How this calculator works
Wedding drink plans work from the number of drinkers, not the number of guests, and from the length of the reception. People tend to take two drinks in the first hour and one an hour after that, so a five hour reception comes to six drinks per drinker. Each drink is then converted to shop units: wine in 750 mL bottles of five glasses, beer in litres of 355 mL servings, spirits in 750 mL bottles of twenty five shots, and champagne in 750 mL bottles of six flutes for the toast. The wine is split between red and white by the share you set, and rounded to whole bottles. Champagne is planned as one glass per person for the toast rather than a full evening of drinks, because it usually comes out once.
Formula
drinks per drinker = reception hours + 1. wine bottles = wine drinkers x drinks per drinker / 5, rounded up. red bottles = wine bottles x red share, rounded. beer (L) = beer drinkers x drinks per drinker x 0.355. spirit bottles = spirit drinkers x drinks per drinker / 25, rounded up. champagne bottles = champagne drinkers / 6, rounded up.
Worked example
A five hour reception gives 5 + 1 = 6 drinks per drinker. With 50 wine drinkers, 20 beer drinkers and 15 spirit drinkers, wine is 50 x 6 / 5 = 60 bottles, beer is 20 x 6 x 0.355 = 42.6 L, and spirits are 15 x 6 / 25 = 3.6, so 4 bottles. At a 60 percent red share, 36 bottles are red and 24 white. For 80 champagne drinkers the toast needs 80 / 6 = 13.3, so 14 bottles.
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Frequently asked questions
How many bottles of wine for 100 guests?
It depends on how many drink wine and how long the reception runs. For a five hour reception with 60 wine drinkers, the plan is 60 x 6 / 5 = 72 bottles. If half the guests drink wine, that is a realistic starting point; adjust with the drinker counts on the page.
How much champagne for a toast?
One 125 mL flute per person is a standard toast, and a 750 mL bottle pours six. For 80 people that is 14 bottles. If the toast is also the start of a longer champagne service, raise the champagne drinker count or treat champagne as the wine option.
Should I include soft drinks?
Yes. Plan water, soft drinks and a non-alcoholic option for everyone, not only for guests who are not drinking. Some guests will alternate, and drivers need a good option. This page covers alcohol only.
How can I serve alcohol responsibly?
Offer food, water and non-alcoholic drinks throughout, stop serving alcohol well before the end, and arrange transport for anyone who has been drinking. Health Canada advises that no amount of alcohol is completely safe, and that less is better.