Ultimate Guide to Calculating Alcohol for Your Wedding

Wedding planning got you feeling overwhelmed? Take a deep breath and let’s tackle one of the biggest tasks together: calculating alcohol for your wedding. Trust me, it’s easier than you think. Here’s a straightforward guide to help you figure out exactly how much booze you’ll need, what to choose for the type of wedding you’re having, and more tips for executing a DIY wedding bar (without losing your mind!).

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Here’s what we’ll cover:

• Wedding bar options
• Questions to ask for estimating alcohol for a wedding
• Easy spreadsheet for calculating alcohol for your wedding
• How to buy alcohol for your wedding
• Extra items needed for your DIY wedding bar
• Savvy tips for buying alcohol for your wedding

5 Steps to Calculating Alcohol for Your Wedding

Alright friends, let me walk you through 5 steps for calculating alcohol for your wedding. By following this process, you’ll have a stress-free bar stocking experience, which means a happier you, and even happier guests!

Step 1: Understand Your Bar Options

First things first, what kind of bar are you having? This decision will hugely impact your alcohol calculations.

• Cash Bar
  With a cash bar, guests buy their own drinks. This means they’ll probably drink less. Not ideal for an all-out party but definitely budget-friendly.

• Open Bar
  An open bar means your guests can drink as much as they want without paying. It’s the most generous option but also the priciest. Guests will likely indulge more, so stock up accordingly.

• Limited Open Bar (or a “Soft” Bar)
  This is a happy medium. You offer beer and wine (maybe a signature cocktail or two), and your guests get to enjoy free drinks without breaking your bank.

What you decide should be based on what’s right for you and your guests’ tastes, the experience you want your guests to have, while also considering your budget and how much you’ve allocated towards your bar.

Step 2: Ask the Right Questions

Before you can start estimating alcohol for a wedding (or buying anything! Actually…don’t even THINK about going to the liquor store yet!), you need to ask yourself some questions.

1. What’s your guest count?
Since you’re probably planning your bar before you have your final RSVPs, use your total number of invited guests as a starting point (even though you’ll likely have about 15-20% decline). It’s always better to overestimate than under estimate!

2. How many hours is your reception?
Be sure to include your cocktail hour (if you’re having one!) in addition to the length of your reception.

3. What kind of drinkers are your guests?
Consider the drinking habits of the majority of your guests. Are they typically light, moderate, or heavy drinkers?

• If your guest list includes a mix of light drinkers and those who love a good party, balance your estimates accordingly.

• Consider the time of day of your wedding as well. You might say your guests are “light” drinkers, if you’re having a morning, or afternoon reception.

4. What types of alcohol do you want to serve?
Decide if you’ll serve beer, wine, spirits, or a combination, and if you want to include a champagne toast or not.

5. How much of each alcohol do you want to serve?
If you’re not sure, you can start with the recommended: 50% liquor, 25% beer and 25% wine. And, typically it’s a 50/50 split of red and white wine.

• Consider the season as well. Summer might call for more white wine and refreshing cocktails, while winter might see a preference for red wine and warm liquor-based beverages.

• Another idea, is to ask your guests directly by adding a question to your RSVPs! I used this method, and it worked great to help me figure out my split of drinkers between the beer and wine we served.

Step 3: Calculating Alcohol for Your Wedding

Now that you’ve got all the important questions answers, you’ve got what you need for accurately calculating alcohol for your wedding!

So, let’s say these are my answers to the above questions:

• # of guests: 130
• Length of Reception/Bar Service: 5 hours
• Drinkers: Moderate
• Types of alcohol: beer, wine and spirts (full bar)
• Quantity of each alcohol: 30% beer, 20% wine, 50% liquor

Based on the rule of thumb that the average guest consumers one drink per hour, here is what calculating alcohol for my wedding would look like:

• Beer: 195 servings (130 guests x 5 hours x 30%)
• Wine: 130 servings (130 guests x 5 hours x 20%)
• Spirits: 325 servings (130 guests x 5 hours x 50%)

Next, based on the above, here is the alcohol I would need to buy for my wedding:

Beer – 195 servings / 24 bottles per case = 8.125 cases
━━━━━➤ Round up to 9 cases to be safe (or one half barrel keg and one quarter barrel keg of a seasonal option)

Wine – 130 servings / 5 servings = 26 bottles or 2 cases and 2 bottles
━━━━━➤ Go with 1 red case, 1 white case and then round up to an extra half a case of either red or white, based on the season (red for Fall/Winter, white for Spring/Summer).

Hard Liquor – 325 servings / 18 drinks per 750 ml bottle = 18.05 bottles
━━━━━➤ Stick with only 2-3 choices (vodka and bourbon are great crowd pleasers) and consider getting slightly more bottles of your more popular choice (i.e. 11 vodka, 7 bourbon).

Step 4: Buy Your Booze!

Before heading to the liquor store to make your purchases, run a few scenarios based on the quantities you calculated in step 3 based on the average costs (outlined below) of champagne, wine, liquor and beer.

Here are some average costs to keep in mind:

• Champagne: Around $50 per bottle.
• Wine: Roughly $14 per bottle.
• Liquor: About $22 per 750 ml bottle.
• Beer: $19 per case.

Based on your budget allocation, you may have room to go with more premium options, or… if you’re finding that these numbers are pushing you over budget, you may need to explore buying your beer and wine in bulk, and going with big batch cocktails to keep your bar budget in check.

A couple additional tips for buying alcohol for your wedding:

• Limit Choices.
  Offering fewer options means less waste. Whatever bar option you choose (full or limited), stick to a few (2-3) crowd-pleasers for each alcohol type.

• Incorporate Local Flavor
  Consider supporting local breweries and wineries that you love. It adds a personal touch to your wedding and incorporates some local flavor.

• Consider Budget-Friendly Alternatives
  Going with budget-friendly options doesn’t mean you need to sacrifice quality or your guest experience. Check out these budget-friendly wedding bar options.

Once you’ve considered the above, make a shopping list of all the booze you need to buy and start stocking!

Step 5: Don’t Forget the Extras

It’s not over once you’ve bought the booze! After buying the alcohol for your wedding, remember to plan for these important extras:

• Bartenders
  While you could opt for a self-service bar, hiring professionals will ensure a smooth service and keeps things classy.

• Mixers and Garnishes
  Stock up on tonic, soda, and garnishes like lemons and limes based on your liquor choices.

• Glassware
  Decide whether you’ll use real or disposable glasses, and make sure you have enough for everyone.

Savvy Tips for Buying Alcohol for a Wedding

Buying alcohol for your wedding can get PRICEY! If you plugged in the average alcohol prices above and it’s throwing you over your bar budget, here are a few ways to get savvy with stocking your wedding bar.

Bulk Beer for Wedding

Sometimes a keg can be more pricey than your bulk beer buy alternatives. Head to Costco, or your local membership club, to buy your beer in bulk for your wedding.

Big Batch Cocktails for Weddings

If you want to limit your liquor choices, and also keep the line at your wedding bar moving quickly, consider big batch cocktails instead of offering a variety of on-demand choices. This will cut down on extra garnishes and mixers, and also the number of bartenders you’ll need!

Calculating Alcohol for Your Wedding: Final Thoughts

Last but not least, here are a few insider tips to make calculating alcohol for your wedding and DIY bar planning even smoother:

• Use Smaller Glasses. This trick can stretch your supply and reduce waste.

• Overestimate. Whatever you calculate, it’s best to throw in a few extras, as it’s always better safe than sorry. Some stores even allow returns on unopened bottles, which you can check on before you buy!

• Don’t forget the license! Check with your local municipality to confirm what permits are needed to serve alcohol at your wedding. Complete the application early so you don’t forget!

Remember, planning your wedding bar should be fun, not stressful. With these tips, you’ll be able to estimate your alcohol needs like a pro and ensure your guests have a fantastic time. Cheers to a well-planned and “spirited” celebration! 🥂

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