Wedding alcohol calculator
For 120 guests, 5 hours and 75% who drink, with a 50/30/20 wine, beer and spirits mix, plan on 50 bottles of wine, 149 beers and 7 bottles of spirits.
Enter your guests, hours and drink mix. You get bottles and cases of wine, beer and spirits, with a little to spare.
No account. What you type stays on this page: nothing is stored or sent.
495 drinks
Includes the 10% buffer.
Please drink responsibly, and plan rides home for your guests. Your venue and local rules may also set limits on serving alcohol.
Plan the rest of your weddingHow it works
- Guests × the share who drink × hours × 1 drink per hour.
- Add a 10% buffer.
- Split by your mix, then round up to whole bottles and cases.
What we assume
- One US standard drink is 12 fl oz of beer, 5 fl oz of wine or 1.5 fl oz of spirits (NIAAA).
- 1 drink per hour for each guest who drinks. This is a planning rule of thumb, not a statistic.
- Wine: 5 glasses per 750 ml bottle, 12 bottles per case.
- Beer: 1 bottle or can per drink, 24 per case.
- Spirits: 16 pours per 750 ml bottle (25.4 fl oz, rounded down), 12 bottles per case.
- Pour sizes and case sizes differ by country and shop, so check before you order.
Sources: NIAAA, What Is A Standard Drink? (updated December 2025). Updated October 2026.
Questions
How do you work out how much alcohol I need?
Guests who drink, times hours, times 1 drink per hour. We add 10% to spare, split the drinks by your mix, then round up to whole bottles and cases.
Is one drink an hour right for my wedding?
It is a simple planning assumption, not a measurement. Some crowds drink more, some less. If you expect more or less, change the hours or the share of guests who drink and watch the numbers move.
Does this include a champagne toast?
No. If you want one, add a bottle for every 5 guests who will toast, at 5 glasses per bottle. Many couples pour a smaller toast, so that is on the generous side.
Can I bring my own alcohol to the venue?
That is up to your venue and local rules. Ask before you buy: some venues charge a fee per bottle, some need a licensed bartender, and some do not allow it. Also ask your shop whether it takes back unopened bottles.