What makes the budget vary
Three things weigh most: your guest count, the length of service, and the distance to your venue. Two weddings of the same size can therefore have different budgets.
Benchmarks, per guest
For guidance only, here are per-guest benchmarks, VAT included, with the amount before VAT beside it:
- A cocktail hour: from €20 incl. VAT (about €17 before VAT)
- An evening reception: from €40 incl. VAT (about €33 before VAT)
- A cocktail hour followed by an evening: from €50 incl. VAT (about €42 before VAT)
These are orders of magnitude: they vary with the menu, the length of service, the number of bartenders and the distance, and an unlimited open bar is priced differently.
Cocktail hour or evening?
In general, a cocktail hour costs less than an evening: the service is shorter and there are fewer cocktails. But it depends on each wedding. If there are many more guests at the cocktail hour than in the evening, the trend can even reverse. What really counts is the number of bartenders and the number of cocktails.
Comparing two quotes
Before comparing two quotes, look closely at what each one includes. Price differences often come from the number of bartenders, the length of service, the equipment and the quality of the products. They also come from the bartenders’ experience and the type of service offered.
Read more: what makes your wedding bar budget vary.