Franklin Dean
Planning a wedding can be stressful, especially when it comes to figuring out how much alcohol to buy. It's important to calculate the amount of alcohol needed to avoid running out during the wedding reception. There are a few things to consider when determining how much alcohol to purchase, such as the number of guests, the duration of the event, and the drinking habits of the guests. It's also essential to decide on the types of alcohol that will be served, such as beer, wine, liquor, and cocktails. To make things easier, couples can use a wedding alcohol calculator, which takes into account various factors and provides an estimate of the amount of alcohol needed.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of guests | 75-100 |
| Number of drinks per guest | 5-7 |
| Types of alcohol | Wine, beer, spirits, cocktails |
| Number of cocktails | 2-5 |
| Types of spirits | Vodka, bourbon, tequila, gin, rum, whisky |
| Number of bottles of wine | 20 |
| Number of bottles of beer | 24 |
| Number of bottles of spirits | 3-15 |
| Number of bottles of champagne | Variable |
| Guest drink preferences | 70-80% beer and wine, 20-30% spirits |
| Guest drink rate | 2 drinks in the first hour, 1 drink per hour thereafter |
| Children at the wedding | Lower alcohol budget |
| Season and wedding style | Affects drink choices |
| Transportation | Consider how to get the alcohol to the wedding |
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What You'll Learn
Consider the number of guests and their drinking habits
When it comes to planning a wedding, deciding on the drinks menu can be more challenging than planning the food menu. This is because it can be tricky to estimate how much alcohol you'll need and how much it will cost. The first step is to decide on your guest count, distinguishing between adults and children. While children do not count when calculating alcoholic beverages, they will need to be factored in for soft drinks, which are usually cheaper than alcoholic drinks.
Next, you'll need to estimate the length of time that drinks will be served. Will there be a cocktail hour, reception, or after-party? It's important to note that guests tend to drink more during the first hour, with a general rule of thumb being that a guest will consume two drinks in the first hour and one drink every hour after that. However, this can vary depending on your guests' drinking habits. If you know your guests are heavy drinkers, you may need to increase the amount of alcohol you purchase. On the other hand, if your guests are mostly light drinkers, you can decrease the amount.
Another factor to consider is the type of alcohol you'll be serving. If you're offering a full bar, you'll need to purchase a variety of liquors, mixers, wines, and beers. Retailers like Total Wine & More and BevMo! suggest that 70-80% of wedding guests will drink beer and wine, while 20-30% will drink spirits. If you're serving cocktails, you'll need to take into account the ingredients and quantities required for each drink. It's also a good idea to offer a non-alcoholic option, such as mocktails, sparkling water, or soda, for non-drinking guests.
When creating your drinks menu, it's essential to stay within your budget while ensuring you don't run out of alcohol halfway through the reception. One way to estimate how much alcohol you'll need is to use a wedding drink calculator, which takes into account factors such as guest count, drink preferences, and event duration. These calculators can provide a more accurate estimate of the number of bottles of wine, beer, and liquor you'll need. However, it's always a good idea to err on the side of caution and have more than enough rather than too little.
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Estimate the length of time drinks will be served
Estimating the length of time drinks will be served is an important consideration when calculating how much alcohol is needed for a wedding. The duration of drinks being served will depend on the timeline of your wedding day.
First, consider the start time of your drinks service. Will drinks be served before the ceremony, as guests arrive? Or will drinks be served post-ceremony, during a cocktail hour or reception? If you're serving drinks pre-ceremony, you'll need to factor in the time it takes for guests to arrive, which will depend on the start time of your ceremony. For example, if your ceremony starts at 3 pm, you may want to start serving drinks from 2 pm to give latecomers a chance to enjoy a drink before the ceremony begins.
Next, consider the end time of your drinks service. Will drinks be served throughout the entire reception, or only during a specific time frame? If you're serving drinks during a cocktail hour, you'll need to estimate the duration of that hour, which may be slightly longer or shorter than 60 minutes. If drinks are being served throughout the reception, you'll need to decide on an end time, perhaps an hour or two before the party wraps up, to give your guests time to wind down and sober up before heading home.
As a general rule, it's recommended to estimate one drink per guest per hour, or about five drinks per guest throughout an evening event. This can vary depending on individual drinking habits, with some guests drinking less and others consuming more. It's also worth noting that guests tend to drink more earlier in the event and slow down later, so the drinks per guest per hour may be higher during the first few hours.
Using these estimates, you can calculate the duration of your drinks service based on the number of drinks you plan to serve. For example, if you're serving five drinks per guest, and your reception lasts for five hours, you can estimate that drinks will be served for most of the reception. However, if you're serving three drinks per guest, you may only need to provide drinks for the first three hours of the reception.
It's always a good idea to err on the side of caution and have more drinks available than you think you'll need. You don't want to run out of alcohol halfway through your wedding celebrations!
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Calculate the number of drinks per guest per hour
When it comes to wedding planning, it's important to calculate the number of drinks per guest per hour to ensure you stay within your budget and don't run out of drinks during the reception. A good starting point is to assume that each guest will consume one drink per hour or about five drinks throughout the evening. However, it's important to consider that some guests may drink more or less than others, and generally, people tend to consume more earlier in the event and slow down later.
To calculate the number of drinks per guest per hour, you should first determine your guest count, distinguishing between adults and children since children will not be included in the calculation of alcoholic beverages. A higher children's count will significantly lower the amount of alcohol needed and your budget, as soft drinks are typically less expensive than alcoholic beverages.
Next, consider the length of your event. The longer the event, the more drinks you will need per guest. A good rule of thumb is to estimate two drinks per guest during the first hour, often referred to as the cocktail hour, and one drink per guest for each additional hour. This estimate can be adjusted based on your knowledge of your guests' drinking habits. If you know your guests are heavy drinkers, you may want to increase the rate, and if they are light drinkers, you can decrease it.
Additionally, the type of alcohol served should be considered. If you are offering a full bar, you will need a variety of liquors, mixers, wines, and beers. Retailers like Total Wine & More and BevMo! suggest that approximately 70-80% of wedding guests will drink beer and wine, while 20-30% will consume spirits. You can use these percentages as a guide to determine the approximate amount of each type of alcohol needed.
Online wedding drink calculators can be incredibly helpful in determining the number of drinks per guest per hour. These calculators allow you to input your specific information, such as guest count, event length, and drinking habits, to provide a more accurate estimate. They also enable you to adjust the ratio of different drinks to better match your guests' preferences, ensuring you have a well-stocked bar and happy guests.
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Account for different types of alcohol and drinks
When it comes to planning a wedding, deciding on the drinks and alcohol can be more challenging than planning the food menu. This is because it can be tricky to estimate how much alcohol you'll need and how much it will cost. It's important to stay within your wedding budget, but you also don't want to run out of drinks halfway through the reception.
A good place to start is to decide on your guest count, making a distinction between the number of adults and children. You can then assume that each adult guest will consume one drink per hour or about five drinks throughout the evening. Some guests will drink less, but others may drink more. Generally, people tend to consume more at the beginning of the event but slow down later on, so the drinks per guest per hour are higher for the first hour.
Retailers such as Total Wine & More and BevMo! suggest that 70-80% of wedding guests will drink beer and wine, while 20-30% will drink spirits. If you are offering a full bar, you will need to purchase a variety of liquors, mixers, wines, and beers. It's recommended that you offer two to three craft cocktails, with no more than five. Offering too many can make it overly complicated for guests to order, slowing down the bar service. Vodka, bourbon, tequila, gin, and rum are adequate spirit offerings.
If you know your guests' drinking preferences, you can adjust the drink ratios accordingly. For example, if your guests tend to drink more wine and less beer than average, you can decrease the percentage of beer consumption and increase the percentage of wine consumption.
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Get a professional bartender to refine your shopping list
Once you've calculated a rough estimate of how many drinks you'll be serving and generated a basic shopping list, it's a good idea to get a professional bartender to review your plans. They can lend their expertise to further refine your list and give you a cost estimate.
A bartender can help you decide on the right number and variety of spirits to offer. For instance, Joshua Mentrup, a top wedding expert from Barspirit Premier Bartenders & Event Staff in Los Angeles, recommends offering no more than five craft cocktails, including a popular classic like an Old Fashioned, as well as a mocktail. Mentrup also suggests that vodka, bourbon, tequila, gin, and rum are adequate offerings when it comes to spirits. This way, you won't end up buying more alcohol than you'll use and be left with several half-empty bottles.
A bartender can also advise on quantities based on their experience. For example, Mentrup advises assuming each guest will consume one drink per hour or about five drinks throughout the evening, although this may slow down later on. Other sources suggest that three drinks in the first hour and one drink per hour for the rest of the night is a better estimate, especially if your guests are heavy drinkers.
If you're serving beer, a bartender can help you decide on the right mix of brands and types to offer. For instance, it's good to offer at least one well-known domestic brand and one well-known imported brand to keep most guests happy. But if your friends are craft beer enthusiasts, you might want to offer a range of obscure and favourite craft beers.
A professional bartender can also advise on the practicalities of getting the alcohol to your wedding venue and serving it, which can be a significant task.
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Frequently asked questions
First, determine the number of guests who will be drinking alcohol. Next, decide on the duration of your event and the types of alcohol you will serve. As a rule of thumb, plan for two drinks per guest in the first hour and one drink per guest for each additional hour.
Retailers like BevMo! and Total Wine & More suggest 70-80% of wedding guests will drink beer and wine, while 20-30% will drink spirits.
A bottle of wine contains five glasses. If one-third of your guests are wine drinkers, that's around 3-4 glasses of wine per person. So, for 75 guests, you would need around 20 bottles of wine.
For 80-100 guests, buy around 3 bottles of vodka, 1 bottle of gin, 1 bottle of tequila, 2 bottles of rum, 2 bottles of bourbon, and 1 bottle of whisky. Also, consider the number of signature cocktails you plan to offer.
Consider using a wedding drink calculator, which will factor in variables such as guest count, season, wedding style, and drinking habits.
