Planning the ultimate wedding is a journey that typically includes making countless decisions about a wide range of aspects, from the perfect dress and bridal flowers to the picture-perfect venue stocked with delicious drinks and food to celebrate the night away.
Stocking your wedding bar can often be a tricky game of balance. The good news is that regardless of what you select, like robust Liquorland red wine, crisp white wines, refreshing beers, and unique signature cocktails, stocking your reception for the ultimate party doesn’t have to be overwhelming.
A Wedding Alcohol Calculator
Every wedding is unique, as are the guests. While your favorite aunt may enjoy a hearty glass of red wine, your college friends are likely more inclined to choose a refreshingly chilled beer. By curating a well-planned alcohol selection, you not only guarantee a drink option for every guest in attendance, but you also greatly reduce the risk of running dry or wasting your limited budget on unnecessary excess that goes untouched.
Various factors will influence the total amount of alcohol you will need to order for your wedding. These factors include the total guest count, the duration of your reception, the preferences of your attendees, the various alcohol types you want to include, and the additional non-alcoholic options you select.
A basic breakdown of a wedding alcohol calculator comprises two main factors. First, an average guest typically consumes about one drink per hour. Second, a balanced alcoholic bar comprises 50% wine, 30% beer, and 20% spirits, which can be adjusted to suit your guests’ preferences. This does not include mixers, non-alcoholic options, and garnishes.
You can also assume you get five glasses of wine per bottle, 22 shorts per liter of spirits, and 24 bottles or cans per beer case, which caters to a mix of light, moderate, and heavy drinkers. Use these numbers as a starting point, which needs to be adjusted to suit your wedding numbers and guests. As a rule of thumb, it is best to lean slightly more to the side of abundance, as many suppliers will offer returns on unopened bottles.
Set-up for Success
Along with choosing the best selection of alcohol for your wedding, it is crucial to remember the glassware, garnishes, and mixers. Ensure you have enough glassware to accommodate beer, wine, cocktails, and non-alcoholic drinks, factoring in potential breakage. Consider renting glasses from your caterer, venue, or a rental company for added convenience.
Garnishes and mixers like olives, cherries, soda water, citrus wedges, bitters, and various sodas are perfect for mixing drinks and finishing the perfect cocktail. To allow multiple bartenders to work efficiently together, include different bar tools like pour sprouts, cocktail shakers, bottle openers, stir sticks, and fruit garnishes across numerous stations.
Customization Options
The type of alcohol you include in your wedding bar should suit your wedding style, budget, and season. When building your drinks list, consider details like your theme, venue location, time of day, and seasonal weather.
For day weddings and summer celebrations, it is best to serve light drinks like crisp lighter wines, sparkling cocktails, refreshing seasonal beers, and sangria. Signature cocktails can include ingredients like cucumber, elderflower, citrus, and muddled berries for the perfect nod to summer.
On the other hand, heartier drinks like darker beers, rich red wines, and robust whiskey cocktails will go down as a treat for fall and winter weddings. Warming mulled wine, soothing Irish coffee, and spiked apple cider will keep the winter chills firmly at bay. Full-bodied red wines, IPAs, stouts, and classic bourbon and whiskey cocktails will round out the perfect menu.
To avoid unnecessary costs and wastage, pick 2-3 base spirits that are well-known crowd pleasers. Having too many options can potentially lead to certain spirits going untouched. Furthermore, regardless of the type of bar you opt to have, ensure you include non-alcoholic drink options beyond basic sodas and water.
These can include a signature mocktail that either mimics your chosen cocktail or introduces exciting new flavors. Handcrafted sodas with flavored syrups and sparkling water infused with delicious fruit and herbs are additional delicious choices.
Serving Styles
Determining the type of bar service that will best suit your wedding reception is an important factor to get right, as it will largely impact your budget and your guests’ experiences. It is crucial to consider your priorities and the layout of your venue when making your final selection.
An open bar provides unlimited alcohol for the duration of your wedding. It provides the most convenience and flexibility for both you and your guests, but it can quickly become a very high expense. Unless you have a very high budget, it works best for smaller receptions where costs can be better managed. Furthermore, implementing a time limit can help reduce soaring expenses.
Alternatively, you can have a limited open bar. This offers free drinks from a pre-selected bar menu, typically containing wine, beer, a small range of liquors, and cocktails. It allows you to offer your guests a variety of drink options while better controlling your costs.
Some couples opt to have a beer and wine bar, which limits options to a selection of beers, craft beers, wines, and basic mixers. This gives your guests a decent range to select from and allows you to choose budget-friendly wines and local beers to stay within your budget. Sodas, sparkling water, and a selection of juice can round out your bar.
Finally, you can choose to implement a cash bar. This makes guests pay for their own drinks, either using cash or putting it on a tab, which they pay off at the end of the night. This gives you complete control over the bar costs but can be seen as unfriendly by some guests. An excellent way to minimize negative emotions can include offering each guest one or two free drinks or making signature cocktails as the only free drink option.