# Wedding Alcohol Calculator

> Calculate bottles of wine, beer, and liquor needed based on guest count, duration, and drinking habits

**Category:** Food
**Keywords:** wedding, alcohol, drinks, bar, wine, beer, liquor, bottles, reception, party, event, guest count, champagne, cocktail
**URL:** https://complete.tools/wedding-alcohol-calculator

## How it calculates

**Core Formula:**
```
Total Drinks = Drinking Guests x Drinks Per Hour x Event Duration
```

**Where:**
- **Drinking Guests** = Total Guests x Percent Drinking (typically 70-85%)
- **Drinks Per Hour** = 0.75 (light), 1.0 (moderate), or 1.5 (heavy)
- **Event Duration** = Hours of service from cocktail hour to last call

**Bottle Conversion Rates:**
- **Wine:** 5 glasses per 750ml bottle
- **Beer:** 1 bottle or can per drink
- **Liquor:** 16 cocktails per 750ml bottle (1.5oz standard pours)

**Case Sizes:**
- Wine: 12 bottles per case
- Beer: 24 bottles/cans per case
- Liquor: 12 bottles per case

**Champagne for toasts:** 1 bottle per 6 guests (approximately 5-6 flutes per bottle)

A 10% buffer is automatically added to the base calculation to account for spillage, extra-thirsty guests, and unexpected plus-ones.

## Who should use this

- **Couples planning their wedding:** Get accurate drink quantities before talking to caterers or liquor stores
- **Event planners and coordinators:** Quickly estimate bar needs for receptions of any size
- **Parents hosting rehearsal dinners:** Scale the calculation for smaller pre-wedding events
- **DIY wedding couples:** Buying your own alcohol can save thousands, but only if you buy the right amounts
- **Caterers and bartenders:** Use as a baseline when quoting bar packages for clients

## How to use

1. Enter your total guest count, including children and non-drinkers
2. Set the event duration in hours (most receptions run 4-6 hours)
3. Adjust the percentage of guests who will be drinking alcohol (the default 80% works for most weddings)
4. Choose a drinking level that matches your crowd: light for daytime or brunch events, moderate for most evening receptions, heavy for late-night parties
5. Use the beverage split sliders to set the proportion of wine, beer, and liquor (the sliders automatically balance to 100%)
6. Review your results: total drinks, bottles needed for each type, case quantities, and champagne for toasts
7. Use the calculation breakdown section to verify the assumptions match your event

## Tips for buying wedding alcohol

**Timing matters.** Guests drink more during cocktail hour and the first hour of the reception, then taper off. A 5-hour event does not mean 5 hours of peak consumption.

**Meal service reduces drinking.** Events with a full sit-down dinner typically see lower per-hour consumption than cocktail-only parties. If your reception includes a multi-course meal, the moderate setting is usually appropriate even for a lively crowd.

**Check return policies.** Many liquor stores allow returns of unopened bottles. Buy slightly more than the calculator suggests and return what you do not open.

**Season and weather affect choices.** Summer outdoor weddings tend toward more beer and lighter drinks. Winter events lean toward more wine and spirits.

**Do not forget mixers and ice.** For every bottle of liquor, plan on about 1 liter of mixer (tonic, soda, juice) and roughly 1.5 pounds of ice per guest.

## FAQs

**
**Q:** What drinking level should I choose?**


**A:** For most evening wedding receptions, "moderate" (1 drink per person per hour) is the standard recommendation. Choose "light" for brunch or afternoon weddings, or "heavy" for late-night celebrations where guests are known to drink more.

**
**Q:** Does this include champagne for toasts?**


**A:** The main calculation covers wine, beer, and liquor for general drinking. The champagne toast recommendation is shown separately as a tip below the results. One bottle of champagne or sparkling wine serves approximately 6 flute pours.

**
**Q:** How accurate is the 10% buffer?**


**A:** The 10% buffer is a widely used industry standard. It accounts for spillage, stronger-than-average pours, and a few extra guests. For very large weddings (200+), the buffer percentage is usually sufficient. For smaller, more intimate events, you may want to round up an extra bottle or two.

**
**Q:** Should I count children in the guest count?**


**A:** Yes, include everyone in the total guest count. Then adjust the "percentage drinking" slider downward to account for children and non-drinkers. For example, if 20 of your 100 guests are children, you might set the drinking percentage to 65-70%.

**
**Q:** What if I only want to serve wine and beer?**


**A:** Simply set the liquor slider to 0%. The wine and beer sliders will redistribute to cover 100% of the drinks. Many weddings opt for a wine-and-beer-only bar, which simplifies both ordering and service.

**
**Q:** How do I handle a cocktail hour plus a reception?**


**A:** Add the total hours together. If you have a 1-hour cocktail hour followed by a 4-hour reception, set the duration to 5 hours. The calculator accounts for average consumption across the entire event.

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*Generated from [complete.tools/wedding-alcohol-calculator](https://complete.tools/wedding-alcohol-calculator)*