Decide what you want to host
A host-paid arrangement is often discussed as an open bar. Start by describing the part of the occasion you want to cover: arrival drinks, a particular selection during the reception or another agreed service. The useful question is what the host is buying and how it will work.
Write down the drink categories and the proposed serving times together. A short reception and a longer evening are different briefs, even with the same guest list. Include any other drinks already supplied by a venue, caterer or separate supplier.
Make the limits understandable
- Agree the actual selection and quantities or package limits.
- Confirm the service period and any minimum-spend condition proposed.
- Decide who can authorise changes or additional charges.
- Ask what happens when an agreed limit or serving period is reached.
- Explain whether guests can buy other drinks separately.
Separate the starting figure from the arrangement
Alcohol packages are published from £3 per person, but no drink quantity or duration is established by that figure. Use the pricing guide to understand its scope, then request a proposal for the actual selection and event. Do not build a hosted-bar budget by assigning an allowance that has not been agreed.
Brief guests and suppliers consistently
If only certain drinks or a specific part of the event is hosted, make that clear in the guest information. Give the venue and bar team the same description. Where the arrangement changes later in the day, agree how the change is communicated and who handles questions.
The final proposal should connect your hosted selection with the bar, staff, equipment, hours and complete total. It should be easy for the nominated event contact to understand without making decisions on the host’s behalf.