If you plan to serve alcoholic beverages at your wedding reception (even if it’s only champagne), your venue (at least in my state) will almost certainly require you to hire a licensed bartender for the task.
And this is not a bad thing–if you’re planning to purchase event insurance, having a professional in charge of the alcohol is likely going to be viewed as a responsible move that might keep you from moving to the next tier of expense in the policy you purchase–AND keep service flowing smoothly while keeping an eye on consumption.
Pricing
Check under “services” on Craigslist and search for “bartender.” This will give you some sources, several of which will have probably posted per-hour or per-event prices, so that you’ll have an idea of what is a reasonable cost for an evening of bartending service. If you consider hiring one of these freelance bartenders, do ask for a brief meeting in person, a list of references, and a copy of their licence.
Google “School of Mixology” for your location, and give them a call. They will be able to tell you whether you need a banquet or liquor license as well as a licensed bartender for your event, along with a lengthy list of bartenders, and a good idea of the usual cost. These bartenders are simply the school’s graduates, however, so don’t mistake being on their list as a valid recommendation. Again, you’ll need a meeting, references, and a copy of their license.
The two previous suggestions are given largely as a means of finding out the “going rate” for professional services, not as a suggestion that these are a preferred means of hiring.
Better: Check with your venue to see if they have a list of bartenders that they have used before; if they aren’t substantially more costly, you might be well advised to select one from this list–the venue will already know that they are presentable, reliable, and competent. If you’re using someone from their list, the venue may also offer to make the arrangements for you, allowing you to cross one more thing off your to-do list. If your wedding is being catered, the caterer may have a bartender on their team, or a list of bartenders. However, because many small caterers are family-operated, don’t abdicate the hiring of the bartender to the caterer without meeting the candidate yourself, as they are likely being recommended on the basis of who they know rather than who is best.
Competence
Seriously, you may think, how competent do you have to be to mix drinks?
Everybody “knows somebody who knows somebody” who’s a bartender, that they can talk into serving at your wedding at a cut rate or even free; steer clear of these, even if you know the person. (If it’s awkward, simply say that your venue is providing the bartender.) If your relationship to the bartender is personal rather than strictly professional (and particularly if they are not being paid for their services), this is where you find somebody’s Uncle Charlie behind the bar, good-naturedly pouring too-generous drinks, or rationalizing the serving of older teens who may not be of legal drinking age, by saying “hey, it’s a special family occasion.” Of course you want everybody to have a good time at your wedding, but inappropriately inebriated guests are risky business, both socially and from a liability point of view. How terrible would you feel upon returning from your honeymoon to find out that someone had a terrible accident on their way home? (Or on top of it, that their family plans to sue?)
You should meet with your prospective bartender briefly in person prior to reserving them for the date (unless blue hair, multiple ear and facial piercings and a smattering of tattoos happens to fit with your wedding theme). Just meet for a cup of coffee, your treat. Ask them to come to the meeting prepared to provide you with a copy of their license and not less than 3 references for events they have worked previously. (If they haven’t worked 3 parties or events, they don’t have enough experience.)
Ask them:
• How long have you been a licensed bartender? How often do you work this kind of event?
• Ask if they have a problem with keeping the liquor measurements moderate in spite of possible requests to the contrary (just smile when asked for a double and make it a single); if they can good-naturedly turn down teens who can’t provide I.D.; if they’re able to be aware of guests who are refilling every five minutes (“Back so soon? I guess we’d better make this a TALL one,”); and if they can tactfully manage to cut off guests who have clearly had too much. In other words, can they manage their clientele without being confrontational?
Reliability and Common Sense:
• DO CHECK THEIR REFERENCES. Ask if they showed up timely? Dressed appropriately? Didn’t “overserve” guests? Were friendly and attentive? And basically, would the person consider them an asset to their event? Would they use them again? Don’t assume that because they seem “nice” that the references are going to be favorable or are even legitimate–pick up the phone and check. (Yes, I’ve encountered made-up references.)
• Apparel. It’s most common to ask for black slacks and a white shirt or blouse for servers at weddings (nothing too low-cut for women–it’s a wedding, not a club), and these are items that most people usually have in their wardrobe.
• Try to keep your bar menu simple–some beer, wine, and well-drinks, with perhaps one “featured cocktail” that can mixed in large batches–nothing hand-shaken, it’s simply too time-consuming. Your bartender might have suggestions for special cocktails in wedding-matching colors or with names that can be “personalized” for your event–such as a “Kellypolitan” or a “Sarah Sling.”
• Equipment. Do they plan to bring a corkscrew, bottle opener, etc? It’s best to ask them up front so you can bring them yourself if they don’t. (In fact, it’s best to toss them in your “kitchen” box and bring yours along anyway, just in case.)
• Pre-event duties. Would they mind helping fill water glasses before dinner, while the ceremony is going on? Would they mind setting up their bar area (you provide tablecloth, glasses, lemons & limes for them to cut up, etc.)?
• Gratuity issues: absolutely no tipping (or tip jars!!) at a wedding reception. Agree on a 20% gratuity to be added onto their fee for the evening, and give them their check when they arrive. (Even after agreeing and receiving the check, one bartender–who had brought no other equipment–horrified the hosts by displaying a huge tip jar on the small bar, and feigned amazement at the insistence that it be removed.)
• After-event duties. Ask them to stay on for a brief period (one round or half an hour) after the couple departs, before closing the bar. There won’t be that many takers, and they can probably begin closing up shop during this time. Ask them to check with a designated person (such as the mother or father of the bride) when they do plan to start closing down. They are not expected to break down or clear away the bar, but DO stipulate that all remaining liquor is to be capped up and boxed up for the hosts to carry away during cleanup. (You’d think this would be a no-brainer, but one bartender threw away all the lids to the half-gallon bottles of all the liquors upon opening them, and the bride’s family was left to cover the bottles with plastic wrap and go begging for rubber bands to secure the makeshift “lids” for transport.)
• Waving flags:
If the bartender asks if “a friend” may accompany them, perhaps to “help out,” the answer is no. Do they doubt they can handle the bar by themselves? (Are they a professional or not?) If their concerns are reasonable, arrange for a “helper” (opening wine bottles, serving soft drinks or fetching ice) from within your “wedding help team” or your catering staff. The bartender will understandably need additional hands at champagne-toast time, when all the guests need a glass at the same time–you should have the announcer tell the Best Man or Maid of Honor before announcing the toasts, so the wedding party might help with this task. But as to simply inviting a friend along–the bartender’s attention needs to be focused on your guests, not on one of their own. (I make such a point of this after experiencing a bartender who brought a large, surly-looking boyfriend who leaned against the wall next to the bar with his arms folded and a scowl on his face, prompting several people to ask the bride and her parents if he was “security,” and if so, why was “security” needed? Embarrassing!)
There is a certain amount of liability that comes along with being a licensed bartender, so pay attention to who is really behind the bar. One bride happily chirped up that the Best Man was a bartender and had volunteered his services for the evening. This seemed reasonable–until we noted that while the Best Man jovially served drinks, there was an unidentified man sitting back behind the bar: turns out the Best Man was NOT a licensed bartender, but his brother was–and was standing by, license in pocket, in case an issue arose. This bride had even produced a “photoshopped” copy of the brother’s license, altered to the name of the Best Man. When we questioned the “extra man,” the truth came out, and the Best Man was sent off to join the festivities while his brother stepped up to man the bar. If a liability issue had arisen after the fact, the unlicensed status of the Best Man would have voided the terms of the event insurance, leaving the bride (who had rented the venue) responsible and liable.
So there you have it–some things to consider to be sure that your choice of a bartender is legal and will have a pitch-in-and-help attitude, and the experience to pleasantly take care of your guests while taking care of your event at the same time. Cheers!
04.13.09
