No matter if you’re planning your wedding alcohol for 100 guests or catering for a more intimate reception, planning how much drink to buy for a free bar wedding or even just the toasts can be a bit of a minefield! Running out of wine for your celebration would be disastrous but you also don’t want to blow the budget on booze that could potentially go to waste. We’ve been providing wedding catering services in London and Kent for years, and one of the main questions we hear time after time is how much alcohol is needed for a wedding. Here we’ve put together a guide from our professional perspective to help you make sure running out of wine is not a worry on your big day!

How much wine do you need for a wedding?

There are many factors that need to be considered when estimating the amount of wedding drinks needed when tying the knot! Not surprisingly, beverages seem to go down a lot quicker when there’s an open bar. Decide from the outset if you want to have a free bar wedding. Allocating a set number of drinks to each person is a lot easier to plan and there’s no risk of ending with an above budget bill because of a few thirsty guests! 

Wedding alcohol calculators

A general rule of thumb for wedding drinks for 100 guests or even up to 1000 is two drinks for every hour of a reception and one drink an hour with a meal. If you use this calculation then you can get an estimate of how many drinks per person at a wedding is required. Bear in mind that not everyone will want alcohol which will free up more allocation for the big boozers but also means you need to provide an adequate alternative. By making sure there is always a lot of table water readily available will also reduce the amount of alcohol needed per person at a wedding, as well as reducing the risk of too many bad heads the morning after too!

Don’t forget your non-drinkers. Fruit juices and children’s options are also important to consider and another important factor any wedding planning website will point out. It’s hard enough being pregnant, breastfeeding, or the designated driver at a wedding, let alone being forced to drink lemon water all night. Have a few fancy options such as Seedlip or a non-alcoholic fruit punch to help them get into the party mood too. There’s a fantastic range of non-alcoholic drinks (wines, beers, ready-to-drink cans) that can make non-drinkers feel included and special.

Here at Salters Events we pride ourselves on our dedication and transparency and our wedding team is only too happy to discuss your perfect day’s details and how we can bring your dream to life. Feel free to get in touch here to find out more.