Please help urgent advice needed re wedding bar!!

[Weathergames]

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

Agh! Lost a long post...

In essence, I've been to dozens of weddings, spanning decades. Not once have I come across an entirely free bar. Beyond wine on the table, welcome drinks and fizz for the toast, guests have bought their own.

These have been grand dos, modest ones, all sorts. Sometimes there's been a sum put behind the bar, but this hasn't been unlimited.

Thanks v much to those who replied to my OP and for the advice, the situation is now sorted :)

For those who read the OP thanks for noting its not my wedding.

Also thanks for all the opinions on bar options at weddings - I think :S, personal choice really depending on budget and type of do/friends.

only read 1st page. does bring your own need a licence? quick email out to guests.

SamG76 that's it in a nutshell - free bar where you know nobody is going to drink to excess is one thing, a free bar where someone might exploit it is another matter.

DH's friends all drink a lot when they're together on work nights or at conferences, at our wedding it was a bit different, lots of people driving or had a long way to travel and even those who weren't travelling far were pretty restrained. But it was far from their default behaviour- it would usually have been a lot wilder than that. (And before I sound too laissez faire about it, in one or two cases his friends really do drink too much and wouldn't have even been at the wedding if they hadn't promised to be on best behaviour - having been exposed to alcoholism via the experience of a work colleague I have fairly low tolerance of of heavy drinkers)