Planning Drinks For Your Wedding: A Step-By-Step Guide

Planning drinks for a wedding is a crucial part of the big day. It's important to get the right amount of drinks to keep your guests happy and avoid wasting money on excess alcohol. There are many things to consider, from the types of alcohol to quantities, drinkware, garnishes, bartending supplies, and any special touches that fit your wedding style.

How much alcohol to buy

Planning how much alcohol to buy for a wedding is a crucial part of keeping your guests happy and avoiding wasting money on excess drinks.

The general rule of thumb is to plan for at least one drink per person per hour. For example, a six-hour wedding with 100 guests would require roughly 600 drinks. However, some party planners suggest providing two drinks in the first hour and one drink per hour for the rest of the evening, which would mean providing approximately seven drinks per person for a six-hour reception.

It's also important to consider the types of alcohol you will be serving. A balanced mix of drinks is recommended, with 50% wine, 30% beer, and 20% spirits. This can be adjusted based on your guests' preferences. For beer, include a mix of domestics, imports, craft, and light beer. If you're serving prosecco, you can save money by filling the glasses halfway and providing a 'pimp your prosecco' station with flavoured syrups, cordials, liqueurs, and garnishes. This will allow your guests to be creative and have fun choosing their own flavours while also reducing the amount of alcohol consumed early in the evening.

Don't forget to include estimates for non-alcoholic drinks as well, such as soft drinks and water.

Non-alcoholic options

Planning a wedding involves making many decisions, big and small. One important consideration is determining how much alcohol to buy for a wedding and how many non-alcoholic options to provide.

When it comes to non-alcoholic options, always plan for soft drinks, water, and non-alcoholic alternatives for those who prefer them. You can also offer your guests a glass of prosecco, filled only halfway, and make a ‘pimp your prosecco’ station. Guests can add different flavoured syrups, cordials or liqueurs and garnish with berries or fruit. That way, guests can be creative and have fun choosing their favourite flavours without drinking too much alcohol from the start.

It is recommended that you plan for at least one drink per person per hour. For example, for a six-hour wedding with 100 guests, you’ll need roughly 600 drinks. However, some party planners suggest providing more drinks per person, such as two drinks in the first hour and one drink per hour for the rest of the evening.

Types of alcohol

When it comes to planning drinks for a wedding, there are a few things to consider. Firstly, it is important to cater to a range of tastes and preferences by offering a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. This can include wine, beer, spirits, soft drinks, water, and low-alcohol options.

For alcoholic drinks, it is recommended to have a balanced mix of wine, beer, and spirits, with approximately 50% wine, 30% beer, and 20% spirits. This can be adjusted based on your guests' preferences and the type of wedding you are hosting. For example, if you are having a more casual wedding, you may want to offer more beer options, including domestics, imports, craft, and light beer. If you are having a more formal wedding, you may want to offer a wider selection of wines and spirits.

It is also important to consider the quantity of alcohol you will need. A good rule of thumb is to plan for at least one drink per person per hour. However, some party planners recommend providing two drinks in the first hour and then one drink per hour for the rest of the evening. This can be calculated more accurately by using an alcohol calculator, which takes into account the number of guests, the duration of the wedding, and the expected consumption rate.

To add a special touch to your wedding, you can create a 'pimp your prosecco' station, where guests can add flavoured syrups, cordials, or liqueurs to their drinks and garnish them with berries or fruit. This can be a fun and interactive way to offer a variety of drink options without serving full-strength alcohol from the start.

Quantities

When it comes to planning drinks for a wedding, the key is to keep your guests happy without wasting money on excess alcohol. It's important to consider quantities based on your guest count, and a good rule of thumb is to plan for at least one drink per person per hour. For example, for a six-hour wedding with 100 guests, you would need roughly 600 drinks. However, some party planners suggest budgeting for more, with one planner recommending two drinks in the first hour and one drink per hour for the rest of the evening. That would mean approximately seven drinks per person for a six-hour reception.

It's also important to consider the types of drinks you'll be serving. A balanced mix of 50% wine, 30% beer, and 20% spirits is a good starting point, but you can adjust this based on your guests' preferences. Don't forget to include non-alcoholic options as well, such as soft drinks, water, and low-alcohol alternatives like prosecco with flavoured syrups or cordials.

When calculating quantities, it's helpful to use an alcohol calculator, which can simplify the process and ensure you have a well-stocked bar. These calculators take into account factors such as the number of guests, the duration of the event, and the expected level of consumption. For example, in a wedding with 100 guests lasting four hours, with 80% of guests expected to drink, you would need approximately 400 total drinks, including wine, beer, and spirits.

In addition to alcohol, don't forget to plan for drinkware, garnishes, bartending supplies, and any special touches that fit your wedding style. Advance planning will help take the stress out of setting up the bar on the big day and ensure your guests have a great time.

Drinkware and garnishes

When it comes to drinkware and garnishes for a wedding, there are a few things to consider. Firstly, you'll want to ensure you have enough glasses or cups for all your guests. This may seem obvious, but it's easy to underestimate how many drinks will be consumed, especially if you're offering a free bar. A good rule of thumb is to plan for at least one drink per person per hour, but you may want to increase this to two drinks in the first hour, as suggested by party planner Alex Tornai.

Once you have an idea of the total number of drinks, you can decide on the types of drinkware you'll need. This will depend on the drinks you're serving. For example, if you're offering wine, you'll need wine glasses, and if you're serving cocktails, you might want to provide fancy cocktail glasses or even something more unique, like mason jars or vintage teacups.

Garnishes are an important part of drink presentation and can add a special touch to your wedding. They can be as simple as a lemon or lime wedge, a sprig of mint, or a cherry, or you could get creative with edible flowers, colourful straws, or personalised stirrers. If you're serving prosecco or champagne, berries or fruit garnishes are a popular choice, and they can also be used to add a bit of colour to other drinks like gin and tonics or vodka sodas.

Finally, don't forget to consider any special touches that fit your wedding style or theme. For example, if you're having a rustic wedding, you might want to use mason jars with twine and a sprig of lavender as a garnish. Or, if you're going for a more elegant look, you could use crystal glassware with sophisticated cocktail garnishes like twisted citrus peels or brandied cherries.

Frequently asked questions