Event Planning
Once you have decided how your drinks are being sourced, the next real decision is how they actually reach your guests. Open bar service and table service are both common at events across Lagos, but they create very different experiences, and the right choice depends on the kind of event you are hosting.
With an open bar, the bar itself is the destination. Guests walk up whenever they want a drink, order what they like from what is available, and head back to mingling. This works especially well for events built around movement and conversation, such as cocktail receptions, birthday parties, and gala events with a lot of standing and socializing. It keeps energy high and gives guests a reason to move around the room.
With table service, drinks are brought directly to seated guests by waitstaff. There is no line, no walking, and no interruption to conversation at the table. This is the more formal option, and it tends to fit seated dinners, corporate events, and any occasion where guests are expected to stay at assigned tables for a meaningful part of the evening.
Ask how your guests will actually be spending their time. If most of the event involves guests standing, mingling, or moving between different areas, an open bar keeps things simple and lively. If most of the event involves guests seated at tables for a program or a formal meal, table service keeps things smooth and avoids guests getting up mid conversation or mid speech to fetch a drink.
Many events actually use both. A wedding reception, for example, might use table service during the seated dinner and speeches, then switch to an open bar once the dancing starts and guests are back on their feet. A good bar service should be able to plan around that shift with you, rather than forcing one style for the entire event.