How many drinks per person does the calculator assume?

It uses 1 drink per person per hour, which is the standard industry estimate for a mixed crowd at a wedding reception. Heavy drinkers and light drinkers tend to average out.

What counts as one drink?

One standard drink is 12 oz of beer (5% ABV), 5 oz of wine (12% ABV), or 1.5 oz of spirits (40% ABV). The calculator converts total drinks to bottles using these measures.

Why is a 10% buffer included?

Running out of alcohol at a wedding is a social disaster. A 10% overage is a small cost compared to the risk. Most vendors also accept returns on unopened bottles.

Should I include non-drinkers in the guest count?

Yes — enter your full headcount. Non-drinkers and designated drivers bring the average down naturally and are already accounted for in the 1 drink/person/hour baseline.

How many bottles of wine are in a case?

A standard wine case holds 12 bottles (750 ml each). The results show both bottle count and the equivalent number of cases to make ordering easier.

What about champagne for the toast?

The calculator focuses on the open bar. Add a separate champagne order: roughly one 750 ml bottle per 8 guests for a single toast pour (about 5 flutes per bottle).

Wedding Alcohol Calculator

Name: Wedding Alcohol Calculator
Availability: InStock
Author: Nham Vu

Enter your guest count, reception length, and drink mix to get a per-type alcohol shopping list for your wedding bar.

Reception Details

Number of guests

Reception length (hours)

Beer drinkers 30%

Wine drinkers 40%

Spirits drinkers 30%

Fill in the details and click Calculate

Summary

Enter your guest count, reception length, and drink mix to get a per-type alcohol shopping list for your wedding bar.

How it works

Enter the total number of guests attending the reception.
Set the reception duration in hours.
Adjust the percentage of guests who prefer beer, wine, or spirits (totals 100%).
The calculator applies a standard 1 drink per person per hour rate.
Results show bottle counts for beer (cases), wine (750 ml bottles), and spirits (750 ml bottles) with a 10% buffer.

Use cases

Plan your wedding bar order without under- or over-buying.
Budget alcohol costs before contacting a catering company.
Split the order across beer, wine, and spirits based on your crowd.
Adjust for a daytime brunch wedding versus a late-night reception.
Use the results as a starting point when negotiating with a venue.
Estimate quantities for a dry rehearsal dinner or day-before party.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-07-01 · Reviewed by Nham Vu