Wedding Bar Planning: What to Serve, How Much to Buy & How to Keep It Affordable

(Part 2 of 3)

Essential Wedding Bar Supplies

Welcome to the fun part. 🍸✨Part 1 was the “adulting” side of wedding bar planning (licenses, legality, logistics… yawn but necessary). Now we get to plan the bar your guests will actually love.

Because here’s the truth: A great wedding bar isn’t just about alcohol.

It’s about flow, balance, crowd-pleasing choices, and not creating a line so long people consider filing change-of-address forms. 😅

Let’s plan this the smart way.

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1) What should we serve at our wedding?

The best wedding bars are simple, intentional, and guest-friendly.

You don’t need 37 liquor types. You need a bar that’s:

• easy to order from

• quick to serve

• satisfying for different guests

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2) Beer planning: the “3-beer rule”

If you want to be loved by your guests (and your bartenders), do this:

✅ We recommend 3 beer options:

1. A domestic favorite (Bud Light, Miller Lite, Coors Light, etc.)

2. A craft option (local or well-known crowd-pleaser)

3. An import (Corona is basically the mayor of weddings, and Modelo is a crowd favorite)

Optional add-ons (VERY popular right now):

• seltzers

• non-alcoholic beer

• canned cocktails

✅ PRO TIP

Non-alcoholic beers and mocktails are not “extras.” They’re thoughtful. Your sober guests and designated drivers will love you for it.

3) Wine planning: pair it with your menu (without overthinking it)

Wine doesn’t have to feel fancy or complicated. Think of it like this:

If you’re serving beef or hearty dishes (especially in cooler weather):

✅ include more reds

If you’re serving poultry or fish (especially in spring/summer):

✅ include more whites

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✅ Red wine recommendations:

• Cabernet Sauvignon (classic and reliable)

• Pinot Noir (major rise in popularity and often a wedding favorite)

✅ White wine recommendations:

• Chardonnay (classic)

• Moscato (refreshing, spring favorite, a little sweeter)

• Sauvignon Blanc (top event favorite, especially outdoors and in warm weather)

Summer wine ratio tip:

For outdoor weddings in warm months, we often recommend:

✅ 1–2 reds

✅ 3 whites

✅ COMMON MISTAKES

• Buying only red wine for a summer wedding

• Not planning enough whites for outdoor receptions

• Forgetting corkscrews / wine keys (it happens more than you’d think 😅)

4) Liquor planning: full bar vs partial vs signature drinks

Let’s be real: a full liquor bar is a vibe… but it’s also expensive.

It usually requires:

• more liquor varieties

• more mixers

• more ice

• more storage

• more staff/time per drink

The better value for most weddings:

✨ Signature drinks + basic highballs

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5) The signature drink strategy (his / hers / ours)

This is the best way to keep your bar exciting without destroying your budget.

✅ Typical setup:

• His drink (often bourbon-based)

• Hers drink (often vodka-based)

• optional Ours drink (seasonal or theme-based)

Vodka and bourbon are excellent bases because they’re popular and versatile.

And here’s the magic: If you choose your mixers strategically, you can offer your signature drinks AND support other simple cocktails (vodka soda, whiskey coke, vodka cranberry, etc.) without stocking an entire bar.

✅ PRO TIP

A well-planned “signature drink + highballs” setup can give guests tons of drink options for a fraction of the cost of a full bar.

6) How much alcohol should we buy?

This is where couples either:

1. underbuy and panic or

2. overbuy and end up with enough rum to open a pirate-themed restaurant

We recommend planning based on:

• guest count

• event length

• time of day

• season/weather

• how strong your crowd is (you KNOW your people 😂)

Roanoke Roaming Spirits offers free alcohol estimation calculators that help couples determine:

• alcohol quantity

• mixer quantity

• ice quantity

And for booked clients:

✅ unlimited consultations

✅ menu planning

✅ and logistics support to keep everything smooth

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7) Mixers + ice: the hidden budget items

Couples often budget for alcohol… then get surprised by:

• mixers

• juice

• sodas

• garnishes

• ice (so much ice)

• cups/napkins

• bar tools needed to actually make the drinks

If you’re doing liquor, remember:

Liquor without mixers is just… sad.

And slightly aggressive. 😅

To make this easy, Roanoke Roaming Spirits offers:

• mixer packages (from standard to custom mixes)

• ice services (cooling + consumption)

• custom ice options

✅ COMMON MISTAKES

• Underestimating ice (ice is always the main character)

• Forgetting mixers for liquor

• Buying warm juice and hoping the universe chills it for you

• Forgetting cups/napkins/straws

8) Bar menu signage: not just pretty, actually functional

A good bar menu is one of the easiest ways to reduce bar lines.

Why? Because guests don’t have to:

• ask questions

• hesitate

• debate for 90 seconds

• hold up the line while reading the bartender’s soul 😅

A good bar menu:

✅ keeps the line moving

✅ sets expectations

✅ elevates the look

✅ reduces confusion

Where to get bar signage:

• Etsy templates

• Canva templates

• DIY designs

Or, if you book with us:

Roanoke Roaming Spirits includes custom menu planning, design, and printing at no additional charge.

✅ PRO TIP

Keep your signature drink names + ingredients listed. Don’t make guests guess what it is. (We love creativity, but not confusion.)

9) Don’t forget bar decor (because it always gets forgotten)

Bar decor is almost always last on the checklist.

Couples spend thousands making reception tables perfect and then… the bar looks like a concession stand. 😅

Save money by:

✅ not having your florist do a big bar piece

✅ but planning a few small touches:

• bud vases

• candles

• framed sign

• small themed props

If you don’t want to handle it:

Roanoke Roaming Spirits provides complimentary bar decor for booked clients and makes every attempt to match your colors, theme, and linens.

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10) BONUS: A wedding favor people actually use

Want a favor guests will use and take home?

✅ COOZIES.

Especially for hot-weather weddings, coozies are:

• practical

• affordable

• actually used during the event

• taken home afterward (which is rare for favors)

So if you’re deciding between:

• custom koozies or

• tiny engraved objects no one will take…

Choose the koozies. 🙌

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✅ Quick Wedding Bar Planning Checklist (Save This!)

Here’s your planning game plan:

•  Choose beer options (domestic / craft / import)

•  Decide whether to include seltzers + NA beers

•  Choose wine options (reds/whites based on menu & season)

•  Decide bar type (full bar, partial bar, or signature drinks)

•  Pick 2–3 signature drinks (his/hers/ours)

•  Estimate alcohol quantity

•  Plan mixers + juice + garnishes

•  Plan ice (or book ice services)

•  Design bar menu signage

•  Plan bar decor

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Want help making it easy (and actually enjoyable)?

At Roanoke Roaming Spirits, we help couples create a bar that is:

• budget-friendly

• guest-friendly

• beautiful

• safe and professionally staffed

We offer:

✅ unlimited consultations

✅ bar rentals + kegerators

✅ ABC-certified bartenders

✅ menu planning + free design/printing

✅ mixer and ice services

✅ bar decor assistance

Next up: Part 3 is “Wedding Bar Game Day”

The ultimate day-of checklist (kegs, ice, champagne toasts, hydration, setup timelines, and keeping the bar from becoming the main character).

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD OUR FREE WEDDING BAR CHECKLIST