
Guests pay for their own drinks, but the contract may still charge you. Look for bartender or cashier fees, a bar setup fee, and a minimum sales figure you must make up if guest purchases fall short. Ask whether cash bar sales count toward any food and beverage minimum, since the money comes from guests rather than from you.
For example, a hypothetical cash bar carries three bartenders at $150 each ($450) and a $1,500 minimum in sales. If guests spend $1,100, you owe $1,500 - $1,100 = $400 plus the $450, or $850. Ask how the minimum is measured and whether tax is included in the guest price.
What is a limited bar, and how is it priced?
A limited bar serves a set list, such as beer and wine only, beer and wine with one or two signature cocktails, or a hosted bar for part of the evening. It can be priced per person or on consumption, so the questions above still apply. Check what is on the list, what happens when a guest asks for something off it, and whether a champagne toast or wine with dinner is included or separate.
Some contracts combine structures, for example a hosted bar during cocktail hour and a cash bar afterward, or a consumption bar up to a set dollar amount before switching to cash. For a cap, ask who tracks the total during the evening and who approves continuing past it.
What does a premium bar package mean, and what is left out?
Read what the package names and what it does not. Bartender fees, a bar setup fee, glassware, ice, mixers, a champagne toast, tableside wine service and shots may each be separate lines or excluded. Brand tiers such as "house," "call" and "premium" change what is poured and the rate; ask for the brand list behind each tier, since the names alone do not tell you what is in the bottle.
Also check who may serve alcohol and when service ends. Rules on alcohol service and licensing vary by state and locality, and the venue or caterer can tell you in writing who holds the license and what insurance is required.
- Bartender and bar setup fees
- Brand tier and what is poured
- Hours included and last call
- Champagne toast and wine with dinner
- Glassware, ice and mixers
- Who is counted in a per-person rate
Do bar charges carry the service charge and count toward the minimum?
Check both for each structure. A service charge may apply to hosted bar charges but not to cash bar sales, and tax may be handled differently for each. Mark each bar line on the proposal with its service charge and tax treatment.
Then ask the venue whether each bar option counts toward any food and beverage minimum. A consumption bar that falls short of your estimate could leave a shortfall on the minimum, while a per-person package counts a known amount. The food and beverage minimum guide explains how to check what counts.
Bar package comparison
Use one row for a decision or deliverable. Keep unanswered items visible. Download the blank worksheet to open in Excel, Numbers or Google Sheets.
On a small screen, swipe the worksheet sideways to see the remaining columns.
| Line | Per-person package | Consumption bar | Cash or limited bar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rate and what it is charged on | — | — | — |
| Who is counted or charged | — | — | — |
| Hours included | — | — | — |
| Brand tier or drink list | — | — | — |
| Bartender and setup fees | — | — | — |
| Minimum sales, if any | — | — | — |
| Service charge and base | — | — | — |
| Tax and base | — | — | — |
| Counts toward food and beverage minimum? | — | — | — |
| Estimated total at our count | — | — | — |
A message you can make your own
Change the wording to suit you, fill in anything in brackets and keep the questions that apply. You decide what to send and send it yourself.
We are comparing bar options and would like a few details in writing. For each option you offer (per person, consumption, cash and beer and wine), what is the rate, what is it charged on, and which hours are included? Who is counted in a per-person rate? Which bartender, setup or glassware fees apply to each, and is there a minimum in sales for a cash bar? Is a service charge and tax added to each option, and does each count toward our food and beverage minimum?
Common questions
How much is a bar package for a wedding?
A bar package for a wedding has no single price you can rely on, because it depends on the structure, the guest count, the hours, the brand tier and the fees, service charge and tax added. Ask each venue for a written quote at your count and hours, then compare the totals on the same basis.
Is an open bar the same as a per-person package?
An open bar is not necessarily the same as a per-person package. "Open bar" means guests do not pay, but the host may be billed per person or on consumption. Ask which structure the venue means, how many hours it covers and which drinks are included, and get the answer in writing.
Do guests who do not drink count in a per-person bar price?
Whether guests who do not drink count in a per-person bar price depends on the contract. A contract may count all guests or only guests of drinking age, or offer a lower non-alcoholic rate. Read who is counted before comparing, since a lower count can change which structure costs less.
Can you switch from consumption to cash partway through?
Switching from a consumption bar to a cash bar partway through the evening is something to ask the venue about before signing. Ask whether it offers a dollar cap or a timed switch, how guests are told, and who approves changes on the night, then put the terms in the contract.
How do you check a consumption bar bill after the wedding?
A consumption bar bill is easier to check if you ask in advance for an itemized count by drink type and price. When it arrives, compare it with the rates in your contract and the hours the bar was open, and ask about any line, such as full bottles billed, that you cannot match.
Does a cash bar need a liquor license?
A cash bar sells alcohol to guests, and licensing rules for selling and serving alcohol vary by state and locality. Ask the venue or caterer who holds the license for your event, what insurance is required, and whether a cash bar is allowed under it, and confirm the answers in writing.