How Much Booze Do I Need for My Wedding?

Have you been wondering how much booze to have at your wedding? If so, you're not alone. Many people struggle with this question.

You're wrestling because, first, you don't want to buy too little beer, wine and liquor for your special day. After all, no one wants their wedding reception to be remembered as the one that came up short on the drinks. On the other hand, you don't want to spend more than necessary—who does?

So, how can you gauge the proper amount of alcohol to buy for your wedding? Thankfully, there's a handy, dandy formula for that that doesn't require having one too many drinks to figure out.

First, Decide on How Long You Want Your Wedding Reception to Last

Let's start simple: How long do you want your wedding reception to be? Answering this question will give you a great starting point to figure out how much alcohol you need. The typical wedding reception lasts about four hours.

Basically, you just need to first know how long people will be consuming alcohol. After that, we'll take this a step further.

Figure Out How Many People Will Be There

We're breaking this down nice and simple because we know you have a bazillion other wedding questions swirling around in your head already. Talk about stress—let's de-stress for a while, shall we?

So, the next easy step in the booze equation is how many. No, not how many drinks—we'll get to that. Rather, how many people will be there?
It's smart to round up a little on this to ensure there's enough booze but, again, you don't want too much alcohol.

Figure on One Drink Per Hour Per Wedding Guest

Once you've figured out how long the wedding reception will be and how many guests will attend, the next part of the equation is pretty simple. You simply multiply the number of guests by the hours of boozing. If you plan on 100 guests for four hours, that brings you to 400 drinks. Next, comes the most interesting part of all—analyzing your wedding guests.

Analyze the Boozing Tendencies of Your Wedding Guests

Now comes the really fun part. You and your future spouse get to discuss the boozing psychology of your family and friends.

How much beer, wine or liquor, exactly? Now is the time to decide. If you know that half of your wedding guests don't consume alcohol for some reason, that's an important little tidbit to keep in mind. On the other hand, if there are a lot of heavy drinkers in your crowd, that's vital to consider as well.

Another important factor to mention is timing. Your guests will drink more on the weekend than a weekday. They'll also drink more at a night wedding than one during the day.

You can also offer an open bar (as many drinks as people want), a limited bar or a pay bar depending on your budget. A bar where guests have to pay is generally considered a little rude and is best to be avoided if you can.

If you've reached the point where delving into the alcohol-drinking tendencies of those closest to you is no longer fun, there's a little equation that can help. Figure on 50% wine, 30% liquor and 20% beer for your reception. If you'll only be providing beer and wine, plan on 75% wine and 25% beer.

Feeling Overwhelmed About Providing Food and Drinks for Your Wedding Guests?

If so, wedding catering can help with that. If you're in need of Rochester NY catering for your big day, Chef's Catering can help make your wedding reception all you dreamed it would be. After all, weddings are supposed to be fun. With our assistance, you and your guests will be able to just lighten up and celebrate one of the most important days in your life.

If you'd like to find out more about the wedding catering services we provide, fill out our contact form and get in touch for a free consultation.