You've already booked your wedding caterer, but now you need to figure out the drinks. Hosting an open bar at your wedding is a huge expense. On average, couples hosting a 200-person, four hour wedding reception will spend upwards of $8,000 for a fully stocked, totally complimentary bar. If your jaw just dropped, know that ours did too when we first heard that astounding number. If you're a couple on a budget (and aren't we all?), don't despair—there are plenty of awesome ways that you can cut alcohol costs without totally eliminating the booze. Read on for our top ten ways to save money on alcohol costs at Charlottesville weddings. A fabulous way to personalize your drink selections while simultaneously managing bar costs is to offer one or two "signature wedding cocktails" in lieu of a full bar. We personally love them because they allow you to get creative and add another layer of customization to your day, but more importantly, you'll save tons of money while still giving your guests a little bit of liquor-y love.

2. Serve Only Beer & Wine Another alternative that's hugely popular with the modern bride is to serve only beer and wine. With this option, you can create variety by choosing different brands, labels, and types (try serving a mixture of dark/light beers and red/white wines) without totally draining your wallet. Offer "tastings" of local craft brews & wines; your guest will be so thrilled to try new & delicious drinks that they won't even notice there's no liquor! 3. Skip The Champagne Toast It may not seem like a whole lot at first, but providing a glass of champagne to every guest in the room can really add up, especially if you opt for a quality brand. If you want to limit your alcohol expense without really making it apparent you're trying to cut corners, simply have your guests "cheers" with whatever drink is in their hand. After all, there's no rule saying you have to toast with champagne, and this can save you hundreds of dollars! 4. Use the 1/2 Full Trick

If you have your heart set on having a champagne toast on your wedding day, you can limit costs by employing the 1/2 full trick. At most weddings, the catering staff fills each guests' champagne glass 3/4 of the way full, but all you have to do to cut costs is to request the glasses be filled only half way. Most people don't even drink the champagne or finish it anyway, & we guarantee they won't notice the slight difference in pour. 5. Skip The Bar & Place A Bottle Of Wine At Each Table A great way to include a little alcohol into your wedding celebration without providing a whole bar is to include a bottle of wine or two on each table at the reception. Guests will be more likely to be conservative when they're sharing with the rest of the table, and it's a great way for guests at the table to strike up a conversation. You can also ask the catering staff to keep an eye on the bottles & replace them when they're empty so no one feels gypped. 6. Shorten Your Open Bar Hours

If the idea of making your guests pay for their own drinks at a cash bar makes you cringe (it is proper etiquette for you to provide drinks, after all), you can decrease your expenses by simply shortening the number of hours that the bar is open. best wine in germanyYou'd be amazed how much you can save by closing the bar a few hours earlier! wine ice cream usPlus, this option can give you a feeling of peace of mind by ensuring that your friends and family have plenty of time to sober up before the festivities are at an end.the best wine with chicken 7. Limit Liquor Availability to the Cocktail Hour Make the cocktail hour a real cocktail hour by only providing liquor drinks during this time & switching over to beer & wine for the reception. You can even make a cute sign saying something like, "Liquor up now before we switch to beer & wine!"

8. Pay Per Head, Not Per Drink Some caterers may try to convince you to pay per drink at an open bar, but especially if you know your friends & family love to imbibe, insist that you pay by the head. A single drink can cost you $7 or more, while most per-head catering costs end up being around $20 each for a four-hour reception. This way, you can rest easy knowing your guests can drink as much as they want & you won't need to worry about getting a crazy expensive bar tab when you return from your honeymoon. 9. Eliminate Top-Shelf Liquors From Bar Selections Finally, if an open bar is on your dream list of wedding day must-haves, you can always eliminate the most expensive, top-shelf liquors from your selection list. Most guests won't even notice, there will be plenty of other available options, and it will save you from having to pay top dollar just so your guests can get their drink on. Trust us, pretty much everybody will be too busy enjoying free low to mid-range alcohol drinks to focus on the fact that you skipped out on that $60 bottle of vodka.

10. Host a Day-Time Wedding Guests tend to drink more at night, so consider hosting a day-time wedding, which can help you save money in way more ways than just alcohol costs. For example, most venues offer a discount to couples hosting a day-time wedding because they should still be able to host another at night, and if you serve brunch fare (which everyone loves!), your catering bill will be significantly cheaper. So tell us, what will you be doing to cut down on the costs of alcohol at your big day? Share in the comment section below.RelationshipsWeddingsHow Much Liquor to Buy for a Wedding How Much Liquor to Buy for a Wedding If you’re hosting your wedding in an off-premise facility or your rehearsal dinner at home, you need to know how much liquor to buy. The following table gives the standard amounts needed for a simple bar. Note: Amounts are for 100 guests with a four-hour open bar, including cocktail hour. For ice, figure on 1-1/2 pounds per person;