Bar & beverage

Wedding bar service contract: open bar vs consumption vs package

The line item that surprises the most couples on a final invoice isn't catering — it's the bar. Three pricing models look similar in a sales conversation but can land tens of thousands apart in cost, and the fine print on corkage, insurance and overtime decides which one you actually got. Here's what to lock down before you sign.

1. Open bar, consumption bar or package — what you're actually paying for

Bar contracts almost always use one of three pricing models, and the contract should say which one, explicitly. An open bar (or "per-person hourly") charges a flat rate per guest for a set number of hours, drink type included, and it's the easiest to budget because the number can't move. A consumption bar bills you afterward for exactly what was poured — cheaper if your crowd doesn't drink much, but the final total is unknown until the night is over. A package bar bundles a fixed selection of beer, wine and a short cocktail list into a flat per-person price, sitting between the other two. None of these is automatically the best deal; each shifts the risk of over- or under-estimating consumption onto a different party.

"Which pricing model is this — open, consumption or package — and can you show me a sample final invoice from a wedding our size so I know what the number actually looks like?"

2. Corkage fees and bringing your own alcohol

Some venues and caterers allow you to supply your own wine, beer or liquor to cut costs, but charge a corkage fee per bottle opened and served by their staff. That fee can erase most of the savings if it's high, and some contracts cap corkage by unit while others charge it per guest regardless of how many bottles were actually opened. Confirm whether outside alcohol is allowed at all — many venues flatly prohibit it for liability reasons — and if it is, get the exact corkage rate and how it's calculated in writing, not quoted verbally at the tasting.

3. Liquor liability insurance and licensed bartenders

Serving alcohol carries legal exposure most couples don't think about until something goes wrong. Check that the bar vendor carries liquor liability (dram shop) insurance and that their bartenders are certified/licensed where your state or venue requires it — some venues won't allow service to start without a certificate of insurance on file. If you're supplying your own alcohol and hiring bartenders separately from the venue, this coverage becomes your responsibility, not the venue's, and it's worth confirming who is actually named as the insured party.

4. Overtime, last call and the shut-off clause

Receptions run long. Find out the per-hour overtime rate if the party extends past the contracted bar hours, who has authority to approve that extension on the night, and whether it needs to be paid in cash on the spot or gets added to the final invoice. Also check the last-call and shut-off policy — most bar staff are trained (and often legally required) to stop serving visibly intoxicated guests regardless of what you've paid for, and a responsible vendor will say so plainly rather than promise unlimited pours no matter what.

"What's the overtime rate per hour, who approves it that night, and how is it billed — added to the final invoice or paid on site?"

5. Included pours vs premium and top-shelf upcharges

"Full bar" and "premium bar" are marketing terms, not fixed standards — get the actual brand list for what's included at the base price versus what triggers a top-shelf upcharge. This matters most for signature cocktails: if your must-have drink calls for a spirit outside the included list, ask whether that's a flat per-bottle add-on or a per-person surcharge across your whole guest count, since the two can differ by hundreds of dollars.

6. Guest-count minimums and the attrition clause

Package and consumption bars are often quoted against a guaranteed guest count, due a set number of days before the wedding. If your final headcount comes in lower, check the attrition clause — some contracts still bill for the guaranteed minimum regardless of who actually shows up. If it comes in higher, confirm whether additional guests are simply added at the same per-person rate or trigger a different pricing tier. Either way, get the guarantee deadline and the attrition terms in writing so a last-minute RSVP change doesn't become a billing dispute.