The two models in one sentence each
Dry hire: you buy the alcohol, the bar company serves it. Full service: the bar company buys, brings and serves the alcohol, and it is their licence on the line.
Most of the confusion comes from the word “dry”. In the US and among most mobile bar companies, a dry-hire package still includes bartenders, the bar unit, ice, mixers, garnishes and cups — just not the alcohol. In the UK the same phrase is sometimes used for renting a bar structure (a horsebox bar, a pop-up bar front) with nothing else at all. Get a written list of what’s included.
Side by side
| Dry hire | Full service | |
|---|---|---|
| Who buys the alcohol | You | Bar company |
| Who holds the licence or permit | Often nobody needed for a free bar; check | Bar company (licence, TEN or event permit) |
| How it’s priced | Flat fee or per guest, without drinks | Per guest by package, or per drink sold |
| Leftovers | Yours to keep | The company’s |
| Running out | Your problem; buy headroom | Their problem |
| Cash or card bar for guests | Usually not possible | Possible, if licensed |
| Effort for you | Shopping, delivery, chilling | Choosing a package |
| Control over brands | Total | From their list |
How dry hire is priced
A dry-hire quote is mostly people and kit. The company counts bartender hours (including set-up, pack-down and travel), the van, consumables like ice, cups, napkins and garnishes, wear on its equipment and a share of insurance and overheads — then adds its margin. The pricing tool shows that build-up: for 100 guests, two bartenders, 5 hours of service, a 30-mile trip and the example costs, the cost comes to about $750 and a quote with a 35 % margin to about $1,210, or $12 a guest.
You then add your own drinks bill on top. For 100 guests over 5 hours with a full bar that is roughly 47 bottles of wine, 7 cases of beer and 10 bottles of liquor — the shopping list calculator works out your exact list.
How full service is priced
Full-service bars sell packages: beer and wine, a full bar, a full bar with signature cocktails, sometimes premium spirits. They are priced per guest, usually with a minimum spend, because the company now carries the cost of the drinks and the risk of guests drinking more than expected. In the same example the drinks, mixers and ice cost the company about $1,270 at retail prices, and the full-service quote comes out near $33 a guest with the same margin.
Some weddings use a cash bar (guests pay) or a tab (the couple pays for drinks served up to a limit). Both require the bar to be licensed for selling alcohol.
Licensing: who needs what
The rule of thumb everywhere is: whoever sells or supplies the alcohol carries the licensing responsibility.
England and Wales. If the venue has a premises licence covering alcohol, the bar usually runs under it — often only with the venue’s agreement or its own bar. At an unlicensed venue (a marquee in a field, a barn, a private house), a bar that sells alcohol needs a premises licence or a Temporary Event Notice: £21, fewer than 500 people, given at least 10 clear working days ahead. Whether a free bar paid for by the couple counts as a licensable activity depends on the set-up — the council licensing team will tell you.
Scotland and Northern Ireland use occasional licences instead of TENs; see the licensing checklists.
United States. Each state sets its own rules and counties and cities add to them. Licensed caterers and bars often need a per-event approval: California’s ABC requires a catering authorization for each event under a caterer’s permit; Texas licensees file a temporary event approval or notification with TABC; New York’s SLA issues catering permits to on-premises licensees. Whether a host-supplied (dry-hire) bar is allowed, and what server training is required, varies — ask the state agency before you book.
None of this is legal advice; it is a map of what to ask.
Insurance and responsibility
Venues routinely ask for a copy of the bar company’s public liability insurance. Ask for it early, and check the cover includes serving alcohol. With a dry-hire bar, agree in writing:
- who checks ID and refuses service to anyone under age or drunk (the bartenders should, with your backing);
- what happens to unopened bottles and who takes them home;
- who cleans up broken glass and empties;
- the last-call and bar-closing time, matching any licence hours.
Questions to ask before you book
- What exactly is included — staff, ice, mixers, garnishes, cups or glassware, water, a back bar?
- How many bartenders for our guest count, and are set-up and travel included?
- Do you give a shopping list for dry hire, and will you check our quantities?
- Who holds the licence or permit, and do you handle the paperwork?
- Can you send your insurance certificate to the venue?
- Do you need power, water or a flat area at the venue?
- What’s the deposit, the cancellation policy and the overtime rate per hour?
Which one should you choose?
Choose dry hire if you want control over the drinks and the bill, have someone to do the shopping and pick-up, are fine with leftovers, and the venue allows outside alcohol. Choose full service if you want one price and no logistics, need a cash bar, or the venue or local rules require a licensed bar.
Either way, put the bar in your wedding budget early and work out quantities with the alcohol guide.