Bar Service FAQs
Below you’ll find answers to the most common bar questions we receive from couples planning their wedding at Twin Gables Event Center. Whether you’re just exploring options or you’re already booked with us, this page is designed to make bar policies, options, and expectations easy to understand.
If you have more questions, please contact our team – we’re happy to help!
Exclusive Liquor License
As one of the few local venues with a liquor license, Twin Gables offers greater flexibility and a wider range of options for your bar service. This exclusivity allows us to provide unique bar solutions that other venues simply cannot match.
*Alcohol choices and refund policies are subject to change.
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Twin Gables Event Center offers three bar service options: hosted bar, partial cash bar, and cash bar. Each option allows flexibility based on how you would like drinks handled for your guests, with all bar service provided in-house by our licensed bartending team.
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It includes licensed bartenders, bar setup and breakdown, standard bar equipment, ice used for bar-drink preparation, cups, napkins, straws, and six hours of guest bar service. Alcohol selections and the required Reception Beverage Package are charged separately.
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You can choose up to 10 drinks to personalize your bar menu:
Wines & canned options — no limit within the 10-drink maximum
*2 keg varieties — limit to two different types of keg beer (e.g., Bud Light & Miller Lite). Note: You may order multiple kegs of each variety if you wish.
4 signature cocktails — limit to four cocktail choices. (Pop and water do not count toward the 10-drink maximum.)
Example order combination:
2 keg varieties
3 cocktails
2 wines (Cabernet Sauvignon & Pinot Grigio)
2 canned options (Truly Variety Pack & White Claw Variety Pack)Note: You don’t have to select all 10 options. Many couples find that 6–8 options offer the right balance. More isn’t always better.
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You pay for all drinks for your guests throughout the event.
Beverage Selection: Select up to 10 beverages from our complete menu, which includes both stocked and non-stocked items.
To view all drink options and prices, click on Hosted Bar Ordering Store.
How it Works:
With a hosted bar, you cover drinks for your guests during the selected service time.
💳 Service & Billing:
Drinks are served by our licensed bartenders, and consumption is tracked throughout the event.
If you run out of any selected item, you can choose to remove it from the menu or authorize additional coverage with our Wedding Day Coverage Form.
Twin Gables Event Center provides the bartenders, setup, and full bar service to ensure a smooth, well-managed guest experience.
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How it works:
You prepay for beer, wine, and hard seltzers for the entire evening. Guests purchase cocktails at regular cash bar prices throughout the event you picked from the partial cash ordering store.
Beverage Selection:
Choose up to 10 items from our Partial Cash Bar Ordering Store (2 keg choice limit and 4 cocktail choice limit).
To view all drink options and prices, click on the Partial Cash Bar Ordering Store.
💳 Service & billing:
Drinks are served by our licensed bartenders, and consumption is tracked throughout the event.
If you run out of any selected item, you can choose to remove it from the menu or authorize additional coverage with our Wedding Day Coverage Form.
Twin Gables Event Center provides the bartenders, setup, and full bar service to ensure a smooth, well-managed guest experience.
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How it works:
Guests purchase their drinks throughout the evening.
If you choose keg beer, it is pre-purchased as part of your bar order from the Cash Bar Ordering Store.
Beverage selection:
Choose up to 10 items from our Cash Bar Ordering Store (2 keg choice limit and 4 cocktail choice limit).
To view all drink options, click on the Cash Bar Ordering Store.
Twin Gables Event Center provides the bartenders, setup, and all bar service to ensure a smooth, well-managed guest experience.
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Ensure your event flows smoothly with our Bar Backup. Just order the drinks you expect to use, and if you need more, our on-site reserves are available for purchase. We provide plenty of canned beverages, and a variety of cocktails and wines to handle any unexpected demand. Enjoy your celebration, knowing that extra stock is ready when needed.
We keep a selection of items stocked on-site, and anything marked with a ⭐ is part of that inventory. These items can be refunded if unused, up to a total of $500.
Items not marked with a ⭐ are brought in specifically for your wedding and aren’t eligible for refund. Keg beer is not eligible for refund.
(Domestic & Craft Beers)
Bud Light
Budweiser
Miller Lite
Founders All Day IPA
Bell’s Two Hearted Ale
Seltzers:
White Claw Variety Pack
Truly Berry Variety Pack
We have an ample supply of canned options available for backup. Whether your guests prefer classic beers or trendy seltzers, we have plenty in stock to meet all needs.
House Wines: Cabernet, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Moscato, Pinot Grigio, Champagne
Cocktails:
Margarita
Blue Margarita
Whiskey & Coke
Rum & Coke
Vodka Soda
Our cocktail selection is designed to delight. These are available as backup options to ensure drinks keep flowing smoothly. Shots are not allowed.
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All bar-service options include six hours of guest bar service, one hour before service for setup, and one hour after service for cleanup.
Our standard service times are:
Friday & Saturday: 4 PM to 10 PM
Sunday: 2 PM to 8 PM
If you would like a different start time, the earliest available times are listed below.
Weekdays: 3:05 PM
Weekends (Saturday & Sunday): 2:00 PM
Please note that we cannot begin bar service until 3:05 PM on weekdays due to the nearby school.
If you decide to start bar service earlier, please keep in mind that it will also end earlier unless you buy extra bar time. Six hours is standard for all bar options.
Important: Bar Closure
Closing Time:
The bar will close 1 hour before your event ends to ensure a smooth and safe conclusion.
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You can have alcohol at your rehearsal dinner. The bartender fee is $150. Beer, wine, hard seltzers, and other canned products may be served.
Add the items you’d like to your bar order, then list them on the Wedding Bar Ordering Form.
Why Our Liquor License Matters
Twin Gables Event Center is one of the few local venues that holds a Michigan liquor license. This allows us to legally provide alcohol, manage bar service in-house, and offer a wider range of bar options than venues without a license. Whether you’re looking for a full or partial cash bar to suit your budget, or a hosted bar, we have flexible options tailored just for you. For couples, this means a smoother bar experience, clearer policies, and professional oversight from start to finish.
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No — Twin Gables Event Center holds a Michigan liquor license, which means all alcohol served on-site must be provided through our bar service. Outside alcohol isn’t permitted on the property at any time, including alcohol brought as gifts. If alcohol is brought on-site, we’re required to confiscate it under Michigan liquor laws.
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No —Non-alcoholic beer, non-alcoholic wine, and alcohol-free spirits may not be brought onsite and must be purchased through the Twin Gables bar if desired. If a non-alcoholic option is not listed on our website, it may be requested in advance by emailing us.
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Yes—before the wedding ceremony and before Twin Gables bar service begins. You're welcome to bring pop and bottled water for the bridal and groom's suites or for pre-ceremony use.
Once Twin Gables bar service begins, outside pop and bottled water may not be brought, stocked, distributed, or consumed.
All pop and bottled water served during bar service are provided through the required Twin Gables Reception Beverage Package.
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Yes. All Hosted Bars, Partial Cash Bars, Full Cash Bars, and Non-Alcoholic Bars must purchase the Twin Gables Reception Beverage Package for the full applicable guest count. The package is separate from the bar-service base fee.
The $4-per-guest package includes unlimited bottled water during bar service and the Client’s choice of three kinds of pop. Twin Gables purchases, chills, stores, ices, serves, and restocks the pop and bottled water.
The $5-per-guest package includes those same services plus one Beverage Station or Coffee Station providing 100 servings.
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These instructions are set in advance using our Wedding Day Coverage Form. This form outlines how you’d like bar service handled if items run out or if additional coverage is needed during your wedding.
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For an event without alcohol, Non-Alcoholic Bar Service requires a $350 staffing fee plus the required Reception Beverage Package. If Twin Gables goblets will be used, Table Water Service must also be purchased through Twin Gables.
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There is no general minimum purchase amount for alcoholic beverages. However, the applicable bar-service fee and required Reception Beverage Package still apply. Certain craft beers, specialty bottled beverages, wines, and other special-order products may have minimum-order requirements, typically not exceeding $200.
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If you would like pre-wedding alcohol service, the bartender fee is $150.
All alcohol (including bridal and groom suite drinks) must be purchased through Twin Gables Event Center.
How It Works:
Add the items you’d like to your order, then list them on the Wedding Bar Ordering Form (for example, champagne for mimosas or a case of beer).
All pre-wedding drinks are picked up at the bar. The bride’s room is just behind the bar, and the groom’s room is a short walk down the hall.
Pre-wedding alcohol service may begin at 10:00 a.m. for Friday and Saturday weddings. On Sundays, due to Michigan law, alcohol service cannot begin until 12:00 p.m.
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To keep everything organized and ready for your wedding, please place your bar order within the following timeframe:
Minimum: 2 months Before Wedding Date
Maximum: 4 months Before Wedding Date
This allows us to prepare and coordinate your bar selections in advance.
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Once your order is placed, you’ll receive an invoice for you to review. Your invoice will clearly indicate the balance and the due date. Here's how the payment process works:
Payment Methods:
No additional fee: Check, Cash, or Bank Transfer
Credit/Debit Card: (2.9% fee applies)
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Yes. You can add up to 2 additional hours of bar service at $250 per hour through the Bar Ordering Store. Extra Hours
Closing Time:
The bar will close 1 hour before your event ends to allow for a smooth and safe conclusion.Extra Venue Rental
Additional Hours: If you’d like to extend your event beyond standard hours, additional venue time of $250 per hour applies.
(e.g., extend the event by 2 hours; it would require 2 hours at $250 per hour for venue rental, plus an additional hour of bar service at $250 per hour.)
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Guest Count Over 200:
A $150 additional-staffing surcharge applies when the final guest count exceeds 200. This surcharge applies to Hosted Bars, Partial Cash Bars, Full Cash Bars, and Non-Alcoholic Bar Service.
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Bar items must be checked out separately from free store items and rental items to ensure everything is processed correctly.
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A bartender tip jar will be available unless you let us know you prefer not to have one. If no tip jar is requested, a $3 per person charge will be added.
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Maximum Refund Limit
Refunds are limited to a maximum of $500 total per event on ⭐ stocked items.The $500 limit applies across all bar items combined.
Kegs: Not eligible for refund (tapped or untapped).
Wine: Refunds apply to ⭐ stocked, full, unopened bottles only.
Cocktails: Cocktails are billed per serving. Refunds apply only to ⭐ stocked, unused servings, based on bar service records. All cocktail refunds are subject to the maximum refund limit stated above.
Canned items: Refunds apply only to ⭐ stocked, unopened, full cases. Partial cases are not eligible for refund.
Refund processing
Refunds will be issued to the original payment method used for the bar invoice. Cash or check payments will be refunded by check. -
Maximum refund limit
Refunds are limited to a maximum of $500 total per event on ⭐ stocked items.The $500 limit applies across all eligible bar items combined.
Kegs: Not eligible for refund (tapped or untapped).
Wine: Refunds apply to ⭐ stocked, full, unopened bottles only.
Canned items: Refunds apply only to ⭐ stocked, unopened, full cases. Partial cases are not eligible for refund.
Refund processing
Refunds will be issued to the original payment method used for the bar invoice. Cash or check payments will be refunded by check. -
Kegs: Not eligible for refund (tapped or untapped)
Canned items: Not eligible for refund unless unopened, full cases
Opened or partially used items of any kind: Not eligible for refund
Items not marked with a ⭐: Not eligible for refund
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If you've paid your final bar balance with a credit card and have leftover items eligible for a refund, the refund will be applied to that card.
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If you've paid your final bar balance with cash or check and have leftover items eligible for a refund, we will issue a refund based on the original invoice. A check will be issued for the refund.
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Add the items you would like to your cart when placing your order, then fill out the separate:
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At Twin Gables Event Center, all alcohol purchases made for your event are for on-premises consumption only. This means you are purchasing the right to use and enjoy these beverages at the bar during your event, and they cannot be taken off the premises.
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Please email us if you have any questions or need further assistance with your order. We're here to help make your wedding bar setup as smooth and enjoyable as possible!
