How Much Alcohol Do I Need for a Wedding?

A reliable rule of thumb is one drink per guest for every hour of the reception. For 100 guests at a five-hour reception, plan on about 500 drinks. Then divide those drinks between wine, beer and liquor according to what your guests actually like to drink, and buy a little extra rather than run short.

Turning drinks into bottles

These are the standard conversions:

• Wine: about 5 glasses per 750 ml bottle

• Liquor: about 16 drinks per 750 ml bottle, at a standard 1.5 ounce pour

• Beer: 1 drink per bottle or can

• Champagne for a toast: about 6 to 8 toast-sized pours per bottle

A simple example

For those 500 drinks, a common starting split is half wine, a third beer and the rest liquor:

• Wine: 250 drinks ÷ 5 = about 50 bottles

• Beer: 165 drinks = about 165 bottles or cans (7 cases)

• Liquor: 85 drinks ÷ 16 = about 6 bottles

Then add your champagne toast if you're having one: about 15 bottles for 100 guests.

Adjust it for the people you know

The formula is just a starting point. You know your family and friends better than any calculator does.

• A crowd that loves wine, or a garden wedding in summer? Shift more toward wine and beer.

• A late-night dancing crowd? Add a little more liquor.

• Plenty of guests who don't drink? You can bring the total down, but keep good non-alcoholic choices on hand.

• A beer and wine bar only? Simply leave liquor out and split those drinks between the two.

Before you buy

• Ask your venue whether you're allowed to supply your own alcohol, and whether there's a corkage fee.

• Ask your store whether unopened bottles can be returned. Many will take them back, which makes buying generously much less risky.

• Don't forget ice, mixers, garnishes and water. They're easy to overlook and you'll need plenty.

The Wedding Bar Calculator in The Wedding Planning System works out the exact amounts for your guest count, the length of your reception and your crowd.