Planning the bar for your wedding is an important, but often shortchanged, aspect of that big event. It’s no longer enough to get a keg and call it a day—unless your wedding is in a college dorm. At the same time, you don’t want to spend more than you have to. There are several factors that effect how much and what type of alcohol to serve.
- Is your wedding formal or casual? You may not want rowdy guests dancing down the halls of your country club, so it’s important to think about the location first.
- Type of bar. There are several types of bars that you can offer: open (whoo hoo!), cash (for those on a tight budget) and limited (will still bring smiles to your guests’ faces).
- Personal preference. Let’s not forget that this is your day. If you hate anything in a can, just choose beverage options that come in bottles. It’s really about whatever your heart desires.
Ask your venue about the type of liquor license they have. Some bars and restaurants can only serve beer and wine. Naturally, if you’re planning an open bar, they’ll need to have a full license.
It’s also important to keep in mind the ultimate pro tip for open bars at weddings: signature cocktails. You can make a signature drink/drinks for your day, which allow you to buy in bulk. Suggestion: consider making the color of the cocktail match your wedding palette. For example, if red is one of your colors, try a pomegranate juice-based drink for an unexpected twist.
Alcohol Per Guests, Per Hour
| Number of Guests | Beer Bottles | Wine Bottles | Liquor Bottles |
| 25 | 17 | 4 | 1 |
| 50 | 34 | 7 | 2 |
| 100 | 67 | 14 | 4 |
How Many Glasses Per Bottle
| Wine | Champagne | Liquor |
| 5 | 8 | 18 |
Drinks Per Person for 5 Hour Reception
| 1 Drink | Per Person | 1 Hour | Equals 5 Drinks |
The Bottom Line
You can expect to spend 10% to 20% of your budget on alcohol for your wedding. If you have more questions about budgets and weddings, please contact our expert wedding coordinators. With extensive experience behind them they’ll help you plan a wedding that’s unique to you, and fits your budget. For more information, visit hornblower.com.