Wedding Drink Calculator
Buy enough, not a cellar. Enter your guest count, bar hours and the beer, wine and spirits split, and get cans, cases and bottles to order.
Your results
Worked example
100 guests, 5 hours of bar service, 40/40/20 split
Total drinks: 100 × 5 × 1 = 500. Beer: 500 × 40% = 200 cans, which is 200 ÷ 24 = 8.3, so 9 cases. Wine: 200 pours at 5 pours per 750 ml bottle (150 ml pours) = 40 bottles. Spirits: 100 singles at 17 singles per bottle (44 ml from 750 ml) = 5.9, so 6 bottles. Ice: 100 × 0.5 kg = 50 kg.
How this calculator works
total drinks = guests × hours × drinks per guest per hour. Each category gets its share, then converts to purchasable units: beer cases = ceil(beer drinks ÷ 24), wine bottles = ceil(wine drinks ÷ floor(750 ÷ pour ml)), spirit bottles = ceil(spirit drinks ÷ floor(750 ÷ measure ml)). Ice is planned at 0.5 kg per guest, a common catering rule for drinks plus chilling.
Unopened bottles and cans are returnable at many provincial liquor stores and beer retailers with a receipt, which is why the calculator rounds up: running out mid-reception is worse than a return trip.
Common questions
How accurate is one drink per guest per hour?
It is the standard event-planning rule and holds up well for mixed crowds. Known heavy-drinking groups run 1.2 to 1.5 in the first two hours; a Sunday brunch wedding may run 0.7. Adjust the rate, not just the totals, to match your crowd.
What about a signature cocktail or a toast?
A sparkling toast pour (about 90 ml) serves roughly 8 glasses per bottle; add one bottle per 8 guests to the wine line if you are pouring a toast. Signature cocktails usually draw from the spirits share without changing the total much.
Do I need a permit to serve this in Canada?
Private weddings at licensed venues are covered by the venue. Weddings at home or in a rented hall often need a special occasion permit (for example an LCBO SOP in Ontario) and a licensed bartender; check your provincial liquor board before buying.
Plan the rest
Drinks sorted? Set the overall numbers with the Wedding Budget Calculator and the rentals with the Wedding Table Calculator.
Planning estimates only, using the crowd and mix you enter. Drink responsibly; serving rules and return policies vary by province and retailer.