Wedding Alcohol Calculator: Exactly How Much to Buy for 100 Guests

If your venue allows you to BYOB (Bring Your Own Booze), you can save thousands of dollars on your wedding budget. But the biggest fear couples have is running out of alcohol halfway through the reception, or conversely, being stuck with cases of leftover wine they'll never drink.

To help you stock the bar perfectly, we've broken down the exact wedding alcohol calculation formula.

The Golden Rule of Wedding Alcohol

The Formula: Assume each guest will drink 1 drink per hour of your reception.

So, if you have 100 adult guests (who drink) and a 5-hour reception, you need enough alcohol for 500 drinks. It really is that simple. Now, how do you break down those 500 drinks into beer, wine, and liquor?

The Breakdown by Beverage Type

For a standard full bar, the typical consumption ratio is 50% wine, 20% beer, and 30% liquor. (Adjust this if you know your crowd leans heavily toward craft beer or specific cocktails!).

Wine (50% = 250 drinks)

• There are about 5 glasses of wine in a standard 750ml bottle.
• 250 drinks / 5 glasses = 50 bottles of wine.
• Split this roughly 50/50 between red and white, adjusting for the season (more red in winter, more white/rosé in summer).

Beer (20% = 100 drinks)

• 1 drink = 1 bottle/can of beer.
• You will need 100 bottles or cans.
• Offer 2-3 varieties: a light beer, an IPA, and perhaps a local favorite.

Liquor (30% = 150 drinks)

• There are about 18 drinks (1.5 oz pours) in a standard 750ml bottle of liquor.
• 150 drinks / 18 pours = ~8.5 bottles of liquor.
• Round up to 9 or 10 bottles. Stock the basics: Vodka, Gin, Whiskey, Tequila, and Rum.

Don't Forget the Champagne Toast!

If you are having a formal champagne toast, calculate one glass per guest. One bottle of champagne pours about 8 flute glasses. For 100 guests, you will need 13 bottles of sparkling wine strictly for the toast.

Budget Tip: Track all your alcohol purchases (and mixers, ice, and garnishes) in the Everplanner Budget Tracker so you don't overspend!