How to Buy Your Own Alcohol for a Wedding

Step-by-Step Guide

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   Step 1: Consult your guest list to get a good head count estimate of how many will be drinking.

   Make sure to only count those who will be over the legal drinking age (21 in the United States, 18 in most other countries) at your wedding since they will be the only ones drinking alcohol.
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   Step 2: Hire a bartender to serve the alcohol by contacting a local temporary staffing agency or putting an ad in your local paper and interviewing prospects.

   If you go outside an agency or professional referral source, draw up a contract detailing services expected, prices, and dates.
   
   Have both yourself and your bartender(s) sign and date it.
   
   Search online for free templates. , Traditionally, champagne is provided for toasts, wine is provided for dinner, and hard liquor is available for the dancing reception. ,, If you plan on charging, be sure to consider how guests will pay and how much you will charge for each drink.
   
   Check to see if there is an accessible bank or Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) nearby.
   
   If you think your guests will want to pay via credit card, contact a local rental store to negotiate a rate and rent a credit card machine to process payments. ,, Example: how many cups of beer are in a keg. ,,,,
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   Step 3: Decide what time(s) during the evening you will be serving alcohol and what types you would like to offer.

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   Step 4: Make a list of each type of alcohol you plan on having available

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   Step 5: considering wine

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   Step 6: hard liquor

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   Step 7: and mixers such as orange juice

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   Step 8: and ginger-ale.

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   Step 9: Decide whether you will charge guests for any of their drinks or provide an 'open bar' where guests are not charged for any of their beverages.

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    Step 10: Tally up how many drinks you expect people to have on average

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    Step 11: considering personal knowledge of your guests and the head count.

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    Step 12: Calculate the number of expected consumed drinks into how many of those drinks are in each unit of the alcohol you plan to buy

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    Step 13: making a list.

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    Step 14: Add cups

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    Step 15: mixing straws

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    Step 16: and napkins to your purchase list

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    Step 17: calculating how many are needed for the total number of guests expected.

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    Step 18: Call your local stores (bulk

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    Step 19: grocery

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    Step 20: and convenience) to see what the costs will be for the quantities you need.

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    Step 21: Choose the cheapest store

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    Step 22: place your order

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    Step 23: and schedule your pick-up.

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    Step 24: Pick-up and then deliver the alcohol to the venue site and let your bartenders know where they can find it.

Detailed Guide

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