Last Minute Booking!
When considering a professional bartending company for your event, exactly how much time do you spend researching? Be honest, this is the last vendor on your event checklist. Being in business for almost six years, this has been proven to be true. We have heard numerous of times that booking a bartending company is not that important if they do not have to get a family member to mix the drinks, if they do not have to do it themselves, or have their guests to self-serve themselves. In which case, we can agree to all those reasoning. Most times, your family members are not qualified, you cannot serve your guests as this is an event you should be enjoying and sometimes self-service is not the BEST option for those who love to overindulge. However, should those reasons be the only reason to hire bartending services for you and your guests?
When it comes to your cocktail service you should be seeking a company that will enhance your event by providing you and your guests with quality cocktails, professional service and a knowledgeable team that can mandate your bar(s). As opposed to an unexperienced bartending company that can cause havoc with their overserving, being impersonable, unable to provide a highly suggested cocktail option for their customers or not having your bar service operate smoothly by having the bar lines flowing and not stagnant. Those are important things to note when booking a bartending vendor! Can you imagine them overserving that one person that gets entirely too loud or rumbunctious at a special event of yours? That is embarrassing. Or someone who opts not to find a designated driver and decides to drive themselves home after being overserved? Yikes! A bartending company not only ensures proper serving, but bartending companies are also responsible for everyone that walks up to the bar for service! This is a big responsibility, isn’t it?
Event vendors are responsible for understanding the requirements of each event, planning event with attention to time constraints, hiring personnel, managing all event operations (preparing, planning, etc.), oversee event happenings and act quickly to resolve problems, able to handle stress and remain calm, well organized with multi-tasking skills and so forth. So, when booking your event bartending vendor, wouldn’t you want them to excel or succeed in these areas? Because your bartender is technically an “event vendor.” So, why do you feel this is not as important as any other vendor on your checklist? Something to think about, right? Part of a smooth functional bar starts right here in the planning process. For large events such as weddings, retirements, corporate holiday events, we highly recommend starting your bar planning process at least eight months before your event date. For smaller events such as birthday parties, bridal showers, baby showers, we recommend starting your planning process at least three months before your event date.
How much should it cost to hire a bartending company for my event? A bartending company versus a bartender could be two different prices as they can offer different things. A bartending company comes with specific insurances for the protection of their business and their clients, multiple certifications, and licensing whereas a bartender will only be licensed as a bartender. A bartending company has hired personnel to assist with the beverage planning, preparation, bar setup, bar delivery and service of your event due to size whereas a bartender will just provide services. When thinking about the cost, you may not factor in the time you do not see with planning, preparation, setup, adding additional staff to ensure your bar is running smoothly, their expertise in suggestions, their experience, and certifications, only the specific hours you are seeking service. So, when reaching out to a bartending company you could be a bit surprised with the quotes for service. It is only because there is a lot that going into planning and prepping to ensure your bar service is top tier! We always say find the vendor that works well with your vision, including your bartending vendor!
So, the next time you are planning an event, we hope that your bartending vendor has moved up a little bit on your to-book checklist, and no longer a last-minute booking! If you think about it, your bar is the most important and the highest liability of your event... do you really want to book that last?