The bar math
How Much Alcohol Do You Need for a Wedding?
By Jared Waterworth · Updated June 10, 2026 · 6 min read
Nobody remembers the wine you served. Everybody remembers the bar running dry at nine. Here's the arithmetic that keeps it flowing.
Bottom line
Plan about 2 drinks per guest the first hour and 1 per hour after, then add a 10% buffer. For 100 guests over a 5-hour reception that's roughly 600 drinks: about 60 bottles of wine, 180 beers, and 8 bottles of liquor for a full bar.
Skip to the numbers
Use the alcohol calculator for your wedding.
Running out of drinks is one of the few wedding mishaps guests remember years later. The good news: the math is simple once you know the rules of thumb. Here's how to estimate how much wine, beer, liquor, and champagne to buy, and the wedding alcohol calculator will do the arithmetic for you.
The two-drinks-then-one rule
Start with how many drinks your guests will go through:
- First hour: 2 drinks per guest (people drink faster early, during cocktail hour).
- Each additional hour: 1 drink per guest.
Then adjust for your crowd: multiply by 0.75 for a light-drinking crowd, leave it at 1.0 for average, or use 1.25 for a heavy crowd. Finally, add a 10% buffer so the bar never runs dry.
Run the numbers: 100 guests, 5 hours
Drinks per guest = 2 (first hour) + 4 (next four hours) = 6. For 100 average-drinking guests that's 600 drinks. With a full bar split of roughly 50% wine, 30% beer, and 20% liquor:
- Wine: 300 glasses ÷ 5 glasses per bottle = ~60 bottles
- Beer: ~180 bottles or cans
- Liquor: 120 drinks ÷ 16 drinks per 750ml bottle = ~8 bottles
For a beer-and-wine bar, shift the split to about 60% wine and 40% beer and skip the liquor entirely. If you're torn between two quantities, buy the bigger one; I have never once seen leftover wedding wine go to waste.
Handy conversions
- 1 bottle of wine = 5 glasses
- 1 beer = 1 drink
- 1 bottle (750ml) of liquor = ~16 standard cocktails
- 1 bottle of champagne = 6 toast pours
Don't forget
Stock ice (about 1–1.5 lbs per guest), mixers, garnishes, and plenty of water and non-alcoholic options. If you're self-supplying, ask whether you can return unopened bottles; that makes over-buying risk-free.
Serve responsibly
Quantities aside, plan for safety. Serve alcohol only to guests of legal drinking age, and hire a licensed, insured bartender who can pace service and politely cut off anyone who's had too much — many venues require this, and it limits your liability. Offer appealing non-alcoholic options, keep water easy to find, close the bar before the night ends, and make sure guests have a safe ride home (this is exactly what the shuttle calculator helps you plan). Host and dram-shop liability rules vary by state, so confirm local requirements.
How couples end up short
- Sizing for the headcount, not the hours. A 6-hour reception needs far more than a 4-hour one. Always multiply by the real number of bar hours.
- Forgetting the first-hour spike. Guests drink fastest during cocktail hour. Budgeting a flat 1 drink/hour leaves you short early in the night.
- Skipping the buffer. Running out at 9pm is the worst-case outcome. The 10% cushion is cheap insurance, especially if you can return what you don't open.
- Ignoring ice, mixers, and glassware. These are easy to overlook and add up fast; plan about 1–1.5 lbs of ice per guest plus garnishes and non-alcoholic options.
- Buying only what you like. Stock for the crowd, not just the couple — a mix of wine, beer, and a couple of spirits covers most preferences.
One caveat: these are U.S. numbers
These ratios reflect common U.S. wedding planning norms. Drinking habits, bar customs, and what's available vary by region and crowd, so treat the output as a starting estimate and adjust to the people you know.
Want it on paper? Grab the free Wedding Alcohol Cheat Sheet — print it or save it to Pinterest.
Frequently asked questions
How much alcohol do I need for 100 wedding guests?
For a 5-hour reception with an average drinking crowd, plan for roughly 600 drinks (about 2 drinks the first hour and 1 per hour after, per guest). With a full bar that's around 60 bottles of wine, 180 beers, and 8 bottles of liquor. Add a 10% buffer so you don't run out.
How many drinks does the average guest have?
A common rule is 2 drinks in the first hour and 1 drink each additional hour. Adjust down ~25% for a light-drinking crowd and up ~25% for a heavy-drinking crowd.
Is it cheaper to buy your own alcohol?
Often yes, especially if your venue allows it and lets you return unopened bottles. Buying your own also lets you control quality and quantity. Just budget for ice, mixers, glassware, and a licensed bartender.
How much champagne do I need for a toast?
One standard bottle pours about 6 toast-sized glasses, so divide your guest count by 6. For 100 guests, that's about 17 bottles.
Should I do an open bar or a cash bar?
An open bar (host pays) is the norm at U.S. weddings and what most guests expect; a cash bar can read as ungracious. If budget is tight, common middle grounds are a beer-and-wine-only open bar, a limited signature-cocktail menu, or an open bar for the first few hours that switches to cash later.
What should I do with leftover alcohol?
If you bought it yourself, ask the store in advance about returning unopened, unchilled bottles; many allow it, which makes over-buying risk-free. Otherwise leftovers go home with you or to the after-party. Either way, never let staff keep pouring just to empty bottles.
How much alcohol by guest count
Sources
Last reviewed June 2026 by Jared Waterworth. Estimates use widely accepted wedding-planning rules of thumb — see how we estimate. Numbers vary by region, season, and vendor, so verify before you book or buy.