How much does an open bar cost for a wedding in Italy?
Updated
For a wedding in Campania, the open bar usually runs from €20 to €30 per person for the Standard level, from €25 to €35 for Premium and from €30 to €45 for Luxury. These are indicative values, not fixed rates: the quote depends on the venue, number of guests, hours of service and spirits chosen. For events elsewhere in Italy, travel and logistics are also taken into account.
Campania is the region that includes Naples, the Amalfi Coast, Capri, Ischia, Sorrento, Ravello and Positano. Below you will find how each factor weighs on the price, and what the price includes.
| Level | Indicative range per person, in Campania |
|---|---|
| Standard | from €20 to €30 |
| Premium | from €25 to €35 |
| Luxury | from €30 to €45 |
Why indicative values, not fixed rates
Two weddings with the same number of guests can have very different quotes. The first is in a villa near Naples, with easy access, and the bar closes after the cake is cut. The second is on an island, with the bar open from the aperitivo until late at night and a cocktail menu designed around the couple’s tastes.
A single rate would be wrong for both. That is why we give a price range for each level, and then prepare the quote for the real event.
How to work out the cost for 50, 100 or 150 guests
The starting point is a multiplication: the price per person times the number of guests. With the Campania ranges, the sum looks like this:
| Guests | Standard | Premium | Luxury |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | €1,000 to €1,500 | €1,250 to €1,750 | €1,500 to €2,250 |
| 100 | €2,000 to €3,000 | €2,500 to €3,500 | €3,000 to €4,500 |
| 150 | €3,000 to €4,500 | €3,750 to €5,250 | €4,500 to €6,750 |
These figures are a starting point, not a quote. Where an event falls inside its range, and the factors below, move them, because each one changes the work involved, and for events outside Campania travel and logistics are also taken into account.
The three levels: Standard, Premium and Luxury
If you are comparing wedding bar packages, these are our three levels. They differ in the spirits, the mixers and the cocktail menu, and all three are served in glass.
- Standard. The great classics: gin and tonic, Americano, Spritz, Negroni. Spirits such as Bombay Sapphire and Tanqueray gin, Bacardi rum and Jose Cuervo tequila.
- Premium. The classics and signature drinks. Spirits such as Grey Goose vodka, Hendrick’s gin, Gin Mare and Patrón Silver tequila, with Fever-Tree and Schweppes in glass bottles and syrups made in our lab.
- Luxury. A cocktail menu created for the event, ice stamped with your logo or monogram, finer glassware, exotic garnishes and edible flowers. Spirits such as Monkey 47 gin, Zacapa 23 rum, Don Julio 1942 and Clase Azul tequila.
The full list for each level is on our wedding bar page.
What changes the price
The venue
The bar is brought in, set up and taken down. A villa with easy access and a space ready for the counter takes less work than a terrace reached only on foot, a garden far from the unloading point or an island such as Capri or Ischia. The harder a place is to reach, the more time, transport and people it takes. Set-up time matters too: if the counter has to be set up in a few hours, more hands are needed.
The number of guests
We do not ask for a minimum number of guests. The number does decide the team and the quantities: how many bartenders, how many glasses, how much ice, how many bottles. On average we plan one bartender for every 60 guests, for fast and complete service: one up to 60 guests, two for 100, three for 150. Around the counter there are also barbacks, floor staff and someone washing the glasses.
What about the cost of the bartenders? We usually work with an open bar priced per person, and the uniformed team is among the things we bring, together with the counter, the glassware and the ice. In one of our real quotes, for 150 guests, the team was ten people, and three of them were bartenders.
The hours of service
The price per person applies to the hours agreed, usually 5 to 6 hours of service. A bar open from the aperitivo to the cutting of the cake is one job; a bar open until the last dance is another. More hours mean more working time for the whole team, more ice, more glasses to wash and more restocking runs.
Before asking for a quote, decide which moments the bar should cover: the aperitivo after the ceremony, dinner, the party after the cake. Each extra moment makes the service longer, and the price with it.
The spirits
Gin, rum, whisky, tequila: every spirit comes in labels at very different price points, and the price changes a great deal from one bottle to another. The labels you choose move the price per person. Tell us what you like to drink, and we will tell you how much it weighs on the quote.
Outside Campania
The ranges apply to events in Campania. We are based in Naples and work all over Italy: for a wedding in Puglia, in Rome or in Milan, the quote also takes into account the team’s travel and the logistics needed.
When the factors add up
Taken one by one, these factors move the price a little or a lot. Together they add up: an island, many guests, a bar open until late and spirits chosen one by one take the price per person towards the top of the range, or beyond it. That is why we do not commit to a figure before we know the event.
What is included
When you hire our mobile bar, we usually bring everything:
- the bar counter;
- alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks;
- ice;
- glassware;
- fresh fruit;
- the bar lighting;
- uniformed staff;
- transport, set-up and breakdown.
Non-alcoholic drinks are part of the service, just like the alcoholic ones: at the counter there is something for guests who do not drink alcohol too.
The counter is one of ours: the Boiserie Classic, for example, comes in five finishes, from Positano White to Notte Navy. You can see it in the bar counters section. Glass is the rule; if the venue asks for something else for part of the party, we make the technical choice.
Every quote is still adapted to the event: what is not needed comes out, and what is missing goes in. Among the extras there are, for example, the espresso martini tower at the end of dinner and the bar cart that moves between the tables.
Open bar or consumption bar
With an open bar the price is per person, and you know it before the party. Guests take their drinks without paying, for the hours agreed. With a consumption bar you pay for what is served, and the total is only known at the end of the night. Either way, your guests never pay at the bar.
We usually work with an open bar priced per person. We run a consumption bar only in some circumstances, and we talk it over case by case.
At a wedding the open bar has a practical advantage: the cost of the bar is decided in advance, and during the party nobody has to think about the bill.
How to compare two quotes
Two prices per person can only be compared if they include the same things. Before choosing, ask whoever sends you a quote:
- Is the bar counter included?
- Are the glasses real glass?
- Are ice, fresh fruit and soft drinks included?
- How many people work at the bar, and in which roles?
- Are transport, set-up and breakdown included?
- For how many hours does the price apply?
- Is the price final, or are there extra items?
What we need to prepare your quote
For a real price, a few details are enough:
- the date;
- the venue, or at least the area: it decides set-up and transport;
- the number of guests: it decides the team;
- the bar hours, from start to finish;
- the level you are interested in: Standard, Premium or Luxury;
- whether some guests are travelling from abroad: the team speaks English, and it helps to know in advance.
With these details we reply within 24 hours. You can write to us in English from the quote page.
Frequently asked questions
How much is an open bar at a wedding in Italy?
For events in Campania, the open bar usually runs from €20 to €30 per person for the Standard level, from €25 to €35 for Premium and from €30 to €45 for Luxury. These are indicative values, not fixed rates: the quote depends on the venue, number of guests, hours of service and spirits chosen. For events elsewhere in Italy, travel and logistics are also taken into account.
How much is an open bar for 100 guests?
As a starting point in Campania, from €2,000 to €3,000 with the Standard level, from €2,500 to €3,500 with Premium and from €3,000 to €4,500 with Luxury: the price per person times 100 guests. It is a starting point, not a quote: the venue, the hours of service and the spirits move it, and outside Campania travel and logistics are also taken into account.
Do these prices apply on the Amalfi Coast and in Capri?
Yes. The Amalfi Coast, Capri, Ischia, Sorrento, Ravello and Positano are in Campania, where these ranges apply. A venue that is harder to reach, such as a terrace reached only on foot or an island, takes more time, transport and people, and the quote reflects that.
What does a wedding bartender cost?
With our open bar, priced per person, the team is usually part of the price: the uniformed staff are among the things we bring, together with the counter, the drinks, the ice and the glassware. On average we plan one bartender for every 60 guests: two for 100 guests, with barbacks and floor staff.
Is there a minimum number of guests?
No. We do not ask for a minimum: the quote is based on the real number of guests.
Are soft drinks included?
Usually, yes: we bring alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, together with ice, fresh fruit and glassware.
Can we have cocktails created for us?
Yes. Signature drinks are created in our lab, from the couple’s tastes or the theme of the event.
Which extras can we add?
The espresso martini tower, the bar cart, the spritz fountain, the shot corner and others: you will find them among the extras, and they are added to the quote if you want them.
How far ahead should we book?
For a wedding, it is best to book the bar 8 to 12 months ahead. For a corporate event or a private party, 3 to 4 weeks is often enough.
How soon will we receive a quote?
We reply to every request within 24 hours.
Our venue has no bar: can you bring one?
Yes. We bring the counter and everything the service needs, from the glassware to the ice. It is the way we usually work.
Can we hire just the bar counter?
Yes, our bar counters can also be hired on their own. The price is on request.
Do you work outside Campania?
Yes, all over Italy. The ranges apply to Campania: elsewhere in Italy, travel and logistics are also taken into account.
Do your staff speak English?
Yes. If some of your guests are travelling from abroad, mention it in your request.