Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston
BYOB Bartending
You buy the alcohol. Shaker brings the bartenders, the supplies, the mixers and a shopping list so you buy the right amount of it.
4.43★on Google, from 14 reviews14 of 14reviews answered$15–$35per guest, publishedDFW + Houstonboth metros served
What is required for a BYOB event?
Two things, and Shaker is explicit about it: bartenders and the supplies package are required for every BYOB event. That is not an upsell. An unstaffed bar with no pour spouts, no ice bucket and no water dispenser is how a reception ends up with a queue, a mess and a liability.
Everything beyond that is your call. Most couples add the liquor mixers package at $7 per guest, because the mixers, juices, ice and disposables are the part of a BYOB bar people forget to price until the week of the wedding.
How much alcohol should we actually buy?
Shaker publishes a shopping list for BYOB clients that answers this by guest count, so you are not guessing in an aisle. It is the single most useful document in a BYOB build, and it exists because the most common BYOB mistake is not overspending — it is buying three kinds of vodka and no mixers.
Bartenders also stock the bar to reduce waste. Keeping the drinks guests are actually ordering within reach, and not opening what will not be finished, is what keeps a BYOB bar cheap rather than just cheap-looking.
Is BYOB actually cheaper than a bar package?
Often, but not always, and the honest answer depends on your guest count and what you want poured. BYOB moves the alcohol cost to you at retail, which beats a per-guest package when your guests drink modestly or when you can buy well. It stops being cheaper when you over-buy, when you need a wide spirits selection, or when the returns policy at your store does not let you take back what was not opened.
A worked comparison is on the pricing page. If your venue requires BYOB, this decision is already made for you.
What Shaker brings to a BYOB bar
- Licensed bartenders, one per 75 guests
- The supplies package, $275: Coolers, Plastic cups, Ice serving bucket, Tongs, Cocktail napkins, Straws and more
- Optional liquor mixers package: Coke, Sprite, Dr. Pepper, Diet Coke, sweet & sour, cranberry, orange, pineapple and grapefruit juice, plus ice, cooler rental and disposables
- A shopping list sized to your guest count
- Bar setup, service and teardown
What it costs
A BYOB event needs bartenders at $50 an hour, one per 75 guests, plus the supplies package at $275. Most couples add the liquor mixers package at $7 per guest, which covers the sodas, juices, ice and disposables.
Bar packages
- Non-Alcoholic Bar — $15/guest
- Beer & Wine Bar — $20/guest
- Specialty Bar — $23/guest
- Premium Call Bar — $27/guest
- Platinum Call Bar — $35/guest
BYOB Bartending: common questions
What does Shaker require for a BYOB event?
Bartenders and the supplies package are required for every BYOB event. Bartenders are $50 an hour, one per 75 guests; the supplies package is $275. Everything else — mixers, ice, glassware, garnishes — is optional but usually worth taking.
The requirement is practical rather than commercial. A bar with no pour spouts, ice bucket, water dispenser or tip jar and nobody staffing it produces a queue, a mess and a liability, and it is the version of BYOB that couples regret.
How much alcohol should we buy for our wedding?
Shaker publishes a BYOB shopping list sized by guest count, so the quantities come from the company that will actually be pouring. It is the most useful document in a BYOB build and the reason most BYOB mistakes are avoidable.
The most common BYOB error is not overspending on alcohol. It is buying three kinds of vodka and no mixers, no ice and no garnishes — then discovering on the day that a bar needs cranberry juice, limes and 200 lb of ice as much as it needs tequila.
What is in the supplies package?
Coolers, plastic cups, an ice serving bucket, tongs, cocktail napkins, straws, pitchers, a serving tray, a tip jar, a water dispenser, garnish bowls and plates, bar towels and pour spouts. $275, and required for BYOB events.
What is the liquor mixers package, and do we need it?
$7 per guest for Coke, Sprite, Dr. Pepper, Diet Coke, sweet and sour, cranberry, orange, pineapple and grapefruit juice, plus ice, cooler rental and disposables. Most BYOB couples take it, because sourcing and chilling that list yourself is a day of work.
On a 150-guest wedding it is $1,050. Buying the equivalent at retail is cheaper on paper; the cost you are actually paying to avoid is transport, chilling and having the right nine mixers on hand rather than eight.
Other services
Wedding Bartending
The full bar for your wedding day: package, staff, supplies, signature cocktails and clean-up.
Bartenders & Bar Staffing
Bartenders, barbacks, servers and bussers, hired by the hour.
Specialty & Signature Cocktails
Signature drinks, batched or made to order, with a tasting first.
Non-Alcoholic Bar Service
A proper dry bar, for dry venues and guests who are not drinking.
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