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Wedding alcohol calculator for a bar that never runs dry

Enter your guest count and reception length to see how much wine, beer, spirits and champagne to buy, what the alcohol will cost, and a shopping list you can download as a spreadsheet.

  • Bottles, cases & ice
  • Cost per guest
  • Spreadsheet download
  • Free, no sign-up

Your reception

Count the adults who drink. Leave out children and guests who don’t drink alcohol.

5 hours
How much does your crowd drink?
Your bar
50%
30%
20%

Move the sliders to match what your guests like to drink.

50% red · 50% white
Your prices

Typical store prices. Change them to match your shop, warehouse club or venue.

Your shopping list

600 drinks to pour about 6 per guest
  • Red wine 5 glasses per 750 ml bottle 30 bottles
  • White wine Or rosé, 5 glasses per bottle 30 bottles
  • Beer 180 bottles or cans 8 cases of 24
  • Spirits 750 ml bottles, 16 pours each 8 bottles
  • Sparkling wine For the toast, 8 pours per bottle 13 bottles
  • Mixers Tonic, soda and juice for the cocktails 8 bottles (2 L)
  • Ice For the drinks and to chill the bottles 100 lb (46 kg)
Estimated alcohol cost $13.72 per guest

$1,372

Wine, beer, spirits and sparkling wine at your prices. Mixers and ice are not included.

Opens in Excel, Google Sheets or Numbers

Your final headcount comes from your RSVPs. Okerly collects them online, so you buy for the guests who are actually coming.

Start your RSVP free

The rule of thumb

How much alcohol for a wedding? Two drinks, then one an hour.

Most caterers and bartenders plan on 2 drinks per guest in the first hour of the reception and 1 drink every hour after that. For 100 guests and a 5-hour reception, that’s about 600 drinks.

The calculator splits those drinks across your bar, then turns them into bottles and cases. A full bar pours mostly wine, then beer, then cocktails, while a beer and wine bar skips spirits. Adjust the crowd and the mix to match your guests.

Drinks = guests × (2 in the first hour + 1 for every hour after)

  • A bottle of wine pours 5 glasses

    Based on a standard 5 oz (150 ml) glass from a 750 ml bottle. Split red and white to suit the season and the menu.

  • A case of beer is 24 drinks

    One 12 oz bottle or can per drink. Serving draft beer? A standard half-barrel keg pours about 165.

  • A bottle of spirits pours 16 drinks

    A 1.5 oz (44 ml) pour from a 750 ml bottle. Every cocktail also needs mixer and plenty of ice.

  • A bottle of champagne pours 8 toasts

    Toast pours are smaller than a full glass. Prosecco or cava toasts just as well for much less than champagne.

At a glance

How much alcohol for 100 guests? And for every size of wedding.

For a 5-hour reception with a full bar, an average crowd and a champagne toast, rounded up to whole bottles and cases.

How much alcohol to buy for a 5-hour wedding reception, by guest count
Guests Drinks Wine Beer Spirits Toast Est. cost
50 guests 300 30 bottles 4 cases of 24 4 bottles 7 bottles $693
75 guests 450 45 bottles 6 cases of 24 6 bottles 10 bottles $1,032
100 guests 600 60 bottles 8 cases of 24 8 bottles 13 bottles $1,372
150 guests 900 90 bottles 12 cases of 24 12 bottles 19 bottles $2,051
200 guests 1,200 120 bottles 15 cases of 24 15 bottles 25 bottles $2,705
250 guests 1,500 150 bottles 19 cases of 24 19 bottles 32 bottles $3,398

Wine is split evenly between red and white. Costs use typical store prices; enter your own prices in the calculator above for an exact estimate.

Alcohol cost

How much does alcohol cost for a wedding? Probably less than you think.

Buying the alcohol yourself for 100 guests and a 5-hour reception with a full bar costs about $1,372 at typical store prices, or $13.72 per guest. That covers 60 bottles of wine, 8 cases of beer, 8 bottles of spirits and 13 bottles of sparkling wine for the toast.

Venue and caterer bar packages are usually priced per guest and per hour, and often cost more than buying it yourself. Enter your store’s prices in the calculator, then ask your venue for its package price and its corkage fee to compare the two.

Six ways to spend less on the bar

  1. 1 Serve beer and wine only Dropping spirits is the biggest single saving. Switch the bar to “Beer & wine” above to see the difference.
  2. 2 Pour a signature cocktail One or two cocktails made with a single spirit cost far less than a full bar and still feel special.
  3. 3 Buy by the case Many wine shops and warehouse clubs discount mixed cases of 6 or 12 bottles.
  4. 4 Ask about returns Some stores take back unopened bottles. Ask before you buy, then buy generously and return what’s left.
  5. 5 Check the corkage fee If your venue lets you bring your own alcohol, ask what it charges per bottle opened before you decide.
  6. 6 Toast with what’s in the glass Skipping the champagne toast saves 13 bottles for 100 guests. Turn it off above to see the new total.

The real headcount

Buy for the guests who are actually coming

An alcohol calculator is only as good as the guest count you give it. On an Okerly wedding website guests RSVP online, so you know exactly how many are coming before you shop.

  • Online RSVP with a deadline you choose
  • A running count of every guest who said yes
  • Party sizes and dietary notes in the same guest list
  • Your schedule, venue and travel details on the same page
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FAQ

Wedding alcohol questions, answered

How much alcohol do I need for a wedding?

Plan on 2 drinks per guest in the first hour and 1 drink per hour after that. For 100 guests and a 5-hour reception, that’s about 600 drinks. The wedding alcohol calculator above splits them across wine, beer and spirits and turns them into bottles, cases and ice.

How much alcohol do we need for 100 guests?

For a 5-hour reception with a full bar, buy about 60 bottles of wine, 8 cases of beer, 8 bottles of spirits and 13 bottles of sparkling wine for the toast. Change the guest count in the calculator for any other size.

How many bottles of wine do I need for a wedding?

One bottle pours about 5 glasses. Work out how many of your drinks will be wine (about half with a full bar, more with beer and wine only) and divide by 5. Most couples split red and white evenly, or lean toward white and rosé for a summer wedding.

How much does alcohol cost for a wedding?

At typical store prices, a full bar for 100 guests costs about $1,372, or $13.72 per guest. Beer and wine only costs less, and a venue bar package usually costs more. Enter your own prices and currency in the calculator for your estimate.

How much beer do I need for a wedding?

Count one 12 oz bottle or can per beer drink. With a full bar, 100 guests need about 8 cases of 24. If you’d rather serve draft, a half-barrel keg pours about 165 beers.

How much champagne do I need for the toast?

One bottle pours about 8 toasts, so divide your guest count by 8. For 100 guests that’s 13 bottles. Prosecco or cava toasts just as well for much less.

Is there a wedding alcohol calculator spreadsheet?

Yes. Download spreadsheet saves your shopping list as a .csv file with every item, quantity and price, plus formulas for the subtotals and the total. It opens in Excel, Google Sheets and Numbers, so you can keep editing it as your RSVPs come in.

Should we buy extra alcohol for the wedding?

The calculator already rounds every item up to whole bottles and cases. For a big party crowd, turn on “Buy 10% extra”, and ask your store whether it takes back unopened bottles.

Is this wedding alcohol calculator free?

Yes. It’s free with no sign-up and no limits. It runs in your browser, so the numbers you enter are not sent to us or stored.

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