Quick Answer
How much alcohol do I need for my wedding, and what will it cost?
Stock 1 drink per guest for the first hour, then about 1 per guest per hour after - adjusted for your drinking rate and crowd energy. For a 120-guest wedding with a typical drinking rate, that is usually 2-3 cases of beer, 2-3 cases of wine, and 4-6 bottles of spirits across a 5-hour bar. The calculator below turns your numbers into an exact shopping list and compares package vs. BYOB cost.
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Wedding Alcohol Calculator
A shopping list of exactly what to buy, and whether an open-bar package or BYOB is cheaper.
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Cost comparison settings
Cheapest option
$6,163
Open-bar package is the better deal here.
Package: $6,163 · BYOB: $6,963 · 3 bartender(s), 2 bar(s)
Cost by guest count
| Guests | Cheapest option |
|---|---|
| 50 | $2,568 |
| 100 | $5,136 |
| 150 | $7,704 |
| 200 | $10,272 |
Stocking estimate, not a drinking target. Serve responsibly and follow local laws and venue rules.
How much alcohol to buy for a wedding
Think in servings, not bottles. The standard planning formula counts the first hour as 2 drinks (people drink faster once the bar opens) and 1 drink per hour after that, multiplied by how many guests actually drink and how lively the crowd runs. A "very lively" crowd drinks about 30% more than an "average" one over the same hours - a bigger swing than most people budget for.
Stocking estimate, not a drinking target. Serve responsibly and follow local laws and venue rules.
Frequently asked questions
How much alcohol do I need for a wedding?
A common planning rule is 1 drink per guest for the first hour, then 1 drink per guest per hour after that, adjusted for what share of guests actually drink and how lively the crowd is. The calculator above turns that into an actual bottle count for your guest list.
Is an open-bar package or BYOB cheaper?
It depends on your guest count and drinking rate. Packages simplify planning but charge a fixed per-person rate regardless of how much is actually drunk; BYOB plus a bartender fee can be cheaper for a lighter-drinking crowd. The calculator compares both and flags the cheaper one.
When does a keg make sense?
Once beer servings cross roughly 165 (a half-barrel keg's capacity), a keg is usually cheaper and easier to manage than the equivalent number of cans.
Next step
Pair this with your catering budget
See the wedding catering cost calculator for the full food-and-drink picture.
By Mayank JaiswalLast updated