One of the top questions for couples touring our wedding venue: what is the alcohol policy? And it's no wonder given that alcohol is a significant part of every event budget! We have two sets of rules based on the number of people attending your event.
39 Or Fewer People, All Staying On The Property
When you rent our entire property you are welcome to bring and serve drinks yourself. We still recommend a bartender, they are an absolute asset to the atmosphere of any party, they are experts on keeping beverages cold in the heat of summer, and they can keep an eye out for anyone over-indulging. However, when all of your guests are staying with us, that is up to you!
If you rent only a portion of our property, this number is lower. For example, if you rent our Lodge building, you must have 15 people or fewer to serve your own alcohol.
Events With Attendees Not Staying On The Property
When you have an event with guests who are not staying with us, you must hire a pour service/bartender.
Anytime an outside guest comes on to the property, we consider it an event, rather than a property rental.
The pour services we work with are selling you the service of bartending; they are not selling the alcohol itself, so there is no markup. In fact, they generally will let you order from a wholesale liquor store that they work with, which means on the alcohol itself you are actually getting a discount. They will also allow you to source your own alcohol from your favorite brewery and they will take care of chilling it and serving it.
Everything is very transparent in the pricing so you can weigh your priorities: ie - do you want a signature mixed drink?
There are a number of reasons for our requirement of a pour service. First, is for the safety of our venue and our guests. A licensed bartender is skilled in identifying when someone has overindulged and can head off any problems before they occur by cutting that person off. Weddings are a wonderful occasion and we don't want it being ruined because one person celebrated a little too hard.
Second, we know those of us in the wedding industry come off like hard a**es, but when you are playing a major role in someone's (hopefully) once in a lifetime event, you get a little nutty about making sure everything goes well. And for most weddings, alcohol is a pretty big part of the party. I have seen a number of DIY wedding where the drinks are baking in the sun within an hour or two. Not to mention, without a bar service you are totally responsible for supplying, cleaning and collecting your own glasses throughout your event.
The point is, pour services are professionals and they charge a high fee for a reason - throwing a flawless party with drinks cold, flowing and mixed well is a skill that only experience can provide. So lean into it and get excited to have someone treating you like royalty and pouring you drinks all night!