Don’t Break the Budget with an Open Bar
(fun, cost-effective ideas on how to stretch your alcohol budget)
Want to provide an open bar for your guests, but don’t have a massive budget? These clever, cost-effective ideas will save you a bundle on alcohol for your reception. Your guests look forward to the party at your reception, and with these suggestions, you won’t disappoint! Instead of buying lots of types of liquors, wines, beers, and mixers and having to hire a bartender, try one of these festive alternatives!
Margarita Machine
Guests will rave about the delicious, frozen drinks from a margarita machine. Margarita machines are actually very reasonably priced and the company will come and set it all up for you. The machines come with the margarita mix and all you have to provide is the tequila or liquor of choice. Most machine companies offer lots of drink options like pina coladas, blue hawaiians, strawberry daiquiris, hurricanes, etc., plus several different flavors of margaritas. If you live in the Coastal Bend, I recommend Margarita Man https://www.margaritaman.com/.
Signature Drinks Only
Instead of providing all types of liquor at an open bar, consider picking two or three signature drinks to serve. The bride and groom should both pick their favorite drink and maybe one more. Narrowing the choices down will save money on buying ingredients and reduce waste and leftovers. It also allows you to pre-make the drinks and have them ready in drink dispensers instead of hiring a bartender. You can come up with creative names for the drinks to add to the fun such as “Mint to be Mojito” or “Love Potion.”
Sangria Bar
Having a beach wedding? A sangria bar is the perfect refreshing drink for your reception. You can pre-make both white and red sangria, have fresh fruit and herbs for guests to garnish their drinks with, and voila, you have a delicious and beautiful drink station! My favorite white sangria has moscato, champagne, white grape juice, and white rum. A classic red sangria has sangria wine, triple sec, and dark rum. Fruits like oranges, grapes, strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries add gorgeous color and amazing flavor.
