Wedding drink calculator
How much alcohol do you actually need for the wedding? Put in your guests, hours and crowd type — get beer, wine, spirits and champagne quantities, a shopping list and a budget estimate you can hand straight to your venue.
Prices (editable defaults — retail varies)
The formula, in plain English
Total drinks = guests × hours × drinks per hour (1.0 by default) × crowd modifier × (1 − non-drinker share) × 1.10 buffer. A light crowd multiplies by 0.8, an average crowd by 1.0 and a lively crowd by 1.25. A full bar then splits the total 35% beer, 35% wine and 30% spirits; beer-and-wine splits 50/50; wine only is 100%.
Conversions are the standard ones caterers use: a 750 ml wine bottle pours 5 glasses, a 750 ml spirits bottle makes about 17 drinks at a 1.5 oz pour, beer comes in cases of 24, and the champagne toast is one glass per guest at 6 glasses per bottle. Read the full breakdown on the how-much-alcohol guide, or jump to a pre-computed plan: 50 guests · 100 guests · 150 guests · 200 guests.
Please drink responsibly. These numbers are a purchasing estimate, not a target. Make sure water and food are available all night, arrange safe rides home, and remember the final call on quantities is your venue or caterer's — they know your crowd and your local rules.
Frequently asked questions
How much alcohol do I need for a wedding?
The industry rule of thumb is one drink per drinking guest per hour. Multiply guests × hours × 1 drink, subtract your non-drinkers, then add a 10% buffer. For 100 guests over 5 hours with 15% non-drinkers that is about 468 drinks — roughly 164 beers, 33 bottles of wine and 9 bottles of spirits at a standard full-bar split, plus champagne for the toast.
How many drinks does one bottle of wine pour?
A standard 750 ml wine bottle pours 5 glasses at a 5 oz pour. A 750 ml spirits bottle makes about 17 drinks at a 1.5 oz pour. A 750 ml champagne bottle pours about 6 toast glasses.
How much beer is in a case?
A standard case holds 24 cans or bottles. This calculator rounds your beer count up to whole cases so you never run short mid-reception.
Should non-drinkers count toward the toast?
Yes for the glass count — everyone raises something. We count one champagne glass per guest and note a sparkling juice or soda alternative for non-drinkers, kids and anyone skipping alcohol.
What if my crowd drinks more than average?
Set the crowd type to Lively, which multiplies the plan by 1.25. You can also raise drinks-per-hour above 1.0 — many planners budget 2 drinks in the first hour and 1 per hour after that.
How much ice and soft drinks do we need?
Plan roughly 1 lb of ice per guest, and about 1.5 soft-drink servings per non-drinker per hour. Water should be out all night — roughly one serving per guest per hour on top of everything else.
Is it cheaper to buy too much?
Usually, yes — running dry is the real disaster. Many retailers let you return unopened bottles and cases, so the 10% buffer in this calculator rarely goes to waste. Check your store's return policy before you buy.