To Open Bar or Not to Open Bar

We've been discussing the pros and cons of the open bar question. Let's start by doing the numbers. Basically, taking a look at all the wedding reception sites we've been to, I think it's safe to say an open bar will run about $30 per person on average in Boston. I came up with this number using this formula:

1 top shelf Martini ($10) + 1 top shelf drink ($8) + 2 glasses of wine ($6 each) = one good time ($30)

Now, if some people have this combo of drinks, they will be plastered. Others will probably have 4 Martinis and still be ready for more. I use this number as a guide more than anything else.

So, figure that 180 people will run a tab of $5400. Add in gratuity ($1080) and now we're up to $6480. Add in bartender fees and we're now at a grand total of $6705.

The fiance and I are in agreement that some sort of open bar is in order, though $6700 in drinks alone seems a bit outrageous. So we ran through the numbers based on a beer/wine open bar and a cocktail hour drink:

1 cocktail hour drink ($8) + 3 glasses wine ($6 each) = $26, or $5841 with gratuity and bartender fees.

So, we're talking an $1100 savings, which in the scope of matters doesn't seem that much. 80% of our guests are coming in from out of town, so we decided to go for the full open bar at minimum to say thanks for making the effort. We hope guests are respectful enough not to double fist Grey Goose Martini's all night. Not every place does a standard open bar figure; many places (almost all we looked at) base the bar on consumption. Just to be safe, we may end up putting a $5500 cap on the bar.

Talk about finances before you walk down the aisle

Wedding planning isn't completely about dresses and favors and flowers. Marriage is a legal and binding contract, and frankly, I feel it's my responsibility to know exactly what that contract entails.  I have never found it difficult to ask the tough questions (I think I may have given my fiance a scare or two doing that, but hey, you gotta know!) but have found some of those questions, especially the what-ifs, to be challenging to answer. 

This article is a worthwhile read on the topic.

Which favor would you rather have?

I am trying to decide between two different favors and need your help.

1. A bottle of make-it-yourself Kahlua (recipe found here on MyOwnLabels.com). Kahlua recipe #2 looks better than #1, though #1 only takes 3 weeks and #2 takes 3 months. I like the bottle-it, label-it with cutesy labels, cork-it and foil wrap-it look. A lot!

2. These adorable little treasure chests (we have a luck theme intertwined in the Boston theme) filled with make-them-yourself truffles and stamped with our initials thanks to our new embosser. Only trouble with this is that you have to make them within a week and they should be refrigerated. Making truffles a week before the wedding is the last thing I will want to do! Another option is to fill them with chocolate gold coins. Do you think that is cute or tacky?

Basically, we are shooting for an elegant-old time-Boston theme. There will be lots of kids at the wedding though, so cordials will not be appropriate for all ages. Your thoughts?