Wedding Alcohol Calculator
Data reviewed ·how we calculate
A self-supplied wedding bar is the biggest drink purchase most people ever make, and it runs on two published numbers: the NIAAA standard drink (12 oz beer, 5 oz wine, 1.5 oz spirits) and the catering pace rule of two drinks per guest the first hour, one each hour after. What varies is the split. This calculator offers three crowd presets — beer-heavy, balanced, wine-and-cocktails — and converts your reception into cases of beer, bottles of wine and 750 ml bottles of liquor, with a buffer because a wedding that runs dry becomes the story.
How much do you need?
Enter your guest list — quantities update instantly.
How to work it out step by step
Count drinking-age guests who actually drink — typically 75–85% of an adult guest list. Do not count kids, abstainers or the band.
Apply the pace rule to your reception length: 100 drinkers over 5 hours = 2+1+1+1+1 = 6 drinks each → 600 drinks; the 10% buffer makes it 660.
Pick the split preset that matches your crowd. Balanced (40/40/20) turns 660 drinks into 264 beers, 264 glasses of wine and 132 cocktails.
Convert to purchases: 264 beers = 11 cases; 264 wine glasses ÷ 5 = 53 bottles (about 4½ cases, roughly 60/40 white-and-sparkling to red); 132 spirit drinks ≈ 8 × 750 ml bottles across vodka, whiskey, tequila and rum, plus triple the volume in mixers.
Champagne for the toast is separate and NOT in this total — size it with the champagne toast calculator so the toast never raids the bar.
Host tips
- Buy from a retailer with case returns and keep receipts — the buffer plus returns beats precision guessing every time.
- A "signature cocktail plus basics" bar cuts the spirits list from eight bottles-of-everything to two workhorses and looks intentional rather than cheap.
- Confirm your venue allows self-supplied alcohol and requires a licensed bartender — most do, and bartenders pour standard sizes, which is what keeps this math honest.
The data behind this calculator
| Serving figure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Standard drink sizes | 12 oz beer (5%) · 5 oz wine (12%) · 1.5 oz spirits (40%) | NIAAA standard drink definition |
| Pace | 2 drinks/guest first hour, 1 per hour after | Catering/wedding-planning industry convention — estimate |
| Wine bottle yield | 5 glasses per 750 ml bottle; 12 bottles per case | Arithmetic from bottle volume; US case standard |
| Spirits bottle yield | ≈ 16–17 drinks per 750 ml bottle at 1.5 oz pours | Arithmetic from bottle volume |
| Mixers for spirits | ≈ 3 × the spirits volume (tonic, soda, juices) plus garnish | Bar-planning convention — estimate |
Leftover buffer (10% default):The 10% buffer is wedding insurance: an open bar that closes early is remembered forever, and most retailers take back unopened cases. Buy where returns are allowed and the buffer costs almost nothing.
Cost basis ($1.5–$4per standard drink, self-supplied):Retail self-supply for a mid-shelf bar. Venue-packaged bars run 3–8× this per drink. Estimate only.Source: US retail range, 2025–2026 (estimate — verify locally).
Wedding alcohol questions, answered
How much alcohol do I need for a 100-person wedding?
For 100 drinking guests over a 5-hour reception at the standard pace (6 drinks each) with the 10% buffer, plan about 660 standard drinks. On the balanced 40/40/20 preset that is 11 cases of beer, 53 bottles of wine (about 4½ cases) and 8 × 750 ml bottles of spirits — self-supplied, roughly $990–2,640 at retail.
What percentage of my guests should I count as drinkers?
Most planners count 75–85% of adults; the calculator asks for drinkers directly so you control the assumption. Cultural and family patterns swing this more than any other input — a dry-ish family crowd at 50% needs a third less than a college-friends reception at 90%.
Which split preset should I choose?
Match the crowd, not the aspiration: backyard and BBQ receptions drink beer-first (60/30/10), formal dinners and older crowds pull wine and cocktails (25/45/30), and the balanced 40/40/20 default fits most mixed guest lists. If the venue is hot and outdoor, shift one notch toward beer regardless.
How much do I save supplying my own alcohol?
Venue bar packages typically price $15–40+ per guest per hour tiers or $8–15 per drink poured; the same mid-shelf drink self-supplied costs $1.50–4. On a 660-drink wedding that is commonly $2,000–6,000 saved — the trade is corkage fees, licensed-bartender requirements and the logistics this page just did for you.
Is the champagne toast included in these numbers?
No — the toast is a fixed one-pour-per-guest event, not part of the hourly drinking pace, so it is calculated separately (one bottle per six guests at a 4 oz pour). Fold it into this total and you will either short the toast or over-buy the bar; the champagne toast calculator handles it in ten seconds.
Related calculators
- Champagne Toast Calculatorhow much champagne for a toast
- Beer Calculatorhow much beer for a party
- Wine Calculatorhow many bottles of wine for a party
- Appetizer Calculatorhow many appetizers per person
- Ice Calculatorhow much ice for a party
Browse allWeddings & Large Events calculators or thefull calculator index.
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