WEDDING BLOG

The Ultimate Guide to Your Wedding Reception Bar

November 21, 2018 | kailey

Image by Jordan Voth. See more of this real wedding here.

From properly stocking your reception bar to selecting the overall style—there are endless tasks that go into bringing to life a cozy wedding reception, bar included. Let’s be honest, the reception bar is always one of the most popular elements of your wedding—for you and for your guests.

As a general rule, you should plan to allocate about 10 to 20% of your overall wedding budget for your reception bar. That includes all the bartenders, alcohol, mixers, garnishes, tools, fees, tips, and so on. Because the wedding reception bar will take up such a large portion of your budget, you’ll want to thoroughly research and price out your options before committing to one.

This reception planning resource will walk you through everything you need to know about planning for a wedding reception bar—taking into account your budget and wedding style.

Image by Heirlume Photography.

Professional Bar or DIY Bar

There are a few different options to consider for your wedding reception bar, all of which will depend on your venue’s rules, requirements, and your allotted budget. If you’re looking for the most low-maintenance option, a professional bar that’s stocked and staffed by either the venue or a third-party full bar service is ideal. This typically includes marked-up alcohol prices and service fees, but it’s the perfect option for couples who don’t want the hassle of micro-managing their wedding reception bar.

For the DIY lovers looking to save on your wedding day budget, stocking a bar yourselves is a less expensive alternative. You’ll have to decide what types and quantities of alcohol to buy. It may seem daunting, but we’ve got you covered with the calculations below.

Keep in mind that, even with a DIY bar and wedding, you should hire a professional bartender to serve your drinks rather than have a self-serve bar. Depending on your state and venue’s rules and regulations, you may be required to have certified bartenders—be sure to do your research before getting too far down the DIY path.

Or Do Both Professional And DIY Reception Bar Options

For those in-between couples who just want to purchase the alcohol but don’t want to deal with anything else, a bartending service that provides a bartender, rentals, setup, and cleanup is also a great middle-ground option. Whichever type you choose, you’ll want to know which reception bar style you’re looking for before speaking with vendors.

Images by Jessica Jones Photography and I Got Shot by Lisa Marie. See more of this styled-shoot here.

Reception Bar Styles

Open Bar

An open bar is one of the most popular bar styles for weddings. It functions exactly as its name suggests—the host pays a flat rate and the guests can order as many drinks as they like.

Consumption Bar

A consumption bar is similar to an open bar. The only difference is that rather than paying a flat rate, a consumption bar requires the hosts to pay per drink at the end of the event.

Cash Bar

A cash bar requires guests to pay for their own drinks throughout the night—the hosts do not cover the cost. This isn’t a very common reception bar option but could be a solution for couples sticking to a strict budget. Make sure your guests know this ahead of time so they can cover their tabs.

Dry Bar

If you don’t drink, consider a dry bar instead. Simply provide a mix of sodas, juices, flavored waters, tea, and anything else you love—no alcohol required.

Image by Heirlume Photography.

How To Stock A Reception Bar

As a general guide, assume each guest will consume one drink per hour of your reception. Some guests might drink more, some might drink less—that general equation provides a reliable starting point. For a five-hour wedding reception with 100 guests, you’d need to have enough alcohol for 500 drinks.

When picking out alcohol, keep in mind the following standard volume-to-quantity calculations:

Bottle of wine (750 ml) = 5 glasses
Bottle of champagne (750 ml) = 8 flutes
Bottle of liquor (750 ml) = 18 cocktails
Keg (15.5 gallons) = 124 pints

Get More Exact With Personal Estimates

Remember that these are estimated averages to get you started on your planning. If you want to be a bit more thorough with your calculations, go through your guest list person by person and make a note of what type of alcohol they usually drink. Then adjust these percentages accordingly. When in doubt, overestimate. You’d rather end up with extra bottles at the end of the night than run out of alcohol before the reception is over.

Image by Elizabeth Wells Photography.

Additional Wedding Reception Bar Costs To Remember

Corkage Fee

If you decide to stock your own bar, you will likely have to pay a corkage fee for your venue to allow you to bring your own alcohol onto the premises. The fee is charged either per bottle or per person served, so it can add up quickly! Just be sure the corkage fee is stated in your contract before signing if you plan on providing your own alcohol.

Liability Insurance

Whether you’re going with a professional service through your venue or a third party or you’re stocking the bar yourselves, be sure to double-check that you’re covered with liability insurance. If the venue or caterer has insurance, you could be covered. If not, you’ll want to purchase liability insurance in the event there is an alcohol-related incident during or after your wedding. We’ve got everything you need to know about wedding insurance right here.

Tips

If a service fee or gratuity isn’t included in your contract, the general guidance is to tip your bartender 20% of the final bar tab. If a service fee is included, there’s no need to tip extra unless you’d like to.

Physical Bar And Glassware Rentals

If your venue doesn’t have a physical bar, you’ll either have to rent one or find an alternative. Additionally, if you’re stocking your bar yourself, you’ll need to rent glassware either through a rental company or through your caterer.

Image by Epic Love Story. See more of this real wedding here.

Offering Signature Cocktail Options

Having a signature cocktail is the statement piece and we’re all about couples having at least one for their wedding. Wine and beer are great options, but a signature cocktail adds a little personality and fun to your big day.

Image by Alexandria Monette Photography.

Set Up Logistics And Decor

Consider Guest Size and Room Layout

If you’re having a large wedding or your guests will be spread across a huge ballroom, consider having more than one bar. You want your guests to spend less time waiting in line and more time enjoying themselves. Plan for at least two separate bars if your guest list is over 50 people.

Don’t Forget to Add Décor

Now, let’s get to the fun stuff—reception bar decor. Instead of tucking your bar into a corner, make your bar a reception staple piece. Dress the bar in over-the-top floral arrangements or twinkly lights.

Images by Nikk Nguyen Photo. See more of this real wedding here.

Images by Nikk Nguyen Photo. See more of this real wedding here.

Shop bar carts: Handcrafted Bar Cart – Stained Wood Industrial Cart ($625+); Champagne Cart ($351.71); Wedding Champagne Wall ($350+); Boxwood Greenery Champagne Wall ($999.99)

Reception Bar Stocking Checklist

This is where hiring a full-service bar rental company comes in handy. Hiring vendors takes the planning out of your hands and turns it over to a wedding planning dream. Stocking your own bar can be quite the task, but we’ve created a checklist to help you keep everything straight. From the basics to the alcohol, below is the ultimate checklist of what you’ll need to make sure your DIY bar is stocked and ready to go.

There is a lot that goes into the planning of a wedding reception. If you’re looking for more ways to add personalized and unique touches while still sticking to a budget, check out these budget-friendly reception decor items for your wedding.

Image by LAYERS. See more of this real wedding here.

Want to save this list for future reference? Pin this checklist now—and thank us later!

There is a lot that goes into the planning of a wedding reception. If you’re looking for more ways to add personalized and unique touches while still sticking to a budget, check out these budget-friendly reception decor items for your wedding.

Images by Jessica Jones Photography and I Got Shot by Lisa Marie. See more of this styled-shoot here.

The Plant Venue Co was The Perfect Spot for These Urban-Loving Architects to Tie the Knot

November 21, 2018 | Junebug Weddings

black bright red gray kelly green light pink sage green

Tanya and Louis’ wedding at The Plant Venue Co was not only a celebration of their new life together, but was a love letter to the city and to the people they hold dear. As architects and creative spirits, they gravitated to non-traditional spaces that allowed them to truly personalize the feel and the energy of their day. For the ceremony, Tanya and Louis chose The Plant Venue Co warehouse, which provided a raw, industrial, and simple backdrop to which they added wooden benches, hanging greenery, large tropical leaves, and modern handmade signage. After a walk through the city and the sweetest portraits on the rooftop captured by photographer Dean Maber, the couple then invited their guests to Curiocity Hostel for a cozy reception in the indoor courtyard that was filled with even more greenery and eclectic details. We simply can’t stop staring at all the artsy goodness Tanya and Louis managed to infuse into this special day — and the contagious amount of joy that is present in every photo!

The Couple:

Tanya and Louis

The Wedding:

The Plant Venue Co and Curiocity Hostel, Durban, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa

Our journey of love started way before the joyful “I dos.” It started with shy greetings and long tea conversations. Bumping into one another on campus and not wanting to say goodbye. Love began to run deep as we exchanged dreams, shared prayers and claimed promises. From quick hellos to long airport goodbyes, our love has crossed Atlantic oceans, time zones, phone bills and late nights of longing. As we drove away from the ceremony, there was the sweetest moment of silence as we realized that all the years of longing and waiting was worth it.

In principle, we are extremely interested in the thought that no setting or person is ever the same. Nothing that we ever experience is merely spatial or temporal but everything, especially if it has any form of humane connotation, is subjected to a rare form of authenticity and is subjected to growth and constant development. The unification of two people at a wedding is exactly that. It’s beautiful and fragile and fertile and constantly growing. We wanted our day to become a representation of this. A raw and unique unification of two people in a setting that is ever changing (crazy and authentic to say the least) with a promise that is constantly evolving, growing and deepening.

Seeing that both of us are architects by profession and that we are intrigued by the spaces that our African cities offer, we dreamed of an urban wedding right from the start. Being from traditional families, it proved to be an extremely interesting setting. We wanted something that was so simple to play out in such a complex environment and, at times, as we stood in the middle of the Durban city center and glanced at one another while the complexity of the setting was placed in juxtaposition with the promise we made. It was unreal!

The ceremony exceeded every expectation that we had and raw intimacy was shared with guests as we committed all that we are to one another in the space, echoed in every authentic word that was said. After this, the laughter and chatter of guests filled the air and this space was transformed into a colorful setting in which communion was shared.

Instead of writing vows to one another we decided to write vows together. We wanted to lay down promises to our friends and family of what we wanted our marriage to mean for all of us in the space. It was the first words that we said together and we felt that it was significant to share a promise with the closest people in our lives.

From old warehouses, panoramic rooftop views, to locals staring around corners, we celebrated our love as we joyfully skipped through the streets with all our loved ones. We shared our love for the city and all its flaws, with our closest loved ones under balconies and fairy light. Our color palette was the city in all its glory. We combined our love for greenery with the venues natural materials and weathered elements. Raw concrete, exposed steel, and natural timber with hints of white became the backdrop for our special day.

We decided to keep our wedding day fashion classy. Staying true to our everyday style, we created our wedding day look accordingly. Tanya couldn’t resist an intrinsically laced low back dress and Louis had some snazzy black and white brogues to match his dance moves. Her bridesmaids flowed past in gray gold dresses from Vero Moda and were met by his groomsmen in Studio W black suits with African shweshwe bow ties.

We tried to do as much of the creating and planning as we could ourselves. In doing this we tried to embrace the idea of taking what we have seen and relaying it with our interpretation. We physically made so many things together and both of our opinions were constantly placed in front of one another. Both being creatives, it made for some tough communication at times, but it laid down foundations that we are still building on today. In other words, from the groom, we need to all be involved — even if it’s just for an idea or two. We marry to build our own little life together. It’s fun and unique and our own. Let your day become a reflection of this. Also, a carefully selected vendor team in specific areas that understand what you are trying to achieve is essential if you want to do a couple of things yourself.

Processional – “Time of Our Lives” by James Blunt
Recessional – “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” by Sleeping At Last
First Dance – “The One” by Kodaline

The Wedding Team:

Photography – Dean Maber
Ceremony Venue – The Plant Venue Co
Reception Venue – Curiocity Hostel
Floral Design – Marco Zietsman
Catering – Renegade Kitchen
Cake – Corne Greifenstein
Officiant – Pastor Fanie van der Walt
DJ – John Swanson Music
Live Music – Lendel Moonsamy
Makeup Artist – MB Makeup Artistry
Hair Styling – Suzaan Pretorius
Wedding Dress – House of Santos
Bridal Accessories – Black Betty Design
Bridesmaids’ Apparel – Vero Moda
Groom’s Apparel – Woolworths
Groomsmen’s Apparel – Stitched
Rings – Lorean Jewellery
Rentals – Unik Furniture Rentals
Transportation – Car Guys Gauteng

Congratulations to Tanya and Louis, and a special thanks to photographer Dean Maber for sharing this South African wedding at The Plant Venue Co with Junebug! Can’t get enough of this eclectic vibe? You have to see how the artsy and mid-century details in this downtown Paducah wedding at The 1857 Hotel!

Modern Classic Tennessee Wedding at CJ’s Off the Square

November 20, 2018 | Junebug Weddings

dark blue gold kelly green light pink white

Despite their biggest fear coming true, Nashville sweethearts Alyssa and Thomas weren’t going to let rain stop them from having the wedding of their dreams at CJ’s Off the Square. They had planned an indoor/outdoor celebration that played to both their classic and modern vibes and, even though the ceremony location had to be changed, their day could not have been more beautiful. In fact, we think the rain made their day even more romantic! The venue’s talented team of planners and designers helped bring the bride’s ethereal garden vision to life with overflowing arrangements and greenery installations created by The Enchanted Florist, dark wood tables, gold place settings, and a stunning Edison bulb chandelier. From the couple’s tearful first look to their rain-soaked (and super romantic) portraits, photographer Janelle Elise was there to capture every moment of this ethereal spring garden wedding!

The Couple:

Alyssa and Thomas

The Wedding:

CJ’s Off the Square, Nashville, Tennessee

I (Alyssa) wanted the wedding to have a mix of modern and classic elements. I wanted our guests to feel like they just stepped into an ethereal garden with greenery hanging above the tables and white florals overflowing on the sweetheart table. Overall, I wanted it to be romantic and surreal!

Although we think personalized vows are sweet, we wrote each other letters and read them on our own before the ceremony. We liked the intimacy of these letters being just between us. It felt really special. During our ceremony, we said traditional wedding vows, which we thought was really important.

Stay focused on the true reason for your wedding day! It’s easy to get distracted by the long list of things to do and trying to please your friends and family. But, at the end of the day, none of those things really matter. All that matters is the commitment you and your partner are entering into!

I had prayed for weeks leading up to our wedding that it wouldn’t rain on our wedding day. I would tell people that rain is the only thing I was stressed about. It ended up raining on our wedding day, and it was actually wonderful! The rain made the day so much more romantic and fun. After the ceremony, we took pictures running barefoot in the rain, and we wouldn’t have had those memories if it had been clear skies.

Our wedding colors were white, shades of blush, forest green, and navy. We love the cleanness of neutral colors, and we thought blush and forest green would incorporate the aesthetic of the garden and florals surrounding us.

The most memorable part was probably dancing the night away with our friends and family. It was so amazing to have all of our friends and family celebrating our love under one roof. We felt surrounded by love, support, and pure joy.