Guessing how much alcohol you’ll need at your wedding is an imperfect science. Use the reference below to make your best guess. Don’t forget mixers, garnishes, and non-alcoholic drinks.
Want to download this for free? Here’s the Google Doc. You might also get value from my book.
How much BEER do I need for a wedding?
1 keg equals 124 pints of beer or 165 standard-size cans/bottles of beer (or 3 to 5 bottles per beer drinker)
The thing about kegs is you MUST make sure that whomever is working your bar knows how to tap a keg, use a jockey box, and/or use a kegerator. Make sure you’ve got all the equipment you need ahead of time, too, including items like CO2 canisters.
How much CHAMPAGNE do I need for a wedding?
1 bottle equals 5 full glasses or 12 half-glasses
How much ICE do I need for a wedding?
If you’ve hired a caterer or bartender to pour the drinks, they will likely provide the ice. If they don’t, plan on one pound of ice per person, if ice is included in the drinks. If it’s not, you can get away with less (and yes, I know that’s still a helluva lot of ice).
How much LIQUOR do I need for a wedding?
1 750-milliliter bottle per 30 people (or about 12 mixed drinks)
To figure out how much of each type of liquor you need, check the specific drink recipe. Here are some rough estimates, not including mixers:
Bloody Mary — 2 ounces of vodka
Dark ‘n’ Stormy — 2 ounces of dark rum
Gin and Tonic — 2 ounces of gin
Margarita — 1.75 ounces of tequila and .75 ounces of Triple Sec
Martini — 2.75 ounces of gin and .75 ounces of vermouth
Mojito — 2 ounces of white rum
Moscow Mule — 2 ounces of vodka
Old Fashioned — 2.5 ounces of whiskey
Whiskey and Coke — 2 ounces of whiskey
How much LIQUEUR do I need for a wedding?
1 750-milliliter bottle per 80 people. This includes liqueurs like. triple sec, apple-flavored anything, etc.
How many MIXERS do I need for a wedding?
Like with ice, this may be something that your caterer will handle, if you have a caterer. Either way, though, plan on 192 ounces per type or flavor per 60 people (that’s about 16 12-ounce cans).
How much WINE do I need for a wedding?
1 case equals 60 glasses (or 1 bottle for every 2 wine drinkers, red or white). So for 120 wine-drinking guests, you’re looking at 4 cases (two glasses per guest) or 8 cases (four glasses per guest).