Can You Hire Just a Bartender for a Backyard Wedding? Yes. Here Is How.

Backyard weddings are back, and the bar is the part couples worry about most. Good news: you do not need a caterer's bar package or a venue bar minimum. You can hire just the bartender.

How it works

BigCee Exotic BarLuxe is a dry-hire service. You buy the alcohol at retail, and BigCee brings the licensed bartender, the styled mobile bar, setup and breakdown, premium mixers, ice, garnishes, cups, napkins, and straws. There is no markup per pour and no corkage. Whatever is unopened at the end of the night is yours.

What it costs for a wedding

• Intimate Wedding Package: up to 75 guests, 4 hours, $650, with up to 2 signature cocktails and a planning consultation
• Luxe Wedding Experience: 76 to 150 guests, 5 hours, $1,000, with up to 3 signature cocktails, premium garnishes, and personalized drink signage
• Extra hours: $100 per hour, booked in advance. Guests beyond the package count: $15 per person.

For comparison, a catered open bar is commonly priced per guest per hour, which for 75 guests over 4 hours adds up fast. With dry hire, the bartending is a flat number and the alcohol is a Total Wine receipt.

Setting up the bar at a house

• Pick a shaded spot with room for a line, roughly 6 by 4 feet for the bar
• Keep it near the reception area, not in the kitchen
• Decide the rain backup spot before the week of the wedding
• Tell BigCee about gates, parking, stairs, and the ceremony timeline so setup finishes before guests arrive

Keeping it legal and smooth

A private wedding with no drink sales does not need a liquor license. BigCee is licensed, checks ages, keeps a mocktail version of the signature drinks going, and monitors the bar through the night so the host is covered. If a rented tent or venue asks for vendor paperwork, send the request through the contact page.

The timeline

Book online with a 50% deposit by card to hold the date. Finalize the cocktail menu, shop from the list BigCee gives you, hand off the alcohol by 7:30 PM the night before, and pay the balance 48 to 72 hours out. On the day, the bar is set before the first guest walks in.