Alcohol for 200 Guests
The full drink shopping list for a wedding with 200 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 200 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 170 drinkers and 1020 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 | 306 cans | 13 x 24-can cases |
| Wine | 408 glasses | 82 x 750ml bottles |
| Champagne (toast) | 200 toast glasses | 40 x 750ml bottles |
| Spirits | 374 drinks | 22 x 750ml bottles (or 10 x 1.75L) |
| Signature cocktail servings | 170 servings (counted in spirits above) | included |
| Non-alcoholic | 282 drinks | 24 x 12-packs (282 cans) |
| Ice | 200 lb | 20 x 10 lb bags |
Cost for 200 guests at example prices
| Item | Buy quantity | Example price | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wine | 82 bottles | $12.00 | $984.00 |
| Champagne | 40 bottles | $14.00 | $560.00 |
| Beer | 13 cases | $19.00 | $247.00 |
| Spirits | 22 bottles | $22.00 | $484.00 |
| Non-alcoholic | 24 12-packs | $7.00 | $168.00 |
| Ice | 20 bags | $3.00 | $60.00 |
| Estimated total | $2,503.00 | ||
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 200 guests at a wedding?
At the wedding defaults used on this page (200 guests, 85 percent drinkers, 5 hours, average level), you need 306 beer cans, 408 wine glasses, 374 spirits drinks and 282 non-alcoholic drinks. That buys as 13 cases of beer, 82 bottles of wine, 40 bottles of champagne, 22 bottles of spirits, 24 non-alcoholic 12-packs and 20 bags of ice, for $2,503.00 at the example prices.
How many bottles of wine do I need for 200 guests?
408 wine glasses divided by 5 glasses per 750ml bottle, rounded up, is 82 bottles. The champagne toast is separate and adds 40 bottles.
How much beer do I need for 200 guests?
Beer is 30 percent of the drinker mix, giving 306 cans. Divided by 24 cans per case and rounded up, that is 13 cases.
How much ice do I need for 200 guests?
At 1 lb of ice per guest, 200 guests need 200 lb of ice, which is 20 bags of 10 lb.
How much will drinks cost for 200 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 $2,503.00: $984.00 wine, $560.00 champagne, $247.00 beer, $484.00 spirits, $168.00 non-alcoholic and $60.00 ice.
How many non-alcoholic drinks do I need for 200 guests?
282 drinks: the non-alcoholic share of the drinker mix plus 6 drinks for each of the 30 non-drinkers. That buys as 282 cans, or 24 packs of 12.