A wedding bar runs longer and harder than almost any other party. Cocktail hour is the busiest sixty minutes a bar ever sees, and the reception that follows usually adds three or four more hours. This guide gives you the numbers for a typical reception, then points you to the calculator to adjust for your own crowd.
The rule behind every number
Plan on two drinks per guest in the first hour and one drink per guest for each hour after. For a five-hour wedding bar, which covers cocktail hour plus a four-hour reception, that works out to six drinks per drinking guest.
The pours are fixed arithmetic:
- A 750ml bottle of liquor pours about 17 drinks at a 1.5-ounce measure
- A 750ml bottle of wine pours five glasses
- A can or bottle of beer is one drink, so a case is 24
Wedding alcohol chart: five-hour bar
These figures assume liquor, beer and wine are all being served, split 50 percent liquor, 25 percent beer and 25 percent wine. That is the standard starting point for a mixed adult crowd. Everything is rounded up to whole bottles and cases.
| Drinking guests | Total drinks | Liquor (750ml) | Beer (24-pack cases) | Wine (750ml) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | 300 | 9 bottles | 4 cases | 15 bottles |
| 75 | 450 | 14 bottles | 5 cases | 23 bottles |
| 100 | 600 | 18 bottles | 7 cases | 30 bottles |
| 125 | 750 | 23 bottles | 8 cases | 38 bottles |
| 150 | 900 | 27 bottles | 10 cases | 45 bottles |
| 200 | 1,200 | 36 bottles | 13 cases | 60 bottles |
| 250 | 1,500 | 45 bottles | 16 cases | 75 bottles |
Count drinking guests only. Children, non-drinkers and anyone leaving early do not belong in the number.
Running a four-hour bar instead? Use five drinks per guest. The guest count chart has those figures.
The champagne toast
The toast is separate from the bar math, because every guest takes a pour at the same moment. A 750ml bottle fills about six full flutes or eight smaller toast pours. Plan one bottle for every six to eight guests:
- 100 guests: 13 to 17 bottles
- 150 guests: 19 to 25 bottles
- 200 guests: 25 to 34 bottles
If sparkling wine is also on the bar all night, add it to your wine count as well. Skipping a dedicated toast is fine too. Plenty of couples have guests raise whatever is already in their hand.
Adjusting the split for your crowd
Signature cocktail weddings. A signature drink pulls guests toward liquor. Push the liquor share up to 60 percent and trim beer. Buy extra of the one or two spirits in the signature drink, since it will be the most-ordered item of the night.
Beer and wine only. Without liquor, the same crowd needs more units, because beer and wine give fewer drinks per container. It is usually cheaper overall and faster to serve. See beer and wine or a full bar before you decide.
Summer and outdoor receptions. Beer, seltzer and white wine run ahead of red in the heat. Shift the wine order toward white and rose, and add water.
Fall and winter receptions. Red wine and brown spirits climb. Even out the red and white, and add a bottle or two of bourbon or rye.
What to stock in the liquor order
For a full bar, most weddings do well with five base spirits. As a share of your total liquor bottles:
- Vodka: about a third. It is the most-ordered spirit at nearly every wedding.
- Whiskey or bourbon: about a fifth
- Tequila: about a fifth
- Rum: a tenth to a seventh
- Gin: a tenth to a seventh
For 100 guests and 18 bottles, that is roughly six vodka, four whiskey, four tequila, two rum and two gin. Shift the mix toward the spirits in your signature cocktail.
The things couples forget
- Ice. Two pounds per guest for drinks, before you chill a single bottle. For 150 guests that is 300 pounds.
- Mixers and citrus. A full bar without juice, soda, tonic and limes is a shelf of bottles.
- Cups. About five per guest over the night.
- Non-alcoholic options. Soft drinks, water and a mocktail, so non-drinkers are not an afterthought.
The ice and mixer guide has quantities for each. If you would rather not shop for any of it, all of it can be added to your booking from the packages and add-ons page.
Buying for a New Jersey wedding
In New Jersey, the couple or their family buys the alcohol from a licensed retailer, and the bartenders pour it. A bartending company without a liquor license cannot sell it to you. This is called dry hire, and it works in your favor. You pay shelf price with no per-drink markup, and unopened bottles are yours to keep or return.
Three practical tips:
- Place large orders two to three weeks ahead so the store can pull cases
- Ask about a case discount, since most stores have one and few advertise it
- Confirm the return policy on sealed bottles and keep your receipt
More in where to buy alcohol for your event and the dry-hire law explainer.
Buy over, not under
A bar that runs dry at nine o’clock is the one bar failure guests remember. Buy to the chart, round up, and return what you do not open. The cost of a few extra bottles is small next to the cost of an empty bar at your own wedding.
Common questions
How much alcohol do I need for 100 wedding guests?
For a five-hour full bar: about 18 bottles of liquor, 7 cases of beer and 30 bottles of wine, plus 13 to 17 bottles of sparkling wine if you are doing a toast.
Does the calculator handle weddings?
Yes. Set your guest count and bar length, toggle the categories you are serving, and it redistributes the totals and estimates the store cost.
Who brings the alcohol to the venue?
You or someone you appoint. Many retailers deliver to an event address. Check your venue’s delivery window first.
Next step
Once you know what to buy, the remaining question is who pours it. See wedding bartending for what our wedding bar includes, or check your date now.