This post is part of a recurring series here on BSB – we share a wedding budget tip every Tuesday to help you save money on your wedding! You can also see past posts (and a sneak peek at what’s ahead) on this wedding budget tips page for your convenience and future reference.

Wedding Budget Tip #31:

Close the bar early.

Close the bar early. #weddingbudgettip
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If you do opt to serve alcohol at your wedding, one way you can attempt to keep costs in check is by setting a limit on the amount of time you leave your bar open. You can always have the bartender close up shop an hour or so before the end of the reception in order to give people a bit of time to sober up prior to leaving your venue. Not only is it a good idea for the wallet, but probably a good idea for safety as well.

If you’re at a venue where you are offering a bartender to make drinks for your guests, you can ask the staff to leave the bar open as long as you’d like it, even if it’s just for cocktail hour and nothing more. It’s your day, your family and friends and your budget, so figure out what works best for you.

As an alternative to keeping the bar open until the very end, you could instead bring out a coffee cart with flavored coffees for your guests to create their favorite blend. You could even serve hot donuts as a sweet send of treat to accompany the coffee. I’m betting that the booze wouldn’t be missed!

So tell us:

would you close the bar early?

Leave a comment below and let us know!

Want more wedding budget tips? Come back next Tuesday for the next post in this series.