01/09/2024
For many, having a bar at the reception is critical. As we hold a liquor license, anyone booked with TBOM must purchase alcohol through the venue to abide by state law. This is a good thing though, let us worry about ordering deadlines and quantities! As you plan your reception, you’ll hear plenty of bar terms; we get a lot of questions about those terms and all things bar related. These terms can be confusing and sometimes misleading so we thought it would be helpful to breakdown a few of the most commonly used terms and include some additional questions below.
How much should we spend on bar? This is completely up to you and your individual budget, if you’re looking for a number, the most recent survey we could find came from The Knot in 2021 and stated couples on average spent $2300 on alcohol for the big day. This survey did not take into account bar hours, guest count, or location though. 10-20% of the wedding budget is standard.
What kind of cocktails can we expect at our wedding? Simple mixed drinks (rum and coke or gin and tonic) are always a guarantee at the Barn. For more formal cocktails, please reach out beforehand to make sure we can get everything on hand, we would need to bring in cherries and oranges for an Old Fashioned or Vermouth and olives for a martini.
Should we do a signature cocktail? A signature cocktail is the perfect beverage for so many reasons and allows you to showcase something you love. If you’re having a large wedding (or a small one), some signature cocktails can be made in batches in advance and by having a ready made drink at the bar and servers tray passing beverages, long lines at the bar can be eliminated. Our favorite Signature cocktails are Huckleberry Vodka Lemonade and Rosemary whiskey sours.
What is cocktail hour? This is a retro term referring to the time before the banquet meal is served. Cocktail “hours” may be shortened or extended based on your specific day of plan, want to save money on bar and H’ors D’oeuvres? Shorten the cocktail hour. Have a lot of pictures to take or are you planning on going offsite for a bit? Extend your cocktail hour and offer more H’ors D’oeuvres to hold guests over until you return!