Calculate the Cheers: Your Professional Guide to Estimating Wedding Alcohol

Planning a wedding is thrilling, but let's be real—making sure the bar is perfectly stocked can feel like a high-stakes guessing game! At The Proper Pour Company, we know the bar is the heart of the party, and the last thing anyone wants is a dry glass before the last dance.

We’re here to take the guesswork out of it. We’ve poured our expertise into a simple, comprehensive guide to help you estimate your wedding day beverages like a seasoned professional.

Let’s dive into the bubbly details!

Step 1: Get to Know Your Guest List (It's More Than Just a Number!)

This is where the magic begins. A successful bar starts with understanding who's celebrating with you.

• Total Guest Count: Start here, but remember to include everyone—the wedding party, immediate family, and any vendors (like your photographer or DJ) who will be joining the reception.

• The Drinker Split: Think about your crowd's general habits. Is your crew known for dancing until dawn and embracing the open bar, or is the guest list a bit more laid-back? This helps you adjust the total quantity up or down.

• Embrace the Non-Alcoholic: Don't forget your guests who won't be drinking! This includes children, pregnant guests, designated drivers, and those who choose to abstain. We always ensure a fantastic, creative selection of mocktails and non-alcoholic options for them.

• Season & Time: A hot summer afternoon calls for light, crisp beverages (think rosé and lagers), while a cozy winter evening might see more red wine and rich signature cocktails.

Step 2: Determine Your Event Duration

Simple math: the longer the party, the more you'll need to stock!

• Active Bar Time: Count the full service time, from cocktail hour through dinner service and the reception. Most wedding receptions run for about 4–6 hours of active bar time.

Step 3: The Golden Rule: 1 Drink Per Hour, Per Guest

This professional industry standard gives you a rock-solid starting point for your alcoholic beverages.

• Example: 100 drinking guests x 5 hours = 500 total drinks

Step 4: Master the Mix: Your Cocktail-Heavy Breakdown

You told us you love craft cocktails—we love to pour them! Based on a preference for a strong cocktail menu, here's how to allocate those 500 drinks.

Beverage Type	Percentage	Total Drinks	Quantity to Purchase
Spirits/Cocktails	50%	250 standard drinks	Approx. 14–16 bottles of various liquors
Beer	30%	150 bottles/cans	Approx. 6–7 cases (24 beers/case)
Wine	20%	100 glasses	Approx. 20 bottles (5 glasses/bottle)

*Professional Tip: Always round up when you're in doubt! It’s better to have a little extra than to be making an emergency run mid-reception.

Step 5: Don't Forget the Details: Toasts & Mixers

• Signature Drinks: If you're offering 1-2 personalized cocktails, you'll need to allocate more of your spirits budget toward those specific ingredients, mixers, and garnishes. These are always a huge hit!

• The Champagne Toast: If you’re doing a formal toast, calculate one glass per drinking guest specifically for that moment. (One 750ml bottle of sparkling wine yields about 6 glasses.)

• Mixers & Non-Alcohols: Juices, sodas, sparkling water, and custom syrups are critical. Plan for non-alcoholic options to cover about 30–40% of your total guest count per hour.

Step 6: The Proper Pour Cheat Sheet

Here’s a simplified breakdown based on a 5-hour reception and the cocktail-heavy mix above:

Guest Count	Spirits (750ml Bottles)	Beer (Cases)	Wine (Bottles)	Champagne (Toast Bottles)
50 Guests	7–8 bottles	3–4 cases	10 bottles	9 bottles
100 Guests	14–16 bottles	6–7 cases	20 bottles	17 bottles
150 Guests	21–24 bottles	9–10 cases	30 bottles	25 bottles

Keep in mind: These are robust professional estimates. We provide the expert bartenders who will manage the flow, efficiently serve every drink, and ensure everything is handled responsibly.

Need Help Sourcing? We Have a Seamless Solution!

While we at The Proper Pour Company are experts at crafting and serving amazing drinks, we understand that estimating, sourcing, and hauling all that alcohol can feel like the single biggest headache in planning. That's why we're thrilled to have a preferred provider who takes that heavy lifting off your plate, ensuring a seamless and stress-free experience for our couples!

We proudly recommend AJ's Liquors in Carterville. They are absolutely amazing to work with, offering fantastic selections, competitive pricing, and invaluable expertise in helping you finalize your wedding alcohol order based on these professional estimates. With AJ's Liquors, you can rest assured that your bar will be perfectly stocked and ready for us to start pouring! Cheers to that!