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AIBU?

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Original poster

Please help urgent advice needed re wedding bar!!

104 replies

Weathergames · 20/01/2015 21:21

Oh wise ones I need your advice pretty please!!!

My friend getting married in a private house and has bought a load of booze and was going to have an honesty bar.

10 days before the event the venue has told her she is not allowed an honesty bar as she needs an events licence which she has no time to do now.

I said have a collection and get the best man to diplomatically/amusingly incorporate it into his speech?

Any suggestions?

TIA

OP posts:
TabbyNicki · 20/01/2015 21:47

Sell raffle tickets for £2/£1.50/£1 each then each drink will 'cost' a raffle ticket. Simple

Someone can 'sell' the raffle tickets on site

KnackeredMerrily · 20/01/2015 21:53

Yes - just have a wishing well at the bar, get the wedding party to advise. Enlist someone to stand next to bar for the first hour.

Didn't they put it in the invites? Confused

Stealthpolarbear · 20/01/2015 21:58

Put a bottle of it it's on each table and then charge an extortionate corkage fee?

LynetteScavo · 20/01/2015 22:02
Grin
Stealthpolarbear · 20/01/2015 22:03

Spirits not it it's

kormachameleon · 20/01/2015 22:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

AgentProvocateur · 20/01/2015 22:11

I know this notion regularly divides MN, but I wouldn't charge for drinks at a wedding (or expect to pay, if I were a guest).

PatriciaHolm · 20/01/2015 22:26

They can get a Late TENS (temporary events notice) up to 5 working days in advance, would that work?

You can't get round it by asking for donations for the alcohol either, that counts as sales. If they are providing entertainment, that will need a TEN too (you can apply for alcohol and entertainment on the same one)

itsmeitscathy · 20/01/2015 22:58

If you raffle booze I'm pretty sure you can't open it on the premises so raffle tix won't work.

Scholes34 · 20/01/2015 23:08

We sold cream crackers for £1.50 and you got a free glass of wine.

MidniteScribbler · 21/01/2015 07:53

Guests are supposed to pay for drinks at a wedding now? Yuck, tacky.

DealForTheKids · 21/01/2015 07:56

Hardly anyone has a free bar nowadays...! Are you American? It seems much more common over there.

Love the cream cracker idea Wink

Oodbrain · 21/01/2015 07:58

I've never been to one with a free bar.
Though here we often have small day do and large night do which MN disapproves of too.

BringMeTea · 21/01/2015 07:58

I believe MOST people do provide a free bar at weddings. However, as OP is not, then a wishing well would serve a useful purpose in this case.

PicaK · 21/01/2015 08:01

Suggested Donations of x for beer, y for wine, z for spirits?

BringMeTea · 21/01/2015 08:02

Sorry, actually probably not most but many. Aussie friends are literally Shock when they hear that not all UK weddings have a free bar. Smile

EdSheeran · 21/01/2015 08:03

In my culture, paid bars are an incredible faux pas. It is never done. In fact, until I once went to a wedding of someone from a different background, I had no idea that people were ever asked to pay for their booze at events! I don't know if it's my own experiences talking but I find the idea of a paid bar a bit cheap. I recently went to a wedding where bar was open but you had to pay for spirits, I thought that was a better compromise.

Brummiegirl15 · 21/01/2015 08:04

Alcohol cannot be sold unless you have a personal license holder for the sale of alcohol by retail (Which I have) and yes you then need a premises license (or temp event notice)

Might be worth checking to see if any of your guests have one as they are valid for 10 years.

I see this all the time - people buy booze cheap and want to them sell it to make their money back. But you need the necessary license so I would be surprised if council agree to just donations

You can of course give it away no problem and require no licenses at all Grin

dynevoran · 21/01/2015 08:04

Scholes that is genius!

Rockinghorse123 · 21/01/2015 08:04

scholes idea is genius Wink

MidniteScribbler · 21/01/2015 08:08

I'm Australian, so it does seem incredibly weird to us. I've never been to one with a guest pay bars. Surely people can supply at least beer/wine/soft drink?

BringMeTea · 21/01/2015 08:13

midnite thank you for propping up my Aussie friends' anecdotal point! We had a free bar. You do need to budget for it I think. However don't wanna piss on OP's friend's parade. Grin

Bunbaker · 21/01/2015 08:22

"We sold cream crackers for £1.50 and you got a free glass of wine."

We used to do strawberries and Pimms at the school summer fair. You paid for the strawberries and the Pimms was free.

rubybleu · 21/01/2015 08:31

I'm Australian and planning my wedding here and we have had to go totally off-piste in terms of planning because we didn't want an evening reception. Asking people to pay for drinks is rude beyond comprehension for Australians!

Roussette · 21/01/2015 08:36

I think if they are allowed to take in drink without paying corkage, they ought to think themselves lucky and pay for the booze themselves. Asking for donations is a bit naff I think. £10-£15 a bottle is normal for corkage and I doubt they've paid that for each bottle they've bought.

I haven't been to a wedding without a free bar for a very long time. But it hasn't been a normal bar where anyone can order anything. Just cider, beer, red or white wine and water type thing. Depending on numbers and depending on how good a deal they got on their drink, unless they have hundreds of people, they might be able to get away with £250 or less. I had a function I had to organise a year ago and it was 65 people and with clever shopping for the drink (real ale, wines) cost me less than that and there was loads for everyone.