Alcohol guide
How Much Alcohol for 250 Wedding Guests
A quick bottle-count estimate for a 250-guest wedding, with a live alcohol calculator.
Last reviewed: 2026-09-04
Quick estimate
| Drinking guests | 205 |
|---|---|
| Total drinks | 1025 |
| Beer | 15 cases |
| Wine | 93 bottles |
| Spirits | 12 bottles |
| Champagne | 32 bottles |
Shopping list
1,025
estimated drinks for 205 drinking guests over 5 hours.
| Beer | 15 cases |
|---|---|
| Wine | 93 bottles |
| Spirits | 12 bottles |
| Mixers | 21 liters |
| Champagne | 32 bottles |
| Estimated drinks service cost | $8,925 |
Cost = bar drinks + individual toast pours, multiplied by your price. This is a service allowance, not the purchase price of rounded bottles/cases. Replace the starter price with your quote; taxes, staff, delivery and corkage are excluded.
What these quantities assume
The 82% drinking share, five-hour bar, one drink per hour and 35/45/20 beer/wine/spirits split are Weddenly's editable examples, not survey results. Count non-drinkers separately and confirm the order with your bar supplier.
Drinking guests are rounded first. Drinks = drinking guests × bar hours × pace, rounded up. Beer and wine are allocated first; spirits use the remainder. Bottles and cases are rounded up after allocation.
One case = 24 beers. A 750 ml wine bottle gives 5 × 150 ml pours; a 750 ml spirit bottle gives 17 × 44 ml pours. A 750 ml sparkling bottle gives 8 × 90 ml toast pours. Mixers use an editorial 100 ml per spirit drink, rounded up to liters. These are serving assumptions, not safe-consumption guidance.
Cost = bar drinks + individual toast pours, multiplied by your price. This is a service allowance, not the purchase price of rounded bottles/cases. Replace the starter price with your quote; taxes, staff, delivery and corkage are excluded.
Guest-count FAQs use one bartender per 75 guests only as an editorial conversation starter. Ask the bar service to set staffing for your menu, arrival rush and service points. Water, alcohol-free drinks, ice, storage and venue permissions need their own confirmed plan.
Compare explicit planning scenarios: 250 guests
Illustrative scenarios for this guest count. Here, only drinking guests join the alcoholic toast. These are editable assumptions, not observed wedding consumption.
| Bar hours | Drinking guests | Guests having an alcoholic toast | Beer (cases) | Wine (bottles) | Spirits (bottles) | Champagne (bottles) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 50% | 125 | 6 | 34 | 5 | 16 |
| 5 | 82% | 205 | 15 | 93 | 12 | 26 |
| 6 | 100% | 250 | 22 | 135 | 18 | 32 |
Method checked: 2026-09-04. Calculation checks and source policy
Drink guides
Guest-count guides
FAQs
- How should I plan alcohol delivery for 250 guests?
With a 1025-drink baseline, delivery timing, storage and return policy need to be confirmed before purchase. Large counts are where logistics can cost as much as overbuying. - How many beer cases are reasonable for 250 guests?
The default beer share estimates 15 cases. Split styles deliberately instead of buying many small varieties that are hard to restock evenly. - How much wine is a 250-guest starting point?
Plan from 93 wine bottles before supplier adjustments. For plated dinner, ask whether table service changes the pace versus a bar-only model. - How many bartenders do 250 guests need?
The editorial prompt is 4 bartenders, pending the supplier’s service plan. Confirm multiple bars, restocking, breaks and how water will be served.