Alcohol for 125 Guests
The full drink shopping list for a wedding with 125 guests, worked out with the WedCalc wedding defaults: 85 percent of guests drinking, a 5-hour reception, average drinking level, a 30/40/20/10 beer, wine, spirits and non-alcoholic mix, a signature cocktail, a champagne toast and 1 lb of ice per guest.
Shopping list for 125 guests
Each drinker is allowed 6 drinks (2 in the first hour, then 1 per hour over 5 hours at the average level). That is 106 drinkers and 638 drinker drinks in total, split by the mix above. Buy quantities are rounded up to whole cases, bottles, packs and bags.
| Item | Drinks needed | Buy |
|---|---|---|
| Beer | 191 cans | 8 x 24-can cases |
| Wine | 255 glasses | 51 x 750ml bottles |
| Champagne (toast) | 125 toast glasses | 25 x 750ml bottles |
| Spirits | 234 drinks | 14 x 750ml bottles (or 6 x 1.75L) |
| Signature cocktail servings | 106 servings (counted in spirits above) | included |
| Non-alcoholic | 176 drinks | 15 x 12-packs (177 cans) |
| Ice | 125 lb | 13 x 10 lb bags |
Cost for 125 guests at example prices
| Item | Buy quantity | Example price | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wine | 51 bottles | $12.00 | $612.00 |
| Champagne | 25 bottles | $14.00 | $350.00 |
| Beer | 8 cases | $19.00 | $152.00 |
| Spirits | 14 bottles | $22.00 | $308.00 |
| Non-alcoholic | 15 12-packs | $7.00 | $105.00 |
| Ice | 13 bags | $3.00 | $39.00 |
| Estimated total | $1,566.00 | ||
Your numbers will differ if your guests, hours, mix or prices differ. Open the wedding drink calculator to change any of them and get a list built for your day.
Frequently asked questions
How much alcohol do I need for 125 guests at a wedding?
At the wedding defaults used on this page (125 guests, 85 percent drinkers, 5 hours, average level), you need 191 beer cans, 255 wine glasses, 234 spirits drinks and 176 non-alcoholic drinks. That buys as 8 cases of beer, 51 bottles of wine, 25 bottles of champagne, 14 bottles of spirits, 15 non-alcoholic 12-packs and 13 bags of ice, for $1,566.00 at the example prices.
How many bottles of wine do I need for 125 guests?
255 wine glasses divided by 5 glasses per 750ml bottle, rounded up, is 51 bottles. The champagne toast is separate and adds 25 bottles.
How much beer do I need for 125 guests?
Beer is 30 percent of the drinker mix, giving 191 cans. Divided by 24 cans per case and rounded up, that is 8 cases.
How much ice do I need for 125 guests?
At 1 lb of ice per guest, 125 guests need 125 lb of ice, which is 13 bags of 10 lb.
How much will drinks cost for 125 guests?
At the example prices on this page (wine $12.00, champagne $14.00, beer $19.00 a case, spirits $22.00, non-alcoholic $7.00 a 12-pack, ice $3.00 a bag), the total is $1,566.00: $612.00 wine, $350.00 champagne, $152.00 beer, $308.00 spirits, $105.00 non-alcoholic and $39.00 ice.
How many non-alcoholic drinks do I need for 125 guests?
176 drinks: the non-alcoholic share of the drinker mix plus 6 drinks for each of the 19 non-drinkers. That buys as 177 cans, or 15 packs of 12.