How much to drink at the wedding?
Tell it how many guests, for how long and what kind of bar, and it works out the bottles of wine, beer, spirits and bubbly for the toast — rounded up to cases, with ice, soft drinks and the cost.
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Add bottle prices to see the cost
The rules of thumb behind it
Guests who drink have about two drinks in the first hour and one an hour after that. A standard serving is a 12 oz beer, a 5 oz glass of wine or a 1.5 oz measure of spirits, so a 750 ml bottle of wine pours five glasses and a 750 ml bottle of spirits about sixteen. A toast is a smaller pour — about eight from a bottle of sparkling wine, one for every guest.
Soft drinks cover the guests who don't drink alcohol at the same rate, plus half a drink an hour for everyone — water and mixers go fast. Ice is a pound and a half per guest. Beer is counted in cases of 24 and wine in cases of 12.
These are planning estimates. Crowds differ; a summer afternoon goes through more beer and water, a long dinner more wine. Check what your venue allows — many require a licensed bartender, charge corkage, or take back unopened bottles.
Please plan for everyone to get home safely — a shuttle, taxis, or somewhere to stay.
Why hours matter more than guests
Drinking is front-loaded: people arrive thirsty, the first hour is the busiest at the bar, and it slows once dinner starts. That is why this estimate counts two drinks in the first hour and one after, rather than a flat rate — a six-hour reception needs about seven drinks per drinking guest, not twelve.
The mix matters too. The same number of drinks is far fewer bottles of wine than of beer, and spirits go furthest of all, which is why a cocktail-heavy bar can look surprisingly small on paper.
Buying it well
Ask whether your shop takes back unopened bottles — many do, which makes the buffer free. Chill more white and sparkling than you think; warm beer is the complaint people remember. And count the glasses: roughly one and a half per guest per drink type, since glasses get left behind.
Related
The wedding budget has a line for the bar, the guest list gives you the headcount, and the day's timeline shows how long the reception runs. The wedding planning guide covers the rest.
Questions people actually ask
How many bottles of wine for 100 guests?
For a five-hour reception where most guests drink and wine is about half of what they drink, around forty to fifty bottles, plus sparkling wine for the toast. Change the numbers above and it recalculates.
Should I count children?
Count them in the guests, and lower the share who drink alcohol to match — they still count towards soft drinks and ice.
How much ice do I need?
About a pound and a half per guest for drinks, more on a hot day or if you are chilling bottles in tubs.
Is anything I enter saved?
No. The page works it out in your browser and keeps nothing.