Service · Liverpool · Manchester · North West
Bespoke wedding bars with signature serves named after you, custom menus printed on slate, and seamless service from prosecco-on-arrival to the last G&T at 1am. Built for dry-hire venues, marquees, country estates and everything in between.
The service, in plain English
What it is
An end-to-end wedding bar service: bespoke mobile bar built and lit for your venue, custom drinks menu, trained mixologists, full stock package including signature serves, and seamless coordination with your venue, planner and caterer.
Who it's for
Couples marrying at dry-hire venues, marquees, country houses, barns, gardens, listed buildings or any venue without an in-house bar capable of running the day you want.
When you need it
From the moment your guests step out of the ceremony until the last song. Drinks reception, dinner service, evening reception, late-night signature cocktails, one bar, one team, one continuous experience.
Why it matters
Your bar is the social anchor of the day, where guests meet, talk and stay until 1am or leave at 10pm. A great wedding bar service keeps your guests in the room, keeps photos lively, and means you don't spend the night worrying about whether the bartender knows how to pour a Negroni.
The cost of getting this wrong
Half the weddings we get called to rescue are weddings where the couple booked a bar supplier they only met once. By the time you notice your bartender doesn't know how to make a Negroni, it's 6:30pm and 80 guests are queueing. The wedding bar is one of three suppliers that genuinely make or break the day, get the wrong one and no amount of dress, flowers or photography fixes it.
Our process
30 minutes on Zoom. We talk venue, vibe, guest count, dietary requirements, signature serves and the moments you want the bar to land.
Bar style chosen, menu designed around you, itemised flat-rate quote including everything (bar, stock, glassware, staff, licensing, delivery).
Site visit if useful, timing plan locked to your venue's run-sheet, dietary allergens flagged, signature serves named.
Team arrives 3 hours before guests, builds and tests the bar, runs ceremony-to-last-orders service flawlessly.
Bar broken down, glassware returned to hire company, venue left spotless. Itemised post-event report with unopened stock buy-back.
What you actually get
Two cocktails named after you, designed around your taste and venue. Printed on slate menus for the bar.
We've worked Thornton Manor, Inglewood, Combermere Abbey, The Wedding House and almost every dry-hire venue in the region. We know what each venue needs.
Wine at the right temperature, beer at 4°C, champagne kept cold for the entire reception. Not a single warm bottle, ever.
Personal Licence holders, £5m PLI, Challenge 25 trained. Your venue's licence is protected; your day stays stress-free.
Every bar in our fleet is built to photograph, lit, finished, and dressed with florals and signage to match your venue scheme.
We only sell you stock we expect you to drink. Anything unopened gets bought back at cost after the event, no padding.
Indicative pricing · from
Two ways to book your wedding: 'The Wedding Bar' as our standard dry-hire service for up to 300 guests, or layer optional extras for larger weddings, cocktail upgrades and late-night service. Your final flat-rate quote is built bespoke around guest count, venue and your run-sheet.
All prices shown are priced from, ex VAT, and indicative only. Your final flat-rate quote is built bespoke to your guest count, venue and date.
Four bartenders for ten hours (2pm to midnight) covering up to 300 guests, with our 2m wood or stainless LED bar, all bar equipment, one hour of setup and one hour of breakdown included. Built for dry-hire venues, marquees, country estates and barns.
Additional 1.5m LED mobile bar (second service point for evening surge)
1
Pay-bar licence (TEN) application fee
1
Bolt-on services to scale your wedding. Add bartenders for larger guest counts, upgrade to cocktail-trained mixologists, plug in a draft beer line, or extend service for a proper late finish.
Additional hours (per bartender, per hour)
per hr
Upgrade a bartender to cocktail-trained mixologist (per bartender)
1
Draft beer upgrade (per tap, including gas)
per tap
Late travel surcharge (after 23:30)
1
Travel outside our standard North West radius (per round trip)
1
All prices are 'priced from', exclude VAT and assume our standard North West coverage area (Liverpool, Manchester, Cheshire, Wirral, Chester and surrounding areas). Stock packages (spirits, mixers, beers, wines, prosecco, soft drinks), signature cocktail design, bespoke menu printing and destination weddings in North Wales, the Lakes and Yorkshire are quoted individually. Your final quote is flat-rate and itemised, with no per-cocktail or per-guest surprises after the event.
The detail
Wedding bars look simple from the photos. The reality involves licensing, refrigeration, logistics across multiple suppliers and 14 hours of continuous service. Here is the detail under the surface.
We match the bar finish to your venue and aesthetic, not the other way round.
The drinks reception is your bar's first impression, and where most weddings under-cater. Allow 0.7 bottles of fizz per guest for a 90-minute reception, 1 beer per male guest, and 1 jug of low-ABV punch per 12 guests. We model this exactly for your guest count and demographic.
We coordinate with your caterer to time wine pours, champagne distribution for toasts, and a quiet bar restock during the meal. Most couples don't realise the bar can be silent during dinner, we use that hour to prep for evening service so there's no queue when guests stand up.
Evening guest arrivals double bar load. We typically scale from 2 bartenders during the day to 3 from 8pm, and run a fast-pour menu (G&T, Aperol Spritz, three signature cocktails, draught lager) to keep service under 90 seconds per drink.
If your venue holds a Premises Licence and you're gifting drinks, no further licence is needed. If your venue is unlicensed (most marquees, gardens, listed spaces) we file a Temporary Event Notice on your behalf and provide the Designated Premises Supervisor for the day.
We've delivered weddings at venues across Liverpool, Manchester, Cheshire, Wirral, Chester, Preston, Alderley Edge, Wilmslow and Altrincham. Destination weddings in North Wales, the Lake District and Yorkshire delivered regularly, usually with overnight crew accommodation included in the quote.
Common questions
Still unsure? Call us, we'll talk you through it in five minutes, no pressure.
07595 600776A typical wedding bar package for 80 guests (mobile bar, 2 bartenders, fully-stocked drinks reception and evening bar with two signature cocktails, glassware, ice, licensing) starts from £2,800. Larger weddings of 150+ with signature serves and late bar typically run £4,200–£6,800.
Yes, dry-hire venues are our specialism. We've worked virtually every major dry-hire venue across Cheshire, Lancashire and Merseyside and know each one's quirks (power locations, access restrictions, licensing limits) by heart.
Yes, included as standard in every wedding package. We'll design two signature serves named after you, balanced around your taste, and printed on slate menus for the bar.
Mobile bar with lighting, all stock (spirits, mixers, beers, wines, prosecco, soft drinks, water), glassware, ice, garnish, trained mixologists, licensing and TEN filing, delivery, build, pack-down. The only thing you supply is the venue and guests.
Rule of thumb: 1 bartender per 50 guests for relaxed format, 1 per 35 for premium service. We always recommend an extra runner from 6pm to handle the evening guest surge.
Yes, every wedding package includes a selection of premium non-alcoholic spirits (Seedlip, Lyre's), alcohol-free beer (Lucky Saint), zero-proof prosecco and a non-alcoholic signature serve at no extra charge. 15–20% of guests typically prefer these now.
Sealed, unopened bottles are bought back at cost. You only pay for what's been served. Itemised post-event reports are sent within 48 hours.
Peak Saturdays from May–September book 12–18 months out. Off-peak and winter weddings often have availability with 4–6 months' notice. The earlier you lock it in, the more menu flexibility you'll have.
Yes, destination weddings in North Wales, the Lake District, Yorkshire and the Peak District are regular work for us. Quotes include crew accommodation where required.
Always, we'll join your supplier meetings, share the bar timing plan with your planner and caterer, and slot into the venue run-sheet without ever needing to be chased.
The small print
These terms and conditions apply to all contracts for the provision of services to the exclusion of any other terms. Booking confirmations made verbally or in writing are subject to these terms. By purchasing a service from Hire the Barman, you, as the client, agree to these terms of sale. These terms do not replace or affect your statutory rights.
All quotations (verbal or written) are valid for seven days from the date of enquiry. Hire the Barman cannot guarantee the date will remain available after these seven days. To confirm and hold a booking, the client must provide a 50% non-refundable deposit by electronic transfer or debit/credit card. We do not accept payment by cheque. The remaining balance is due 7 days before the event. All monies are requested by electronic invoice.
In the event of a cancellation, Hire the Barman requires notice in writing 14 days before the date of the event. Failure to do so will result in full payment being charged. Booking deposits are non-transferable and non-refundable unless otherwise agreed in writing prior to booking.
Should you wish to make significant changes to your event, Hire the Barman reserves the right to amend the rates and facilities offered accordingly.
Hire the Barman does not provide a paid bar service and therefore has no involvement in any licensing matters and is not responsible for any breaches of licence.
Where parking is required by Hire the Barman, adequate arrangements must be made by the client by prior arrangement; vehicle registrations will be provided. Where Hire the Barman is providing cocktail ingredients and glassware, adequate loading facilities must be provided. Hire the Barman will not be held responsible for difficulties that result in delays to service.
Hire the Barman will not be held responsible for 'lack of flair' if the environment provided is unsuitable or the bartender is deemed too busy, in line with our recommendation of one bartender per forty guests.
Rates and invoices are subject to change, without notice, dependent on the client's requirements, additional hours and stock. Additional hours requested by the client by negotiation with the bartender at the time of the event will be charged at the full hourly rate.
Full payment of invoice is due to Hire the Barman within 30 days. Any outstanding payments after this time will be passed to a collection agency to recover on behalf of Hire the Barman. Any associated costs, including interest, legal and court fees, will be added to the outstanding balance and passed to the client for payment.
Insurance is provided via Commercial Express. Public Liability: £5,000,000. Employers Liability: £10,000,000.
The client is responsible for the behaviour and conduct of their guests. Hire the Barman will not tolerate verbally or physically abusive behaviour towards any member of staff or individual. The client is responsible for damage to, or loss of, any equipment.
Where Hire the Barman is unable to provide services as agreed due to circumstances outside its control (weather, transport problems and similar), it will not be held liable for any loss, cancellation or delay. Hire the Barman does not accept responsibility for the overall success of an event. These terms are deemed accepted by payment of invoice and are subject to change at the discretion of Hire the Barman in part or in whole.
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