Wedding Alcohol Calculator

For a 4 hour reception with 300 guests at average drinking levels, plan 102 bottles of wine, 10 cases of beer, and 16 bottles of spirits. Budget 2,092 to 3,412. These are baseline figures. Adjust drinking level and drink mix percentages to match your crowd.

The standard rule is 1 bartender per 50 guests, so 6 bartenders for 300 people. For a single bar setup, expect longer wait times during peak service windows (cocktail hour, just after the ceremony). Two bar stations with 3 bartenders each typically works better than one station with all 6.

Yes. Costco, Sam's Club, and restaurant supply stores typically save 15 to 25% on wine and spirits versus retail. For 102 bottles of wine and 16 spirits bottles, that is a meaningful saving. Confirm return policies before placing a bulk order in case your headcount drops.

It provides a strong planning baseline using industry averages: 1 drink per guest per hour, a drink split based on your selected event style, plus standard servings per bottle. Use the Event Style selector to match your crowd. A backyard BBQ skews heavily toward beer while a wine dinner needs far less spirits.

Yes. Use the Event Style selector to match your event type. Backyard BBQ skews heavily toward beer (65%), Wine Dinner is 70% wine, and Open Bar puts more weight on spirits (50%). Each preset uses real world crowd averages for that event type.

Use the drinking level toggle. Light works well for daytime or family heavy events, Average fits most receptions, and Heavy is better for bar forward crowds.

Absolutely. Kids, pregnant guests, and teetotalers all reduce your actual alcohol need. Use the Non Drinker % slider to exclude them from the drink calculations. The default 15% is a reasonable starting point for a typical mixed age crowd.

The champagne card accounts for a single toast glass for every guest, including non drinkers, since most people will take a glass even if they don't usually drink. At roughly 6 glasses per 750ml bottle, this is a separate purchase from your reception alcohol.

Yes, a 10-15% buffer is standard for larger weddings. But remember: the best way to protect your budget isn't guessing your buffer. It's having a accurate, confirmed headcount before you head to the liquor store.

No. This calculator estimates alcohol only. Plan mixers, water, soda, juice, coffee, and ice separately based on your menu and venue requirements.

Finalize your major order 4 weeks out, right after your RSVP deadline. (Pro-tip: If you use iDoTogether to collect RSVPs, your dashboard will show you exactly when 100% of your guests have answered, so you aren't guessing when it's safe to buy).