Bar Supplier For Marquee Wedding?

shuffles03

Hi all,

We're having a marquee style wedding this July. Everything is in place and ready to go but the last thing we need to organise is the bar. Our marquee company will be providing the physical bar itself. Can anyone recommend a company that will provide taps, beer, spirits, mixers, fridges etc etc as well as a bartender?

Thanks in advance.

Milly33

Where are you based?

shuffles03

Milly33 wrote: »

Where are you based?

Based in Wicklow but the wedding will be in Co. Carlow

Milly33

Okey doke, we have a great man but his Cork based.

There is On Tap.ie they travel all over the country. Their prices aren't too bad but lets say if you wanted it to be cheaper for the guests it isn't the greatest.. Nice chaps I will say and they have everything.

If you know any local bar too it might be worth asking them would they be interested in running the bar or if there is a local bar.

They could just bring in their kegs and drink as such and their own bar man. If it is a thing were ye are not stocking the bar yerselfs I am sure they would be more than happy to make some extra money for the bar.

shuffles03

Cheers for the advice! Our caterers have suggested All Bar None. I've contacted them but still waiting to hear back. I'll check out your suggestions.

My fiances brother did the same (marquee wedding) back in 2008 and used a local but I distinctly remember there being confusion, annoyance etc etc. It's definitely one area we want to run perfectly smoothly.

Is it standard for a company to provide special drink rates? We'll be providing the bubbly/wine for dinner service etc and were hoping to find a company that would fully stock the bar. We would also put a certain amount on tab for guests.

Milly33

I think the rate is down to them and you really. You could talk to them about the price of it..

As far as I remember now with on tap, lets say we were paying for the drink and then they would charge what we wanted to charge the guests.

You would need to talk to the supplier. The easiest way would be for them to come in and just supply all and charge, but the cheaper option I think lets say for the guests is if you pay for it and then tell the suppliers what to charge for the drink..

With ours what we are doing is like you we have the wine and bubbles well for dinner, and then we are just telling the bad chaps (and if they think they need anything else they will bring it) what drinks we would like. They are stocking the bar and then the takings go to them they pay the staff, and pay for all the drink and if there is any profit as such happy days. We agreed a price beforehand as we didn't want it to be expensive for the guests. It is working out at 4 a drink

I hate when suppliers don't come back to you a pet hate of mine, I found a lot of Cork based suppliers were extremely bad at this..

On tap in fairness came back within a day to me, they are on facebook too.

Pants with the local bar then, the last thing you want is hassle or confusion as to what is what. You need someone you have full faith in and can trust..

caveatemptor1

Hi Milly, Any chance you could PM me the guy in Cork? We are getting married in Kerry and we have kegs from a friends craft brewery but need taps, cooling system and gas etc. We are happy to collect and drop if he wont travel himself!

Milly33

Hello I am not sure he would supply all that, he as such does the bar drinks and has staff to man the bar... Ill ask him there just incase he doesn't want the name passed around to see if he knows someone ill be back to you

caveatemptor1

Milly33 wrote: »

Hello I am not sure he would supply all that, he as such does the bar drinks and has staff to man the bar... Ill ask him there just incase he doesn't want the name passed around to see if he knows someone ill be back to you

No bother if it doesn't suit; I'm we have a few more places on the list to contact anyway so we should be fine!

shuffles03

Received a quote from a company. Just under €2K for setup, glassware and staff hire. No specials on drinks. They only provide craft beers, no Heineken etc unfortunately. Seems extremely steep before alcohol.

Pricing per drink would also be normal bar pricing. Licensing seems like a real grey area. I asked and the answer I was given was, if we provide a full free bar for the night (which we could obviously never do), licence wouldn't be needed. If we were to decide to place a tab for a specific amount behind the bar, once the tab was reached, guests would pay (some sort of donation scheme-very confused about this).

Not sure what to do here. Can anyone explain licensing, donation??? I assume this is a loophole for bar supply companies to skip around licensing? I've literally no idea.

Milly33

sounds like money making.. You can get away with the no licence bit, I'm thinking maybe this is what them mean with the donation bit..

The law is very silly.. lets say they have no licence you as a guest go to the bar give them money for a ticket, then hand the ticket back to them for a drink, hence not directly paying for the drink.. madness...

2k seems like an awful lot without the beer.. I have a price list if you like of what roughly the kegs cost etc if you want me to send it onto you...

Ye could go off and fill the bar yerselfs. With yer own drink and just sell this.. But you are stuck with the taps, fridges.. You could go down the route of renting fridges to store the drink... sounds like a lot but could work if ye have a more laid back approach..

lazygal

My parents were at a wedding with 'donations' accepted at the bar. It didn't work and got very messy, especially with people looking for change or who didn't have enough cash on them. A friend of mine had a marquee wedding and budgeted for a free bar as otherwise getting a license would have been too difficult. She had a very limited selection, white and red wine as served during dinner and Guinness and Heineken on tap. A few spirits under the counter and a few bottles of mixers just in case, but I don't think they were used. Pretty sure she organised it through the catering company.