Wedding Alcohol Calculator

For a 4 hour reception with 100 guests, no spirits, and a 60/40 wine to beer split, you need 41 bottles of wine and 5 cases of beer. This covers 85 drinking guests at 1 drink per hour with average drinking levels.

For 100 guests, removing spirits from the bar typically saves $200 to $500 depending on the spirits mix you would have purchased. Budget 690 to 1,122 for beer and wine only versus a typical $900 to $1,500 for a full open bar setup.

For a general mixed crowd at a dinner reception, 60% wine and 40% beer is a solid starting point. If your crowd skews younger and more casual, shift to 50/50. If it is a more formal evening reception with an older guest list, 70% wine is common. Adjust the sliders in the calculator to match your crowd.

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).