Help me plan a party

[mbcdefg]

My mom is turning 60 in a couple months. My brother and sister suggested we throw a party. Our crowd/Mom is REALLY low-key, so it doesn't need to be fancy.

My brother is a bartender and his boss said we can use the bar at no charge, and bring in our own food. My sister and I, and likely our aunt, will make the food. 

I made up a rough guest list of 70 people - I think about 40-50 would come. 

The three of us will probably kick in $150-200 each so that there's an open bar for beer and wine. Once it's gone, people can buy their own. My brother said it's probably enough for 2-3 rounds per person. Is that cheap or tacky of us to not host the bar the whole time?

It's scheduled for a Saturday night around 6 p.m. Menu ideas:

apps: fruit platter, vegetable platter, sausage bread

dinner: green salad, Italian bread, baked ziti/pasta, meatballs, and maybe eggplant or chicken francese (I think my sister is the only vegetarian)

dessert: sheet cake and maybe some cookies/brownies

We need to order invitations and maybe some decorations.

Thoughts? Menu adjustments, anything I'm missing, 

[justjen]

I would provide drinks the whole time (but I think beer and wine are fine) and add a few more apps. Actually, I might move the fruit platter to be served with the dessert.

Main course sounds delish

Also, I would assume you'll have coffee/tea/soft drinks as well?

[Deleted]

I'm ok with the partially open bar. My family is REALLY low key like you said yours is, and no one would bat an eye at having to buy their own drinks, because most of us couldn't afford to pay for an open bar for a group anyway. Plus getting 2-3 free drinks is a great start, and some people may not drink more than that.

[Deleted]

How long is the party? Are the guest apt to have more than 3 drinks a piece?

[Deleted]

That sounds like a good menu and a lot of fun to me:)

When friends have done similar bar parties, it's usually been food supplied with buy your own drinks, so beer and wine sounds good.

Depending on the bar and your crowd, you could get more drinks for your money if you did well drinks and beer, but either is totally fine. It would be nice if you hosted soda/tea as well.

[mbcdefg]

Thanks!

operagirl, those are great ideas, but I'm the only royals nut in the family

Yes, we'd host soft drinks as well.

Length - IDK, probably nothing official. Most folks are local and would easily hang out and drink all night if they wanted. I doubt they'd have a problem with us going to cash bar after a couple hours. A lot of people would drink more than 3 each if their spouses were the DDs.