Alcohol

You might want to ask your caterer if they know of any vendors because they might have a discount. And your caterer can definitely help you figure out how much alcohol to buy for your guest count.

Do either of you have a favorite drink? I don’t drink at all & his signature drink is Malibu & Coke. My step sister is making fresh squeezed strawberry lemonade. Our venue will provide the soda, water & mixers- we just need to provide the Malibu. I’ve contacted my coordinator & he told me how many bottles to get. We’re also just getting a pony keg for the beer drinkers. We’re also having a coffee station but instead of going through the venue, the venue suggested stopping by Dunkin Doughnuts (or something like that) & bringing their big containers of reg/decaf. The coffee places supply cups/creamers/sweeteners.

I agree that the caterer should be able to help you figure out how much you need for your guest count. Total Wine also has a handy tool to help figure this out. See link below. As far what alcohol to choose, that really depends on your budget and taste. We have the same situation for our wedding (venue provides bartender and mixers) and we plan to get chardonnay and a light beer for cocktail hour, and then for reception we will also include Tito's Vodka, 1800 Tequila, and E&J VSOP. We will also have champagne and apple cider for the toasts. We're not going crazy with too many options. We figured a vodka, tequila, and brandy should be good. You have to think about what your guests would probably drink. For example we know are peeps don't really drink gin so we cut that from the list. If you have a friend or family member that drinks wine, ask them wha they like to drink on a budget. My mom helped me pick the chardonnay because I'm a red wine drinker.

https://www.totalwine.com/media/sys_master/cmsmedia/h95/ha3/9931640864798.pdf

This is the info our venue provided. You may also find it helpful when figuring out how much to buy.

Bar Information and Quantities

Wine:
5- 4oz wine glasses per bottle 60 glasses per case of wine

Keg (31 gal):
165- 12oz glasses per 1⁄2 barrel keg (typical size)

Champagne:
8 champagne glasses per bottle
96 glasses 12 bottle case of champagne

Liquor (1.75 L): 39-1.5oz serving per bottle

We are doing signature cocktails and then your standard rum and coke, vodka cranberry, vodka tonic etc. Beers, and a red wine and white wine. We
Sat down with our bartender and he helped us come up with a list of what to get.

Ask your vips what their beer/wine/liquor preferences are rather than guessing. If there is a Total Wine or Bevmo or a similar liquor warehouse in your area, they can guide you on what to get and how much for a varied crowd. Some places will deliver too.

If your caterer is providing the bartenders and mixers, then they are providing your bartending service and should be able to advise you on what to purchase even if they aren't bringing the alcohol themselves. I'd just ask them for guidance based on the food you are serving, the drinks you want, and the number of guests in attendance. You'll need to give them an idea of your crowd (heavy drinkers or not much of a drinking crowd, beer drinkers vs wine and hard liquor, etc) but they should know the rest.