What is dry-hire wedding bartending?

Dry hire means you purchase the alcohol yourself and we provide the licensed bartenders, bar tools, and service. Because you buy bottles at retail instead of paying caterer markup, Oklahoma couples often save thousands on a full wedding bar.

How many bartenders does my wedding need?

A good rule of thumb is one bartender per 75 guests for beer, wine, and simple cocktails. Larger guest counts or full cocktail menus go faster with a second bartender, which is available as an add-on.

What does a wedding bartender cost in Oklahoma City?

Our base wedding package - one licensed bartender, 30 minutes of setup, 5 hours of service, 30 minutes of cleanup, and travel up to 20 miles - is quoted flat, with add-ons priced individually. A recent 75-guest wedding came in under $1,300 all-in for service.

Wedding Bartender in Oklahoma City

The Walters provides licensed, insured wedding bartenders across the Oklahoma City metro — Moore, Norman, Edmond, Yukon, Mustang, and everywhere in between. We're a dry-hire service: you buy the alcohol you want at retail prices, and we take care of everything else, so your bar looks and runs like the best night of the year without the caterer markup.

Why Oklahoma weddings work differently

Oklahoma law requires alcohol at events to be poured by a licensed bartender, and most venues won't let a friend-of-the-family work the bar even if they offer. The good news: the dry-hire model this creates is the most cost-effective way to run a wedding bar anywhere in the country. You skip the marked-up per-drink pricing of a licensed caterer, supply your own bottles, and pay only for professional service. On a typical 200-guest Oklahoma wedding, couples routinely save thousands going dry hire over a full-service caterer's bar.

What's included in every wedding package

A licensed, insured professional bartender (ABLE-licensed, venue-ready)
30 minutes of setup before service — bar staged, garnishes cut, ice ready
5 full hours of service — cocktail hour through last call
30 minutes of cleanup — we leave the bar area the way we found it
Travel up to 20 miles included

Add-ons let you build the bar your day needs: an additional bartender for larger guest lists, glassware and napkins, soft drinks and juices, specialty mixers, champagne flutes for the toast, bar and cooler rentals, and ice.

A recent wedding, by the numbers

This June we ran the bar for a 75-guest wedding at Cobblestone Creek. One bartender handled the full evening — cocktail hour, dinner wine, and a packed dance-floor stretch — with setup and breakdown wrapped around it. Total bar service cost for the couple: under $1,300. That's the dry-hire difference: full professional service at a price a caterer's bar can't touch.

Our background

The Walters is run by bar professionals with management experience at Charleston's (Hal Smith Restaurant Group) and a bench of 15+ trained bartenders — so a packed reception bar is a normal shift for us, not a stretch.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a licensed bartender for my wedding in Oklahoma?

Yes — Oklahoma requires licensed service, and most venues also require liquor liability insurance. We carry both.

What is dry-hire bartending?

You buy the alcohol, we provide licensed bartenders, tools, and service. It's the standard (and most affordable) way to run a private-event bar in Oklahoma.

How many bartenders do I need?

One per ~75 guests for a standard menu; add a second for big guest lists or full cocktail programs.

How far will you travel?

20 miles is included from our Central Oklahoma and Tampa, FL service areas; farther is fine with a travel add-on.

Get your date on the calendar

Peak wedding weekends book out early. Tell us your date, venue, and guest count and we'll send a clear, flat quote — no surprises.

Request a free wedding bar quote →

Planning more than the bar? See our event bartending service for rehearsal dinners and welcome parties, or make the reception unforgettable with our 4-tap mobile bar trailer.