Wedding drinks calculator
Enter how many guests will drink, how long the bar is open and what you'll serve, and see how many bottles of wine, beer and spirits to buy, with a shopping list to print. Free, no sign-up.
- Bottles and cases to buy
- Every figure adjustable
- Printable shopping list
How to use it
Running out at the bar is the thing guests remember, and a garage full of unopened wine is the thing you remember. This calculator starts from the usual planners' rule and turns it into bottles and cases you can take to the shop.
- Count the guests who drink. Leave out children and anyone who won't drink alcohol.
- Set how long the bar is open. From the cocktail hour to last call, in hours.
- Choose what you'll serve. A full bar or beer and wine only, or your own split of wine, beer and spirits.
- Print the shopping list. Bottles and cases of each, with a little extra so nothing runs out.
How the numbers work
Every figure above has a stated default you can change. The starting rule is one drink per guest for each hour the bar is open, the rule Zola's alcohol guide and The Knot's bar guide both use. A full bar starts at 50% wine, 20% beer and 30% spirits; beer and wine only starts at 75% wine and 25% beer. Wine is split half red, half white, and 10% is added so nothing runs out.
Drinks become bottles by the standard pour. In the United States that's 5 oz of wine, 12 oz of beer and 1.5 oz of spirits, the sizes in the NIAAA's standard drink. In Canada it's 142 ml of wine, 341 ml of beer and 43 ml of spirits, the sizes in Health Canada's standard drink. Both come to five glasses of wine and about 17 pours of spirits in a 750 ml bottle. A toast pour of sparkling wine is smaller, so a bottle fills eight flutes. Each bottle count is rounded up.
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How much alcohol for 50 to 250 guests
A full bar for 5 hours at one drink per guest an hour, with 10% extra. Change the guests in the calculator for any other number.
| Guests | Red wine | White wine | Beer | Spirits | Bottles in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | 14 | 14 | 55 | 5 | 88 |
| 100 | 28 | 28 | 110 | 10 | 176 |
| 150 | 42 | 42 | 165 | 15 | 264 |
| 200 | 55 | 55 | 220 | 20 | 350 |
| 250 | 69 | 69 | 275 | 25 | 438 |
Before you buy
Check what your venue and caterer allow first: some serve only their own bar, some charge corkage on bottles you bring, and some need a licensed bartender. Many shops take back unopened bottles, so ask when you order. The bar is a big line in the food and drink costs, and what a wedding costs per guest shows how it adds up. The final count of who's coming changes these numbers too; the final headcount for your caterer explains when to settle it.
In a free Linenfold account, Food & Drinks keeps your menu, the drinks you'll serve and the caterer's count in one place; see features.
Questions couples ask
- How much alcohol do I need for 100 guests?
- For a 5-hour reception at one drink per guest an hour, with 10% extra and a full bar: about 28 bottles of red, 28 of white, 110 beers and 10 bottles of spirits. Change any figure above to fit your own wedding.
- How many drinks does a guest have an hour?
- Planners usually count one drink per guest an hour, often with two in the first hour. Raise it for a crowd that likes to celebrate, or lower it for a lunch or a mixed crowd.
- How many glasses are in a bottle of wine?
- Five 5 oz (142 ml) glasses in a 750 ml bottle. Sparkling wine poured for a toast goes further, about eight glasses a bottle.
- How many drinks are in a bottle of spirits?
- About 17 pours of 1.5 oz (43 ml) in a 750 ml bottle, rounded down so there's enough.
- Should I buy extra?
- A little. 10% covers spills, a heavy pour and a longer night. Many shops take back unopened bottles, so ask before you buy.
- Does the venue or caterer let us bring our own?
- Ask first. Some venues only allow their own bar, some charge a corkage fee, and some need a licensed bartender. Your contract says which.
Want the rest of the toolkit? Browse the free wedding planning tools.