Calculating Alcohol at Your Wedding

Guys (and grooms) often cannot tell the difference between tulle or organza but they definitely know the difference between host bar, cash bar, and toonie bar. Brides often don't care too much about this aspect because it is pretty much the only thing that the groom speaks up about during the wedding planning process. Grooms don't care they have to wear a pink three piece suit in plus 30 degrees as long as they get to keep the booze flowing all night.

While it is nice to treat your guests to a host bar (meaning they don't have to pay), there is a way to calculate the damage it will make to your overall wedding budget. To get started, let’s define serving sizes:

•  1 bottle of wine = 5 servings
•  1 case = 12 bottles
•  750ml bottle of liquor = 18 servings (1.5 oz servings)
•  1 bottle = 1 serving of beer
•  1 full sized keg = 165 beers

And, the all-important basic ratio:

•  Full bar: 20% liquor, 15% beer, 65% wine
•  Beer and wine only: 20% beer, 80% wine

For a Friday or Saturday night wedding with dinner and dancing, calculate one drink per guest per hour of reception, with the understanding that some people will drink more than that, and some will drink less.

So for example, for 100 guests, for a spring or summer Saturday night wedding, with a 4:00 pm ceremony and a reception that ends at 10:00pm, that’s 5 hours. For beer and wine only:

•  100 (guests) x 5 (hours) = 500 drinks

•  500 x 0.2 = 100 beers, or 8.5 twelve-packs 

•  500 x 0.8 = 400 glasses of wine, /5 = 80 bottles of wine, /12 = 6.6 cases = I’d buy    2.5 red, 2 white, 2.5 champagne

Remember to remind your guests not to drink and drive. Identify the designated drivers at your wedding and be ready to call taxis for your guests. If your wedding venue is at a hotel, maybe consider checking some of your guests into an available room.

Always have a safe and fun wedding!

Cheers!

~Monica
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Photo Credit: Dawn E. Roscoe