Texoma Bride Guide | Issue 007 | Summer/Fall 2020

CATERING
SERVING ALCOHOL
If you are planning on serving alcohol at your
wedding, you will want to bring this up with any
venue as you are touring to get an understanding of
their policies. Some venues require couples to hire
their own bartender and an off duty police officer
for security. Others will provide one or the other. If
your caterer can offer bartending services, then try
to work a deal into your catering package. It may be
more economical to supply your own alcohol if your
venue allows it, even if they charge a corkage fee.
If you’ve ever ordered a drink in a restaurant, you
know that mark-ups on alcohol are quite steep, so
you’re better off stocking the bar yourself, if that’s
an option.
The cost of providing alcohol to your guests should
not be overlooked or underestimated. Determining
your booze budget is the first step in deciding which
kind of bar you want to have at your wedding. You
want everyone to have fun but serving alcohol at
your wedding can easily break the bank without
some careful planning in advance.
Purchasing alcohol in bulk from Costco or Sam’s is
an economical choice for couples who want to be
mindful of their alcohol budget. But the costs still
add up. One way to minimize alcohol costs is to
only serve beer and wine, but if your heart is set on
serving liquor, having a signature cocktail or two on
your menu is an economical option.
Bubbles and Brews
If an open bar simply doesn’t fit into your budget,
there are a few other options you should consider
before going straight to a cash bar. You could choose
to have an open bar during cocktail hour, then
switch to wine and beer only for dinner and dancing.
If the cost is still too steep, try to host at least part
of the evening, then switch to a cash bar during
dancing. If your guests want a third or fourth drink,
they’ll be more willing to take out some cash if their
first and second drinks were free.
This is also an appropriate moment to bring up
insurance. Anyone serving alcohol needs to have
liability insurance, including your caterer. If your
wedding guests leave your party after taking
advantage of the open bar and injure themselves, a
third party or damage property, you could be held
responsible. Liability insurance will minimize how
much you’ll have to pay if something goes wrong.
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