When it comes to planning a wedding, it’s no secret that alcohol and entertainment can significantly increase costs. While you want your guests to enjoy cocktail hour, there are a few ways to give them the full experience without breaking the bank. Consider these money-saving tips for your wedding’s cocktail hour.
Choose a Signature Drink
A signature drink is a great way to add personality to your wedding, reduce a line at the bar, and, most importantly, save money! Not only is it fun to create a custom drink, but you can also save money by not having to invest in an unlimited amount of liquor. You can even provide your own liquor for the signature drinks and bring the costs down further. You won’t have to consider your guest’s preferences, reducing the amount of money spent on getting a variety of spirits for the bar.
Stick to Beer and Wine
Sticking to beer and wine is another excellent budgeting tip for your cocktail hour. Your guests likely won’t care that they don’t have a plethora of options to choose from at the bar. Their primary focus will be on celebrating you, not the alcoholic beverage options. Beer, wine, and other refreshments offer plenty of choices to fuel your guests throughout the night.
Bring Your Own Alcohol
If you know your guests don’t like to drink, it would be wise to provide your own supply of alcohol. Buy a few options to provide your guests and hire a bartender to prepare and serve the drinks. It can be costly having a bar with an unlimited amount of wine and spirits. Save some money by simply providing your own.
If you want to involve your guests in the planning process, you can include a survey in your RSVPs about the kind of spirits you should buy. This survey will simply ask guests if they plan to drink at all or what their favorite kind of drink is.
Do a Self-Serve Cocktail Bar
A self-serve cocktail bar is a creative and interactive way to provide your guests with alcohol while controlling the amounts served. You can fill up a few self-serve pitchers with a fruit-infused mix of alcohol for your guests to enjoy, along with other refreshments like lemonade and water.
You can eliminate the cost of a bartender while also limiting the amount of alcohol needed to serve your guests. It also cuts down on costs for materials like wine or martini glasses, mixers, and more.
Hire a DJ for Your Cocktail Hour and Reception
Instead of hiring additional entertainment for cocktail hour that may accrue additional costs, consider adding an hour more for your DJ to play soft music during the time.
A string ensemble or live band may be a wow factor for your guests. However, hiring one means you must account for paying another vendor for their time and labor (on top of your DJ for the evening), including any tips and fees. Make two special playlists—one for the quiet, relaxing cocktail hour and another for the lively and hip-shaking music that will blast throughout the night later.
There are many ways to save money during cocktail hour. From eliminating unnecessary additional entertainment to creating signature drinks and providing your own alcohol, you can effortlessly reduce spending costs while still satisfying your guests.
