Full Answer
How do you estimate alcohol for a wedding?
You need to consider four things:
- Who's drinking: How many drinkers vs non-drinkers are attending?
- Alcohol types: Beer, wine, liquor and/or champagne
- Party duration: Most weddings are 4-5 hours long, and people typically have 1-2 drinks per hour.
- Alcohol prices:: A nice bottle of Dom Perignon will set you back more than Kirkland Signature Prosecco.
How much alcohol should I buy for my wedding?
While sites like Total Wine encourage you to use a ratio of 50% wine drinkers, 30% beer, and 20% spirit drinkers, we think it’s safer to say 50% of guests want wine, 25% beer, and 25% want the hard stuff, though keep in mind you know your crowd better than anybody.
How much alcohol should we serve at the wedding reception?
Similarly, expect guests to indulge more on the weekends than during the week. As a general rule of thumb, plan to serve one drink per guest per hour of reception. In other words, if you're having a four-hour reception with 100 guests, provide 400 servings of alcohol.
How much wine should I buy for my wedding?
Take the number of guests and divide by 2.15 for how many bottles to buy. So let’s say the wedding will have 100 guests. If you divide the number of guests by 2.15, you should expect to get about 46 bottles of wine for the event. Make sure when you order to round up by the case. Just so you know, this works for all kinds of events.
How much alcohol should you budget for a wedding?
Use this as a rule of thumb – these are averages for the number of bottles needed per hour per guest: For every 25 guests, you will need 17 bottles of beer, 4 bottles of wine and 1 bottle of liquor (per hour). For every 50 guests, you will need 34 bottles of beer, 7 bottles of wine and 2 bottle of liquor (per hour).
How much alcohol do I need for 100 guests?
How much alcohol do you need for 100 guests? For a 4 hour party with 100 guests, you will need approximately 400 drinks: 160 beers, 144 glasses of wine (29 bottles) and enough for 96 individual cocktails (amounts will depend upon what type of cocktail you serve). If you aren't serving wine, plan on 240 cocktails.
How do you calculate liquor for a wedding?
Here's the basic wedding alcohol calculator equation:Guest Count x Length of Reception = # of Drinks.Wine + Beer: 75% Wine, 25% Beer.Wine + Beer + Liquor: 50% Wine, 20% Beer, 30% Liquor.Keep in mind:Let's keep going:Two more facts to keep in mind:In this case, keep in mind:Let's keep going:More items...•
How many bottles of liquor do I need for 200 guests?
30 bottles200 GUESTS: 30 bottles of liquor (750 ml)
How do you stock a bar for a party of 100?
100 (guests) x 5 (hours) = 500 drinks. 500 x 0.33 = 170 beers or 7 cases of beer or one ½ barrel sized keg. 500 x 0.33 = 150 glasses of wine, /5 glasses per bottle= 37 bottles of wine. 500 x 0.33 = 150 mixed drinks, /39 servings per 1.75 bottle = four 1.75ml bottles liquor.
How do you stock a bar at a wedding reception?
Tell the bartender in advance. You offer a selection of drinks -- beer, wine, and mixed vodka drinks, for example -- and set specific consumption times, such as the cocktail hour, the toasts, and an hour after dinner. Consider hiring waiters to pass drinks on trays rather than letting guests go up to the bar.
How much wine do I need for 100 guests?
How Much Beer and Wine for 100 Guests? This means that if you have 100 guests at your reception, you will need about 30-40 glasses of wine per hour. There are about 4 glasses of wine in a bottle, which means you will end up needing about 8-10 bottles of wine per hour.
How much alcohol do I need for 60 guests?
How Much Alcohol Do I Need For 60 Guests?Product (750 ml Bottles)Beer (12 oz. bottles)10–30 Guests4830–40 Guests7240–60 Guests7260–100 Guests96
How much alcohol do I need for 30 guests?
1. Consider your guest count: our rule of thumb is you should plan for one drink per person, per hour of the party (so, if you are having a 30 person party for two hours, you would plan to serve 60 drinks total).
How do I stock a bar for 150 guests?
150 Wedding GuestsChampagne (750 ml) - 25 bottles.Red Wine (750 ml) - 15 bottles.White wine (750 ml) - 15 bottles.Spirits (1 liter) - 16 bottles.Beer - 150 cans or bottles.
How many kegs do I need for a 150 person wedding?
six kegs“If you plan on about one drink per hour per guest for a 150-person reception that lasts 5 hours, you'd need around 750 drinks." So that would mean, if you're only serving beer, you could use up to six kegs or nearly 30 24-packs of bottles or cans.
How many bartenders do I need for 250 guests?
The rule of thumb is that there should be 1 bartender for every 75 wedding guests for a beer and wine reception. If you have a full bar and/or a formal wedding, we recommend 1 bartender for every 50 wedding guests. Offer pre-ceremony beverages or champagne.
How many glasses of wine are in a bottle?
Usually, one bottle of wine is approximately 5 drinks (750 ml bottle). One bottle of champagne equals 8 glasses, while one bottle of hard liquor will make around 18 drinks (750 ml bottle). And of course, one bottle of beer is one serving. Also, don’t forget, that drinks do not pour themselves!
What is an open bar wedding?
An open bar is an approach your guests would appreciate the most. Open bar wedding cost can be a bit over the top, though – guests don’t pay for anything, which means some of your guests might get completely drunk. If you know a friend who can indulge too much – warn the bartender in advance.
How long should a wedding reception last?
So before you start your estimations, you need to understand the length of the party. On average, a wedding reception lasts about 5 hours.
Can you serve beer at a wedding?
Beer is easiest to serve if you are wondering how to serve alcohol at a wedding without a bartender. An open bar requires at least one bartender to pour wine, liquor, and champagne, a limited bar needs a couple of waiters to serve drinks, while a cash bar will require regular bar staff from the venue.
What is the most expensive day to host a wedding reception?
Bye, Saturday - Saturday is by far the most expensive day to host a wedding reception. Consider a Sunday brunch party to save serious cash. Also, ask your desired venue about any unbooked dates. Photograph natural beauty - Beach or outdoor celebrations generally require less decor - and the views still pack a punch.
How do wedding bars save money?
Limited: Hosts cover the cost but offer fewer options. Cash: Guests pay for their own drinks.
How many bottles of beer are in a case?
One case of beer has 24 bottles or cans. There's so much that goes into entertaining guests for a wedding. To save time, you can hire a professional beverage service (hello, open bar!). To save money, go DIY. Before you decide, find out if stocking your own wedding bar is worth it below.
How many drinks per person for an after party?
After-party: 1.5 drinks per person per hour. Keep in mind that you will want to have options within those categories, such as a lager and an IPA; at least one varietal of white wine and one varietal of red; plus a mix of liquors and mixers.
How long does a wedding party last?
The longer your party lasts, the more alcohol you are going to need. “Most of the weddings I run last seven hours and are open-bar for the first five hours, which includes: hospitality, cocktail hour, reception and after-party,” says Castillo.
Do you need alcohol for an evening affair?
If it’s a daytime event, you probably won’t need as much alcohol as you would for an evening affair. If it’s the height of summer, you might want to consider ordering more white and rosé than red wine, for example, and the reverse if it’s a winter affair.
What are the different types of bars at a wedding?
There are four major types of bars at weddings: open, limited, cash and non-alcoholic. To figure out which is right for you, consider your own preferences and your guests. If you and your friends love to sip on cocktails, an open bar might be the best fit for you.
What is the most gracious approach to a wedding?
Open Bar. An open bar is the most gracious approach—no guest should pay for anything at the wedding—but it's also the most expensive. Guests can order any drink at the bar, and you'll have to pick up the tab when the party's done. Because there's no limit, people may drink like guppies.
How many bottles are in a case?
How many bottles in a case? 1 A case of wine contains 12 bottles. 2 A case of beer contains 24 bottles or cans.
Can you serve alcohol at a wedding?
Finally, if you don't want to serve alcoholic beverages at your wedding, you don't have to.
Can you have a cash bar without a reason?
Cash Bar. Don't have a cash bar without a great reason (there really isn't one). After all, you don't invite people to your house for dinner and then charge them for the butter. Trust us on this one—it's not a good cost-cutting solution and is way too controversial.
Do waiters have to pay for alcohol?
You'll have to pay for the waiters, but you'll probably save money on alcohol, and fewer guests will go overboard. If you limit the amount of time the bar is open, make sure the waiters circulate during dinner to refill glasses of water and soda.
Why do you not have to hire an alcohol vendor at a wedding?
Without a vendor you may skip out on paying premium prices and upcharges, plus you may not have to pay any service charges.
How much does a bartender make an hour?
Bartenders are typically paid by the hour—a cost that can range anywhere from $15-$30 per bartender per hour. For example, if your reception spans 5 hours and you need to hire four bartenders, you can expect to pay anywhere from $300 to $600 just for the staff.
How much does corkage cost?
Many venues charge corkage fees (similar to BYOB restaurants) which can range from $10-$30 per bottle. So, you may still deal with inflated costs. It’s a thin line between ordering enough alcohol to satisfy guests without going overboard. You’ll probably still need to hire and pay for at least two bartenders.
Do you need alcohol for an open bar?
You’ll not only need a wide variety of beer, wine, and liquor, but you’ll also need high quantities of all options. This is the also the easiest way to end up with too much alcohol leftover or not enough. Ordering alcohol for an open bar reception can be tricky.
Can you have a cash bar at a wedding?
After all, you’re essentially asking guests to pay for their own alcohol at your wedding. However, it’s not unheard of—and, yes, some of that money will also go to bartending costs that you may need.
Can you buy alcohol for your own reception?
It sounds ideal, but buying alcohol for your own reception can take a turn—financially and stressfully—if you don’t plan it properly. If you’re thinking about buying your own alcohol, read on. Here we cover everything you should consider first and how to calculate alcohol costs for your reception.
Do you have to pay for corkage at a wedding?
If part of your venue cost includes staff that can assist in bartending, you most likely will only have to pay a corkage fee. However, if your venue doesn’t provide this, then you’re on your own and may need to hire your own bartenders. How many bartenders you bring on will depend on the size of your wedding. The worst thing you can do is keep your guests waiting in line for drinks all night.
How Much Alcohol Should You Buy?
The first step that Katie and Nick took before ordering alcohol was to go through their list of about 100 guests one by one and rate each one as a light, moderate, or heavy drinker (we’re sure the guests would love to see this list!). They then assigned a drink range to each category (i.e.
What Kind of Alcohol Should You Buy?
For beer, Katie says she wanted to keep it mostly to “light drinkable” beers like Corona and Modelo, and they offered one heavier beer—a local IPA. For wine, they opted for more white wine than red since the wedding was in May. Dawn, says in her experience, it’s common to go through white wine faster than red at a wedding.
Cocktail Time
Katie and Nick kept their cocktails pretty simple; they bought tequila, vodka, gin, and bourbon. As is the case with alcohol, buying mixers in bulk is also cost effective, so the couple went to Costco and purchased boxes of seltzer water and juices for cocktails.
What if You Have Excess?
While online drink calculators and DIY calculations are good prep, you can never really fully predict how much or what your guests will drink. Dawn has seen a couple run out of wine early on in the wedding. For the Dunns, liquor went faster than beer and wine, and they were left with a surplus of the latter as well as extra mixers.
Do you drink alcohol at a wedding?
And, most importantly, drink responsibly at weddings. The standard rules of responsible service of alcohol apply at weddings and the catering/service/venue staff have a duty to ensure everyone is kept happy and safe. While you want the fun times to be in excess, keep the drinks in moderation.
Is it better to have a little too much wine?
It’s always better to have a little too much – those bottles of wine and cases of beer are excellent bargaining tools for next-day helpers and general gestures of thanks. If you’re planning on serving cocktails or mixed drinks, you will need plenty of bags of ice to serve these up with.