It’s not proper to have a cash bar at any wedding, so you’ll really need to know the inside secrets of the industry to find great savings on your bar tab, while still offering the best drinks to your guests. We’ve collected some of the top tips out there, so that you can make it look like you spent a fortune on your champagne and bar offerings, but you’ve really found lots of ways to save money at the same time.

•Explore the world of wines at www.winespectator.com, where you’ll read all about the best-rated wines out there from all regions of the world, and find great bottles of wine under $20 apiece (sometimes at $10 apiece!) that taste amazing. Wine connoisseurs have named these vintages as the best, so you’re offering high quality at 1/3 the price.

•Talk to your chef about doing wine and food pairings as part of the cocktail party and dinner, and you’ll be able to save money by bringing those wines out from behind the bar and serving them with specially-chosen dishes and bites. This seems like you have a wide range of drinks going on, but in pairing them with foods, you’re really able to limit the number of pricier full glass versions at the bar because you have tons of options around the room. It looks like you spent a fortune.

•Just serve a great variety of beer and wine at the reception, rather than a full bar of hard liquors. When you offer a great list of wines in a variety of tastes and boldness, your guests won’t miss the pricier hard liquor drinks. Serve unique microbrew beers as well as the usuals for the look of extravagance without high prices.

•Just have one or two mixed drink options at your bar, such as martinis and Jack and Cokes to limit the amount of hard liquor needed.

•Serve sangrias in a variety of flavors, both white and red, for a unique offering that doesn’t cost a lot. Guests love having something they don’t get everyday.

•If you’ll serve hard liquor, choose mid-shelf varieties rather than top-shelf for extra savings.

•Make it a rule that no shots will be served at your bar. That’s too much hard liquor consumption.

•Don’t serve after-dinner drinks with alcohol in them. You don’t need Sambuca, or Irish coffee if you’re on a budget.

•Have the bartenders stop opening fresh bottles of wine an hour before your reception ends. You pay for any bottles that have been uncorked, so make it a rule that nothing is to be opened after a certain hour unless there are no opened bottles left and the bar is still open. You want to avoid having ten opened bottles of wine with just one glass poured out of each.

•Arrange to take any open bottles of wine with you, corked for safe travel and legal transport in your car or to be brought up to your hotel suite.

•Don’t have a champagne toast. Guests can toast you with whatever’s in their glasses at the time. This will save you a lot of money.

•Have the site serve regular water, instead of imported bottled water.

•Provide a selection of great soft drinks, including iced tea and lemonade for summer weddings. Guests do want refreshing drinks, and many will only have one glass of wine.

•In cooler months, ask about the pricing on hot spiced cider or hot chocolate. The hot chocolate bar with all the fixings is going to cost less than an international coffee bar, so ask about this creative twist as a fun way to end your winter wedding.

•Close the bar an hour before the end of your reception, with only coffee service remaining. It saves you hundreds of dollars and is safer for your guests.

•Ask the site about their ‘dead stock,’ those bottles of wine they have in their basement that used to be on their wine list and haven’t been returned to their supplier yet. Can you have them for a discount? This is a great way to save hundreds on your wine supply.

•Find a great discount liquor store and supply your own wines, beers and drinks if you can, and use this option for any showers or pre-wedding parties.

Sharon Naylor is the author of over 30 wedding planning books, including 1000 Best Wedding Bargains, www.sharonnaylor.net