First, we learned all the happy, glossy details about Ashley and J.P.'s December 1 wedding. And that was fun. Now, the news we really want to hear -- about what it was actually like at The Bachelorette couple's "I do"s -- is trickling out, and let's just say the night did NOT go off without a hitch.
One of the biggest snafus: Once ABC stopped filming the couple's wedding at 8 p.m., the open bar closed, The New York Daily News reports. "ABC would only pay for the part they were filming. As the night went on, and production stopped, so did the open bar," says a source. And apparently there had been no post-filming plan for the newlyweds to start picking up the drink tab. Wuhoh ... Thus, guests were suddenly confronted with a cash bar, and they were LIVID. Well ... can you blame 'em?!
I can imagine if this happened to my family and friends or many of my friends' wedding guests, all hell would break loose. It definitely depends on where you live and the culture there, and who your wedding guests are, but where I'm from, people expect an open bar at a wedding. It's a given. And no one cares who is springing for it -- be it the parents of the bride, the bride and groom themselves, or a major TV network -- but they want their free booze and they want it for 3 to 4 hours minimum. That's just the way it is.
When I was hunting down venues for my upcoming wedding, one hotel suggested we keep our budget down by going with a cash bar. Wedding sites like The Knot suggest that all the time, and yes, of course, forgoing a pricey liquor package is definitely one way to keep the total down. It's certainly a smart way to go if you think your guests couldn't care less about drinking, or your wedding is a more low-key, morning or mid-day affair. But if you're going to have a wedding on a Friday or Saturday night and you're inviting people to come PARTY, they're probably going to assume you're footing the bill for the booze.
And in this case, where the wedding was such a high-profile, Hollywood affair, obviously everyone assumed the free drinks were going to flow well past a 5-year-old's bedtime! That said, I'm hoping Ashley and J.P. eventually got the issue resolved for their guests. Because in a case like theirs, expecting guests to cough up for every drink a la carte isn't just a major wedding faux pas -- it's a total buzzkill.
How do you feel about open bar vs. cash bar at a wedding?
Image via ABC
This Hot Dad Wants to Vacuum Your Rug
This Hot Dad Wants to Do Your Ironing
KStew Refuses to Shower
This Hot Dad Wants to Cook You Dinner
Comments 57
Cash bars are just rude. Would you throw a party at your house and expect the guests to pay for their drinks? A wedding is a PARTY that you are HOSTING for your gests. If you can't afford the alcohol tab then don't serve any at all.
If you are going to serve alcohol it should be open bar. If you are not going to serve alcohol fine then don't serve it. A gues should not have to bring their wallet to a wedding. They are a guest. If you cannot afford an open bar, then you do a wine choice or something like that. This is also partially a regional issue. In some parts of the country you would just never have an cash bar.
oh noooo, rich people having to pay for their own booze??? what is the world coming to?? *facepalm*
REALLY??? Whining about not getting free alcohol?? Why do you feel the need to go to a wedding and get drunk on someone else's dime?? That is selfish in itself, and those who whine are more than likely an alcoholic, as normal drinkers could care less about an open bar. I do not drink anymore personally (I grew up), and had my wedding with my husband been a big one instead of a private courthouse ceremony, I would have had it be alcohol-free.