Wedding Bar Packages Compared: Bronze, Silver, and Gold

The right wedding bar package should make three things clear: who is serving, what comes with the bar, and what you still need to arrange. A starting price is useful only when you compare the same service hours, guest count and supplies.

BeeHive’s Bronze, Silver and Gold wedding bar packages combine a mobile bar with professional bartending and package supplies. Bartender-only service is a separate option when you or your venue can provide the setup. Here’s how to choose between them and build a realistic plan for your reception.

Wedding Bar Packages at a Glance

Bronze, Silver and Gold all require a three-hour minimum. Prices below are starting prices; your proposal confirms the service window, staffing and event total. Alcohol is purchased separately by the client.

Package	Starting price	Guest guidance and staffing	Menu and bar
Bronze	$750	Up to 70 guests; 1 bartender	Mobile bar, 2 signature cocktails and standard garnishes
Silver	$1,150	Up to 120 guests; 2 bartenders	Large mobile bar, 3 signature cocktails and premium garnishes
Gold	Custom quote	120+ guests; 2 or more bartenders	Custom-styled mobile bar, 4 signature cocktails, premium garnishes and presentation, soft drinks and water, and a Refreshment Station

All three packages include bar tools, mixers, ice, coolers, plastic glassware, napkins, straws, garnishes at the selected tier, setup and breakdown, and a custom printed menu. The main differences are staffing, cocktail count, bar setup and presentation, with additional refreshments included in Gold.

Guest limits are a starting point for planning. A busy cocktail menu, several service locations or a short cocktail hour can change the staffing your wedding needs.

What You Provide and What BeeHive Brings

BeeHive is a dry-hire service. You purchase and arrange the alcohol using a personalized shopping list; BeeHive does not buy, sell or deliver it. Confirm with your venue where it should be stored and when it can arrive.

Item	Bronze, Silver and Gold	Separate bartender-only service
Alcohol	Client purchases and provides it	Client purchases and provides it
Bar	Mobile bar included at the chosen tier	Client or venue supplies it; optional $150 mobile bar add-on
Bar tools	Included	Included
Mixers, ice and coolers	Included	Client or venue supplies them
Drinkware, napkins and straws	Plastic glassware, napkins and straws included	Client or venue supplies them
Garnishes	Standard in Bronze; premium in Silver and Gold	Client or venue supplies them
Soft drinks and water	Included in Gold; available as an add-on for Bronze and Silver	Client or venue supplies them unless separately arranged
Custom printed menu	Included	Not automatically included
Setup and cleanup	Bar setup and breakdown included	Bar work-area setup and cleanup included

If you prefer real glassware, agree who will supply it, collect used glasses and handle washing or rental returns. Client- or venue-provided glassware can be used when arranged; it is different from the plastic glassware included in BeeHive’s packages.

When Bartender-only Service Makes Sense

Bartender-only service starts at $350 for two hours, with a two-hour minimum and $75 per additional hour. It includes bar tools, setup and cleanup, and a shopping list. It works well when a venue already has a suitable bar and you have someone responsible for the remaining supplies.

The optional $150 mobile bar add-on provides the mobile bar only. It does not add mixers, ice, coolers, drinkware, garnishes or other supplies, and a custom printed menu is not automatically included. Compare the complete cost and preparation involved before choosing this service over a package.

Choose for the Busiest Part of Your Wedding

Start with the total guest count, then consider when people will order and how the drinks are made. Beer and wine generally take less preparation than cocktails that need shaking, muddling or detailed garnishes. Mocktails can require just as much attention as cocktails.

• A 60-guest garden reception: Bronze is a useful starting point for a focused two-cocktail menu and one bar. Discuss the post-ceremony rush before settling on one bartender.

• A 100-guest wedding: Silver provides two bartenders and three signature cocktails. Share the timing of cocktail hour, dinner and toasts so service can be planned around those moments.

• A 150-guest celebration: Start with a Gold quote. Its two-or-more-bartender specification is not a promise that two bartenders will suit every 150-guest wedding; menu complexity and layout determine the final plan.

• A venue with a built-in bar: Consider bartender-only service after confirming who supplies ice, coolers, mixers, garnishes and drinkware. A bar counter alone does not cover those responsibilities.

For two bar locations, confirm staffing at each station. For a separate toast, agree who pours and distributes it while regular service continues. Restocking support or a barback should be confirmed in the proposal rather than assumed. Our guide to choosing how many bartenders you need explains how guest count, menu and timing work together.

Extra Hours and Add-Ons

Use these rates to compare the same event scope. Additional service time is billed in full started hours, not prorated, and requires availability and written agreement.

Extra or add-on	Rate	Planning note
Extra bartender-only time	$75 per started hour	Confirm the staffing and extension in the proposal
Extra Bronze, Silver or Gold time	$100 per bartender per started hour	Multiply by the number of bartenders working the extension
Soft drinks and water	$3 per drink	Included in Gold; arrange the add-on for other packages
Refreshment Station	From $125	Included in Gold; confirm drinks and quantities
Slushie Machine	From $215 per station	One flavor and 2 gallons; additional gallons $45 each
Mobile bar for bartender-only service	$150	Mobile bar only; no package supplies or automatic printed menu

For Silver’s two bartenders, one extra hour adds $100 × 2 = $200; two extra hours add $400. Two extra bartender-only hours add $75 × 2 = $150. These are extension charges, not complete wedding quotes.

A slushie station serves one flavor. Two flavors require two stations, with the total confirmed in your proposal. The website describes 2 gallons as approximately enough for 30 guests; actual coverage depends on serving size and repeat servings. You provide any alcohol used in the drinks.

Tips are optional and appreciated. Tip jars require client and venue approval. BeeHive primarily serves Orange County and can travel to select surrounding Southern California areas by arrangement; travel fees may apply.

For the overall budget, list the BeeHive quote, your alcohol purchases, venue charges and any separately arranged rentals. A historical Consumer Reports press release discussed wedding-budget overruns, but its 2016 findings are not a current local price estimate. Your itemized proposal is the useful basis for comparing costs.

A Wedding Alcohol Shopping Example

Package staffing is planned around the event’s guests and service needs. Alcohol purchasing uses a different number: the guests who may drink alcohol. For this example, assume 100 total guests, 80 who may drink alcohol, and three bar hours.

The table compares the calculator’s two inventory settings. Both use a drink mix of 40% beer, 35% wine and 25% cocktails, a 5 US fl oz wine pour, and 1.5 US fl oz of total spirits per cocktail.

Shopping item	One planned drink per drinking guest per hour	Same plan plus one extra drink per drinking guest for the event
Total planned servings	80 × 3 = 240	80 × (3 + 1) = 320
Beer, 40%	96 individual servings; 4 cases of 24	128 individual servings; 6 cases of 24 if buying full cases
Wine, 35%	84 pours; 17 bottles of 750 ml	112 pours; 23 bottles of 750 ml
Cocktails, 25%	60 cocktails; 4 spirit bottles of 750 ml	80 cocktails; 5 spirit bottles of 750 ml

Bottle counts round up after converting the total pour volume. For example, 60 cocktails × 1.5 US fl oz = 90 US fl oz of spirits; a 750 ml bottle holds about 25.36 US fl oz, so the total rounds up to four bottles. Divide the quantities by recipe and spirit type before buying: four bottles in total does not mean four bottles of any one spirit.

These are purchasing assumptions, not recommended consumption or guaranteed demand. The higher inventory option is an alternative to the base plan, not an additional order. Water and alcohol-free drinks are needed for the whole guest list; a separate toast, mixers, ice and garnishes must also be accounted for. With a package, coordinate included supplies with BeeHive instead of buying them twice.

Open BeeHive’s Wedding Alcohol Calculator → to enter your own guest count and menu mix. Our wedding alcohol shopping list calculator and guide provides more detail on turning the estimate into a purchase list.

For broad context, The Knot's average wedding alcohol cost report cites a $2,800 national average from its 2025 study of weddings held in 2024. That is not an Orange County quote or a clean comparison with host-purchased alcohol for a dry-hire wedding. Build your alcohol budget from the actual bottles and brands on your shopping list.

Check the Venue Before Finalizing the Bar

Ask the venue whether outside alcohol and outside bartenders are allowed, whether corkage or handling fees apply, and what insurance or provider documentation it requires. If alcohol will be sold or tied to admission, confirm the requirements directly with the venue and California ABC before making a service plan.

The California ABC licensing frequently asked questions explain that Type 58 permits allow certain retail licensees to cater alcohol off-site and require authorization for each catered event. That is a licensed alcohol-catering arrangement, distinct from BeeHive’s dry-hire model. The appropriate requirements depend on the event and venue.

Plan the bar position, guest queue, delivery access and working space with your venue or planner. For a tented reception, this guide to cocktail bar options for marquee events offers a layout reference from a UK provider; its services and rules are not BeeHive’s. Our wedding bar setup guide covers planning considerations for local couples.

A Checklist Before You Confirm

When	Who coordinates it	What to confirm
Before choosing a service	Couple or planner with the venue	Outside-alcohol rules, required providers, existing bar equipment, glassware rules and access times
During the quote	Couple or planner with BeeHive	Total guests, cocktail and mocktail menu, service start/end, bar locations, staffing, included supplies and add-ons
Before reserving the date	Couple	Written scope, itemized price, 25% deposit, remaining balance and its due date
Before buying alcohol or rentals	Couple with BeeHive and the venue	Final shopping list, storage, delivery responsibility, separate toast, and any glassware collection or returns
Before event day	Planner or designated host with BeeHive	Contact person, setup access, last call, service end, tip-jar approval and who may authorize extra time

A 25% deposit confirms your booking. Your proposal shows the remaining balance and when it is due. Confirm the details before paying so the package, staffing and service window match the wedding you are planning.

To find the right fit, send BeeHive Mobile Bar your wedding date, city or venue, guest count, desired bar hours and any equipment the venue provides. We’ll help you compare the packages or separate bartender-only service and prepare a personalized quote.