Wedding Alcohol Calculator
Calculate the exact wine, beer, and spirits quantities for your bar based on guest count, reception length, and crowd type.
~85 of 100 guests drinking
Alcohol Shopping List
Total Drinks Needed
340
85 drinking guests × 4 hours = 340 · 1x drinking modifier
Assumes 1 drink per guest per hour, 5 drinks per 750ml wine bottle, 1 beer = 1 drink, and ~16 drinks per 750ml liquor bottle.
48
Bottles of Wine
238 wine drinks (70%)
2
Cases of Beer
+3 extras (51 total, 15%)
4
Bottles of Spirits
51 liquor drinks (15%)
Your math is only as good as your headcount.
The average wedding has a 15% drop-off rate. If you buy drinks today, you are buying for ~15 people who aren't coming, wasting $92. iDoTogether sends one personal link to their phones, getting you hard RSVPs instantly so you only buy what you actually need.
Estimated Budget
Safe Minimum
$612
Generous Buffer
$972
Based on typical retail prices. Actual costs vary by brand, region, and store.
The math is done. Now go get the actual data.
Stop chasing adults for their basic information.
You are organizing an event for 100 people. You shouldn't manage it with chaotic group texts and a fragile spreadsheet. Send one personal link. Let guests enter their own addresses, meal choices, and RSVPs. You just watch the numbers update.
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Frequently Asked Questions
For a 4 hour wine dinner reception with 100 guests and a 70% wine allocation, you need 48 bottles of wine for 85 drinking guests. This allows roughly 1 drink per guest per hour with wine as the primary offering.
For a wedding dinner, a mix of red and white is standard, typically 60% white and 40% red for a summer or fall event. For winter or a more formal setting, a 50/50 split works well. Order a separate sparkling wine or Prosecco for the champagne toast if desired.
Budget 782 to 1,278 for a wine-forward bar covering 48 bottles of wine and modest beer and spirits amounts. This uses standard retail pricing of $10 to $16 per bottle. Premium selections increase the upper end of this range significantly.
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).
Done planning drinks? Set up your guest list and get confirmed RSVPs →
Planning a Wine-Forward Wedding Dinner?
A wine dinner wedding follows a different consumption pattern than a standard reception. With 85 drinking guests and a 70% wine allocation, you need 48 bottles of wine plus modest amounts of beer (2 cases) and spirits (4 bottles). Budget between 782 and 1,278. Wine dinner receptions typically pair wine with courses throughout the meal, so consumption is spread more evenly across the reception. Having a sommelier or knowledgeable pourer on hand helps manage consumption and pacing, especially for higher quality bottles.
Wine dinner receptions have the tightest correlation between headcount and wine quantity. A confirmed RSVP list from iDoTogether is especially important before ordering premium bottles.