Ask a Question - Creative Bar Solutions? - SARAHJEAN's Purple Wedding by Color Blog

I'm usually good at creative solutions, but I think that since I've been doing SO much planning - all the way from CHINA - my ability to be creative is running low. I need HELP, ladies!!

Here's my problem:

We are on a budget and our original plan for bar was to have butlered cocktails at cocktail hour, table wine made by MIL, drink tickets for 3 bar drinks (beer, rum, rye, vodka), and cash bar after that. We had planned to buy a special events licence which allows us to buy the alcohol and then either give away or resell it.

We then realized that if we purchase this licence, we can't have homemade wine. We instead have to buy it from the liquor cooperation. This would add about $1000 to our budget, which we can't afford.

We thought we had solved this problem by finding a venue that is classified as a "residence". This means we don't have to buy our booze from the liquor cooperation. Unfortunately, we then realized that we can't SELL alcohol without a licence, meaning we would have to have an open bar, again adding about $1000 to the budget.

We thought we could offset this problem by putting out some sort of "donation jar" but, of course, many guests would consider this tacky.

So...there must be a suitable solution! What am I missing??

I used to work with a childrens group (I KNOW, COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FROM ALCOHOL...) but we used to get into this kind of situation on our "Kids Night Out" where we would show a new movie. Technically we couldn't charge anyone to view a movie without going through all the paper work required, so, we charged for something else and the movie was a "free gift". SO maybe your drink tickets could be for a glass, a straw and the napkin, and you can include the alcohol as a "free gift". No one would really notice because the only time you should have to defend it is if someone from the liquor corp. shows up or asks... I don't know if that will help you or not, but good luck!

Wow! That is an AMAZINGLY creative solution!! I'm sure I can find a way to make that work - thanks!!

I hope it all works out for you!

Sometimes the groomsmen don't know what gift to give the couple. Ask them to help host the bar, by contributing $100.

I don't know if this is still a problem for you or if it's even available where you live. But we are getting a Banquet permit. You buy it from any liquor store and it says that you can serve alcohol between certain times at a certain location. We can serve anything and everything. The banquet permit is $10 so check with your local liquor store and see what they offer. Good luck!