Alcohol for 250 Guests
The full drink shopping list for a wedding with 250 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 250 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 212 drinkers and 1275 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 | 382 cans | 16 x 24-can cases |
| Wine | 510 glasses | 102 x 750ml bottles |
| Champagne (toast) | 250 toast glasses | 50 x 750ml bottles |
| Spirits | 468 drinks | 28 x 750ml bottles (or 12 x 1.75L) |
| Signature cocktail servings | 212 servings (counted in spirits above) | included |
| Non-alcoholic | 352 drinks | 30 x 12-packs (353 cans) |
| Ice | 250 lb | 25 x 10 lb bags |
Cost for 250 guests at example prices
| Item | Buy quantity | Example price | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wine | 102 bottles | $12.00 | $1,224.00 |
| Champagne | 50 bottles | $14.00 | $700.00 |
| Beer | 16 cases | $19.00 | $304.00 |
| Spirits | 28 bottles | $22.00 | $616.00 |
| Non-alcoholic | 30 12-packs | $7.00 | $210.00 |
| Ice | 25 bags | $3.00 | $75.00 |
| Estimated total | $3,129.00 | ||
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 250 guests at a wedding?
At the wedding defaults used on this page (250 guests, 85 percent drinkers, 5 hours, average level), you need 382 beer cans, 510 wine glasses, 468 spirits drinks and 352 non-alcoholic drinks. That buys as 16 cases of beer, 102 bottles of wine, 50 bottles of champagne, 28 bottles of spirits, 30 non-alcoholic 12-packs and 25 bags of ice, for $3,129.00 at the example prices.
How many bottles of wine do I need for 250 guests?
510 wine glasses divided by 5 glasses per 750ml bottle, rounded up, is 102 bottles. The champagne toast is separate and adds 50 bottles.
How much beer do I need for 250 guests?
Beer is 30 percent of the drinker mix, giving 382 cans. Divided by 24 cans per case and rounded up, that is 16 cases.
How much ice do I need for 250 guests?
At 1 lb of ice per guest, 250 guests need 250 lb of ice, which is 25 bags of 10 lb.
How much will drinks cost for 250 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 $3,129.00: $1,224.00 wine, $700.00 champagne, $304.00 beer, $616.00 spirits, $210.00 non-alcoholic and $75.00 ice.
How many non-alcoholic drinks do I need for 250 guests?
352 drinks: the non-alcoholic share of the drinker mix plus 6 drinks for each of the 38 non-drinkers. That buys as 353 cans, or 30 packs of 12.