Wedding bar planning generally starts 3-6 months out with booking your bartending service and choosing a bar style, then narrows down to alcohol quantities and a signature cocktail 6-8 weeks out, and finalizes final guest count and timeline details in the last two weeks before your wedding day.
3-6 months before: book your bar service and set your bar style
Peak wedding season in the Denver metro (May-October) books up fastest, so booking your bartending service early protects your date. This is also the right time to decide on your overall bar style — full open bar, beer and wine only, a dry/mocktail bar, or a hybrid — since it shapes every decision that follows.
2-3 months before: confirm venue requirements
Check your venue contract for any bar-specific requirements: proof of liquor liability insurance from your bartending service, restrictions on outside alcohol, load-in/load-out windows, and whether tip jars are permitted (some venues require gratuity to be built into the bar package instead due to local liquor-service rules).
6-8 weeks before: plan your cocktail menu and estimate quantities
This is when to finalize a signature cocktail (or two — one per side of the couple is a popular option), decide on your beer and wine selections, and use an alcohol calculator based on your expected guest count to estimate how much to buy. Round up slightly rather than cutting it close.
- Choose 1-2 signature cocktails
- Select beer and wine options
- Run your guest count through an alcohol calculator
- Decide open bar vs. limited bar (beer/wine only for part of the night)
2-4 weeks before: finalize staffing and logistics
Confirm your final bartender count based on your latest guest count, share your day-of timeline with your bartending service (cocktail hour start time, reception length, any toast timing), and confirm delivery or pickup arrangements for the alcohol itself.
Day of: what to expect
Your bartending team should arrive with enough buffer to fully set up before your first guest arrives at cocktail hour, run the bar through your reception, and handle breakdown at the end of the night — leaving the venue exactly as they found it.
Frequently asked questions
Should we do a signature cocktail or a full bar?
Both work well — a signature cocktail adds a personal touch without requiring guests to choose from a long list, and pairs fine alongside a simpler beer/wine/well-liquor bar. A full craft cocktail bar gives guests more choice but calls for slightly more staffing to keep service moving.
How far in advance should we book our wedding bartender?
For peak wedding season (May-October), we recommend booking 3-6 months out to guarantee your date. Off-season and weekday weddings often have more flexibility.
Who handles picking up the alcohol?
In most arrangements, the couple or a designated family member/planner handles the alcohol purchase and delivery to the venue, since the bartending service typically supplies staff and equipment rather than alcohol itself.
What if we want a dry (non-alcoholic) wedding?
A full dry bar with crafted mocktails is a great option and still benefits from professional bar staff and presentation — ask about a dry bar / mocktail package specifically.