How To Throw A Stock The Bar Party

Let’s throw a stock the bar party!

If you’ve never heard of it before, a stock the bar party is a sort of pre-wedding shower where the couple is given bottles of alcohol or bar supplies for their wedding in lieu of other gifts. To be honest, before a few months ago, I had never heard of a stock the bar party. However, after learning a bit more, I think it’s a great idea. Not only is it a fun pre-wedding event, but it is a fruitful one, too.

The great thing about a stock the bar party is that it can take the place of an engagement party or bridal shower, or be a stand alone event. Because stock the bar parties aren’t the “norm”, they can be what you make of them. Meaning, they can be super low key and easy to throw. Of course, a stock the bar party isn’t right for every wedding, but more on that later.

This post is going to walk you through how to throw a stock the bar party. Just to be clear, a stock the bar party is for couples who will both serve alcohol at their weddings, and plan on bringing their own alcohol to their wedding. It’s not the right event for couples getting married at wineries or breweries where the venue will supply all the alcohol. It’s probably not right for couples serving only non-alcoholic drinks, though you can host a variation of a stock the bar party if you want to have a dry wedding and save some money. The tips in this post are pretty general, because this event is what you make of it.

Let’s get into it!

DECIDE THE LOGISTICS OF YOUR STOCK THE BAR PARTY

First things first. Let’s talk about getting started with the logistics of your party.

Before you host your party, you need to determine a few things. First, who you will invite to your wedding. It’s usually not cool to invite people to pre-wedding events unless they will be invited to your wedding, too. You should also make sure that your venue will allow you to bring your own alcohol. This is key, otherwise you’ll end up with a lot of extra booze.

Other than that, you’ll want to determine if your stock the bar party will replace another pre-wedding event like an engagement party or bridal shower. If it’s in addition to the other events, you may want to keep it more lowkey and simple, and if it’s in place of those events, you may have the motivation or budget to make more of a big deal.

Major questions you’ll want to answer when you start planning your stock the bar party:

Who will host it? Will it be the couple, a family member, someone in the bridal party, or a friend?
Where will it be? There are no rules here. You can have your stock the bar party at a home, a park, or a public place.
When will it be? The only real requirement is that your stock the bar party is before your wedding. You’ll want to have at least a few weeks of buffer so you can gage how much extra alcohol you may need to procure.

Who will be invited? You’ll want to know your wedding guest list before you decide who to invite to any pre-wedding event.
How long will your party last? Usually, a few hours is fine.

HOW TO INVITE GUESTS

Since a stock the bar party isn’t that formal, you can send out invitations in any way that works for you.

Of course, you can send invites via the mail. Or, go the evite route. You can even send out a social media event invite, or send texts. As long as you convey when the party is, and where it is, you should be good to have guests confirm their attendance. Don’t forget to explain the point of the party, though. This part is crucial. Be clear with guests that this is a party to help crowd source supplies for your wedding’s bar.

It will help your guests if they know what to bring, so give some instructions on your invite. You can be as vague as “bring a bottle of vodka”, or you can even register at a local liquor store to be specific. Of course, you don’t have to ask for just alcohol. Bar supplies may also be useful at your wedding. So, be clear if you need shakers, glasses, cocktail napkins, strainers, wine openers, or anything else you envision for your wedding.

WHAT TO DO DURING YOUR PARTY

What you do during your party is totally up to you, and what you think your group will enjoy.

Some groups love to focus on drinking. And, since this is a party to help source drinks, you may want to serve drinks or play drinking games. If you’d like inspiration for those, check out this post on engagement party games. You could also have some wine tasting or a blind cocktail tasting contest. If you’ve got the budget, have a bartender come in and teach everyone how to make cocktails.

Of course, you don’t have to have your event focused on drinking and drinking activities. It’s totally okay to serve some appetizers and just have a chill time with your future wedding guests.

STOCK THE BAR PARTY TIPS

The key with this party is to keep things simple. Since the point is to help save money on your wedding’s drinks, you don’t want to go overboard spending money on this event. Additionally, there are other tips you should keep in mind.

Have the party at a location where you can store the extra alcohol. Lugging it around can be heavy and inconvenient.
Be sure to have plenty of water available, and non-alcoholic drinks so your guests don’t get too wild or sick.
Make it clear to guests about transportation options so they aren’t drinking and driving. This is a great thing to add to your invite to help set the expectation to drink responsibly.

Feel free to pass out favors (small bottles of alcohol or a bottle of craft beer may be fitting, as well as wine stoppers, beer cozies, and shot glasses).

THOUGHTS ON A STOCK THE BAR PARTY

Friends, for the right crowd, and the right wedding, a stock the bar party can be an excellent option. Not only is it fun, but it will save you some money later on. The key with the party is to be clear about what the purpose is, keep it organized, and not go overboard. Look at it as a way to have guests provide a bottle or supplies for your wedding, and then spend some time socializing and celebrating with you. I promise it will be a fun and fruitful time! Happy wedding planning!