How Many Drinks Per Hour Do You Really Need at Your Wedding?

One of the questions we get asked most often when couples reach out about their wedding is some version of: “How much alcohol do we actually need?” It’s a fair question, and honestly, a hard one to Google your way to a good answer on — most of what’s out there is written for stocking a home bar, not for a full event with a bartender, a crowd, and hours of celebrating.

Here’s the rough industry rule of thumb: plan for one drink per guest, per hour, for the first two hours, then it tends to slow down. So for a five-hour reception with 100 guests, you’re generally looking at somewhere in the range of 350–450 drinks total once you factor in that first-two-hours rush and the natural slowdown after dinner and during dancing.

A few things shift that number in either direction:

Time of day matters. An afternoon garden party moves differently than an evening reception — daytime events with more sunshine and outdoor mingling tend to run lighter, while evening receptions with dinner and dancing usually run a bit heavier through the toasts and the first hour of the dance floor.

Season matters too. A warm summer wedding will usually see more beer and lighter cocktails move faster than a cold-weather one, where guests tend to spread their drinking out more evenly across the night.

Your guest list matters more than any formula. A crowd that skews younger, or a crowd that loves to celebrate, will drink differently than a more reserved group. You know your people better than any spreadsheet does.

This is exactly why we don’t hand couples a flat number and call it done. When you reach out to us, we talk through your guest count, your timeline, the season, and the vibe of your day, and we build a drinks package around that — craft beer on tap, wine, and cocktails made to order — so you’re not over-ordering and you’re not caught short at hour four. If you want a second opinion on your numbers before you book anything, that’s a conversation we’re always happy to have. Reach out through our Reserve page and we’ll help you figure out what your day actually needs.