The wedding bar is more than just a service; it’s a centerpiece that sets the tone for celebration. As couples embark on the journey of planning their special day, the perfect wedding bar becomes a crucial element to ensure guests have a memorable experience. In…
The wedding bar is more than just a service; it’s a centerpiece that sets the tone for celebration. As couples embark on the journey of planning their special day, the perfect wedding bar becomes a crucial element to ensure guests have a memorable experience. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll delve into the art of wedding bar planning, staffing and logistics, creating a visually appealing aesthetic, exploring the budget-friendly option of a self-service bar, and offering recommendations for drink options. We will guide you on the most common mistakes made and what to keep an eye on when creating your perfect wedding bar.
Understanding the Art of Wedding Bar Planning
Choosing the Right Bar Menu
The first step in creating the perfect wedding bar is selecting the right menu. If you are looking to provide all your own alcohol, you want to keep it simple for two reasons:
- Providing too much choice will naturally slow down your wedding bar service
- Having lots of choice will also cost you more in stock
Simplicity is key, with the recommendation to keep the options under eight drinks. Display the menu prominently on the bar top to aid quick and easy choices for guests. If you are adding cocktails to your wedding bar, keep it down to maximum of 5 cocktails.
Buying the Right Drink Ingredients
The success of any drink lies in the quality of its ingredients. Spend where needed, for example you can use a cheaper white rum than Bacardi but if you’re short on mint then your mojitos are going to taste bland. Another key element for your drink ingredients is storage, if you are using fresh herbs make sure they are hydrated and kept cool for your bar.
Do not purchase your fresh herbs days before your event or you will have some pretty sad looking garnishes. Do not underestimate the amount of ice you will need on your wedding bar and it is definitely worth spending a little more on your ice order for a bunch of reasons we will go into later.
Calculating the Right Quantity
Running out of drinks can be a host’s worst nightmare. To avoid this, it’s essential to calculate the right quantity based on guest numbers, demographics, and event length. A formula for drinks per head, per hour is shared, ensuring that you have a foolproof plan for keeping the celebration flowing smoothly. Here’s a great guide for you to calculate how much stock you will need for your perfect wedding bar.
Essential Bar Elements
Often overlooked, water and ice are the unsung heroes of a successful wedding bar. Ensure your bar team is armed with plenty of bottled water for guests, especially towards the end of the event.Never underestimate the importance of having enough ice – the ultimate mood killer is a warm drink.
Additional ice is also required if you don’t have bar fridges to keep drinks cool in storage containers. Look at ice suppliers who can provide 10kg bags of ice on the day to help with storing ice in advance.
Staffing and Logistics
Hiring the Right Bar Staff
The success of a wedding bar heavily relies on the staff. Many caterers may offer bar staff for your wedding bar but ask about their experience, ability in cocktail making and ability to deliver mass drinks. The ability of a bartender to do his job well is based on a few factors:-
Thoughtful Bar Structure and Location
Most couples are interested on the how the bar looks for the customers but do not underestimate the importance of how functional the bar is for a seamless service. Mobile bars need to have storage shelves, ice storage, speedrails, glassware storage and working space on the counter.
Depending on your guests number, your perfect wedding bar needs to consider size, storage space and access for your staff to replenish the bar as well as remove waste throughout service
Ordering the Correct Glassware
Glassware might seem like a minor detail, but it can significantly impact the overall experience. The guide provides advice on selecting the correct glass types for various drinks and the importance of choosing suitable sizes. Consider the amount of glasses you need for your toast, drinks reception on top of your evening bar service.
Creating a Memorable Wedding Bar Aesthetic
Integrating the wedding bar into the overall design aesthetic is an art form. This section showcases unique bar setups with ideas such as printed wedding logos as facias, wedding cocktail menus for your tables and custom wedding bar structures you can hire. The emphasis is on personalisation and unique touches to make the bar a standout feature. Look at how your florist can decorate your wedding bar as well.
Self-Service Bar: A Budget-Friendly Option
Introduction to Self-Service Bars
For couples looking to streamline costs and simplify logistics, a self-service bar presents an intriguing option. The guide introduces the concept, outlining the pros and cons and its feasibility, especially in the era of smaller DIY weddings.
Considerations for Public Venues and Legal Requirements
Before diving into the world of self-service bars, it’s crucial to understand the legalities, especially in public venues. If you are looking to sell drinks at your wedding, you will require a TENS license provided by the local council. TENS license take around 10 days notice. If you are serving drinks but not charging, you don’t require a license.
Safety Measures and Tips for Setting up a Self-Service Wedding Bar
Ensuring the safety of guests is paramount, even in a self-service setup. Practical tips and measures are shared, including the importance of well-stocked sanitisation stations and strategic bar placements to prevent overcrowding. You should also look to not serve drunken guests if they have clearly had too much. Nobody wants to clean up piles of sick at the end of a hard shift. Make sure your perfect wedding bar doesn’t become a nightmare wedding bar!
Drink Options and Recommendations
Look to serve drinks that are quick and easy if you are creating a self-service bar. G & T stations, draught bars work great. If you like complex cocktails hire in a bar team. A better solution if you want cocktails but can’t afford a bar team is canned cocktails. You can offer a diverse range of drinks nowadays with premade options available from the supermarkets.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the guide summarizes the key points for creating the perfect wedding bar experience. It invites readers to explore Mr Flavour’s wedding bar services, leveraging Ali Waheed’s expertise as the Director. The guide encourages couples to craft a memorable wedding bar that goes beyond serving drinks – it becomes an integral part of the celebration, reflecting their unique style and creating lasting memories for everyone involved.
Contact Mr Flavour
Mr Flavour fully customise each of our events exactly to our clients requirements. For a quote from us simply fill out the form with your requirements for your event and we will email you a quote tailored to your interests. We get in touch for all our enquiries in less than 24 hours.
Alternatively give us a call today to discuss your needs and we can start working on some ideas for you