Our Top (Bar Related) Tips for Your Wedding Day
So, you’re engaged (congratulations!), and now you’re trying to figure out all the different elements involved in making your wedding day the best it can possibly be. Each individual wedding day cog has its own subset of options and decisions to be made. We’re here today to help you with the bar part.
The bar is an important element of your wedding day and one with the ability to vastly add to making your day special. By considering our top tips below, you will have all the inspiration and information needed to make sure your wedding bar delights you and your guests from beginning to end.
Wedding Bar Top Tips
Here’s a quick round-up of our top tips that we will be covering in detail:
The obvious one - Hire a professional bar
Get the styling right - Make sure the bar suits your theme/look
Allocate enough space - don’t underestimate how much the bar will need
Allocate the right space - don’t put the bar next to the DJ
Don’t forget the practical bits
Have the bar open from the very start
Check the menu prices
Check the menu selection
Get a great drinks package
Serve or offer signature drinks
Get the cocktails right
Serve a welcome drink
Don’t forget the kids (and designated drivers)
Don’t forget to have fun & be in the moment
TIP #1 - THE OBVIOUS ONE - HIRE A PROFESSIONAL BAR!
You knew this one would be in here, and for good reason. Organising a wedding is a complex and sometimes stressful task, meaning minimising stress is a big priority both for the run-up and the day itself.
Anything you can do to lighten the load and have time to enjoy your engagement, and the big day, is so important! There are so many reasons to hire a bar for your DIY wedding.
Creating your own bar sounds like fun, and we’ve certainly seen some fab DIY bars, but, to create something good takes a lot more time and expense than you’d expect and when it comes to stocking it with alcohol you will be surprised with how much money you run into (we’re easily talking hundreds). And that’s before you even get into the barware itself, glasses, and extras like straws and ice. Oh, and who’s going to man it on the day?
But, fear not, you need not go through organising any of the above if you hire a great mobile bar instead! We take care of absolutely everything, all included in our booking fee, and for that, you get a beautiful mobile bar, stocked with all the drinks you can wish for, and a team of bar staff who care more than anything about you having a great time. This is far less stressful and much more cost-effective than the DIY option.
TIP #2 - GETTING THE STYLING RIGHT - MAKE SURE THE BAR SUITS YOUR THEME/LOOK
You’ve most likely put a lot of time into styling your wedding space or paid a stylist to help you do this. Either way, you’ve picked a colour theme, selected the flowers, picked the table design and many more details, to ensure your space feels and looks exactly the way you want it to on the day, so make sure your bar compliments and even enhances your space, too.
For many people, the bar is more of a practical tick box to check, but actually, the bar takes up quite a large area within your reception space and so you want to make sure it looks amazing too! We take great pride in the quality of finish and styling of our bars and give couples the option to decorate them in keeping with their style, too.
TIP #3 - ALLOCATE ENOUGH SPACE - DON’T UNDERESTIMATE THE SPACE THE BAR WILL NEED
For a bar to cope with the volume of guests, it needs to be big enough not only for all of the equipment and stock but also for multiple staff to work behind it at the same time. You then also want to allow for enough room for your guests to stand at the bar ordering drinks and also near the bar talking and mingling.
TIP #4 - ALLOCATE THE RIGHT SPACE - DON’T PUT THE BAR RIGHT NEXT TO THE DJ
It might sound logical to put the bar right next to the DJ/dance floor as it creates a party ‘area’ but whilst you and the bridesmaids will be throwing shapes around the floor lots of your guests won’t want to dance, or at least not all the time.
So, where do you find the non-dancers? Stood at or near the bar, talking and catching up with old friends and family. If you put the bar right by the DJ and dancefloor then those guests won’t be able to hear themselves think, let alone hear each other talking. By creating a bit of distance between the two you create the perfect option for both types of guests.
TIP #5 - DON’T FORGET THE PRACTICAL BITS - LIKE ELECTRICITY, WATER AND AS A BONUS, WIFI!
Us mobile bars can cope without all of the above if we have to, but we would need to know well in advance. Ideally, we need access to electricity and water, but there are other things like wifi that are a bonus for running card machines (these can run of phone signal, though). Make sure your bar provider knows the setup and facilities access when you book.
TIP #6 - HAVE THE BAR OPEN FROM THE START
You’ve had the ceremony, and now we are onto the venue. Although you will likely be serving a delicious welcome drink whilst you have your photos, your welcome drink is bound not to tickle everybody's taste buds.
Also, some of us drink, well, a little bit faster than others (we all have one friend who can blink and their drink will have seemingly evaporated), and may want to get another drink. With that in mind, its good to have your bar provider open and serving right from the off, so that everybody has the option to get themselves a drink at the bar if they like.
TIP #7 - CHECK THE MENU PRICES
Before you book, make sure you check the prices that the bar will be charging on their menu on the day. Most mobile bars are very reasonable, and like us, their prices will reflect those that you would expect in a normal bar or pub. There are some, however, who cash in on the lack of alternatives that your guests will have and charge a premium.
TIP #8 - CHECK THE MENU SELECTION
Given the nature of a mobile bar, some offer a limited menu, and it’s not always a given to have a never-ending spirit selection or things like cider/lager on tap. They will, of course, offer bottled cider/lager alternatives, and so if that’s ok with you then fab! Just don’t automatically expect it.
We offer draught beer/cider options on all of our bars and also as wide a selection of spirits as we can carry, and if you have any specific requests or must-haves, then just let us know when you book.
TIP #9 - GET A GREAT DRINKS PACKAGE FROM YOUR BAR PROVIDER…
…THEY’LL LIKELY BE WAY MORE REASONABLE PRICE-WISE THAN YOU THINK!
You’re probably thinking that sourcing your own table wine or toast drinks, for example, would be cheaper to do yourself, but bars get great prices on a wide selection of wines, and often offer table wine and toast drinks for your wedding breakfast really cost-effectively.
You will also then get glasses, service and clear up all included in the price, which you don’t get if you DIY it, making it a lot less hassle for you and meaning you don’t need to worry about glass hire costs or who’s going to pour the fizz before the speeches.
TIP #10 - HAVE A SIGNATURE DRINK
They say that an experience, such as a wedding, should be experienced with all of the senses, and that doesn’t have to start and end with the food! A fun way to add character to your big day and enhance everyone’s experience is through personalisation, and one great way to do that is to have your bar provider create you a signature drink.
You could have a couple’s drink, one for each of you or perhaps even a signature collection of drinks. However many you choose, we create these based around your favourite drinks and flavours, and create a separate, personalised menu on the bar for your guests to order them from.
You could also choose to serve a signature drink as your welcome drink, for example, so everyone gets to experience your personalised cocktail.
TIP #11 - SERVE A WELCOME DRINK
After the ceremony, there will be a period of time where you are having photos taken and your guests are mingling, jumping in front of the camera when you tell them to, and then carrying on their conversations in between.
Some guests feel a little unsure what to do with themselves during this time, and so this is the perfect moment to roll out the welcome drinks! There is something that automatically makes you feel less awkward when you have a glass to hold, isn’t there?
Welcome drinks are also a great way to refresh guests after sitting still, potentially in a warm place through the ceremony. Plus, what says ‘let the celebrations commence’ more than a cold glass of fizz or a fresh fruity Pimms?
TIP #12 - HAVING COCKTAIL RECEPTION DRINKS? BALANCE PRACTICALITY AND FLAVOUR WITH GLITZ AND GLAMOUR
Cocktails are very popular reception welcome drinks, and for good reason. What is more refreshing for guests on a hot summer’s day than a crisp, cold and minty mojito?
Understandably, you’ll want these cocktails to look the part too. Whilst a beautiful cocktail is all we would ever serve, it is also important not to get too carried away with elaborate visuals, and balance looks with delicious flavour and practicality.
For example, making cocktails is a lot more involved than popping the cap on a beer. The time needed to create 70 cocktails, to be served all at the same time is much greater, but you want to make sure the cocktails made first are as fantastic looking and tasting as the ones made last. To do that, a simple, elegant cocktail is a winner.
Your bar provider will be able to advise you on the best types of cocktails that look and taste great whilst still being practical to make for lots of people all at once.
TIP #13 - DON’T FORGET THE KIDS AND THE DESIGNATED DRIVERS!
An easy mistake to make, but make sure you’ve got something for those who can’t have the booze. What’s more, make sure its something that feels equally as special as that which you’re serving to the alcohol drinkers.
Serve a mocktail as well as a cocktail for example, or, one thing we find popular with our couples is having a big Kilner drink dispensers filled with alcohol-free punch. This is fun for the kids and easy for adults to enjoy too.
