Open bar, venue allows us to supply the liquor

Here's a handy tool for you that I just found doing a google search:

http://www.realsimple.com/weddings/wedding-wine-liquor-calculator-00000000008314/

This looks good too:

http://apracticalwedding.com/2013/01/calculate-alcohol-for-wedding/

Almost date twin, we don't have that but that's awesome!! Lean towards having too much, and you can stock your at-home bar with whatever remains

This is what we are ordering for alcohol for 150 guest wedding:

6 cases red wine

6 cases white wine

3 cases proseco (no toast, just for those who want it)

12 1.75L Vodka

7 1.75L Rum

3 1.75L Whiskey

6 1.75L Gin

1 1L Triple Sec

1 1.5L Vermouth

1 4oz Bitters

1 bottle Rose's Lime Juice

1 1/2 keg of Miller Lite

1 1/2 keg of Yuengling

10 cases (24cans) Coke

6 cases Diet Coke

5 cases Sprite

4 cases Ginger Ale

4 cases Tonic

4 cases Seltzer

-also supplying Cranberry & Orange Juice

-Also, check on the return policy of unopened bottles from where ever you get it from.

Hope this helps!

I read this on a website somewhere (I wish I could remember where!) but here's what I have written down:

Full wedding bar = 20% liquor, 15% beer, 65% wine based on average consumption

Wine

· 1 bottle of wine = 5 servings

· 1 case = 12 bottles

Liquor

· 750ml bottle of liquor = 18 servings (1.5 oz servings)

Beer

· 1 bottle = 1 serving of beer

· 1 case = 12 bottles

Guests on average will consume one drink per hour (some more, some less)

5pm to 12am = 7 hours

120 guests x 7 hours = 840 servings

(840 x 0.65) = 546 servings of wine = 109-110 bottles (~9 cases)

(840 x 0.2) = 168 servings of liquor = ~ 9 bottles (750ml/26oz)

(840 x 0.15) = 126 servings of beer = 126 bottles (~11 cases)

I am watchlisting this as we are in the same situation We are expecting around 200 guests. I haven't yet figured out how much we will be purchasing. I would rather overestimate and have leftover liquor then run out.

We are going to have 2 or 3 kegs, tons of wine, and enough liquor for margaritas and 2 signature cocktails but we are estimating around 300 people.

What types of mixers are you supplying? Our venue has soda pop that comes out of a tap line so we don't have to worry about that but I am not sure what I need besides sour, orange juice, cranberry juice, pineapple juice, grenadine, limes, lemons. Can anyone help?

Generally it is recommended that you DO NOT purchase kegs for your wedding. The reason is that most liquor stores will accept returns of opened beer cans and bottles for a full refund incase you buy way too much but a half empty keg cannot be returned it just goes to waste.

Our venue won't allow kegs. Glass bottles also aren't allowed, so the beer will have to be placed in a cup for serving.

This is similar to what our venue does. They do not have a liquor license so we have to hire a bartending service that has a certain amount of liability insurance, etc...and then we bring our own liquor. Fortunately I found bartending service that is going to provide 2 bartenders, cups, mixers, and ice for a decent price. Many of the liquor stores in my area provide alcohol on consignment meaning that you buy whatever you think you need, they deliver it, and then they buy back anything that is unopened and take it back the next day. I absolutely love that idea.

We are having approximately 125 drinkers give or take, I'm assuming 2 drinks per hour, 6 hours = 1,500 drinks total. One bottle of wine has 4 servings, a 12 pack of beer is obviously 12 servings, and a handle of liquor is 40 servings. Because I'm an anal accountant, I did a rough calculation of what I thought it should be and I broke it down by price too. I also factored in what I know about my guests and what I think they'd drink. I attached my spreadsheet for reference if you want to take a peek. Good luck!

Lisa... you are my kind of girl. Hooray for spreadsheets! I have several wedding related spreadsheets going... haha

@Sarah, I've got a giant google doc with about 20 tabs on it. It keeps me in line!

Perfect situation!

1. get a bartender; more control is better than no control

2. don't do kegs, even if you can; one keg is a lot of beer of one type.

Yep we had the exact same situation.

$600 at costco for all the liquor and we did do a keg of our favorite beer and it got emptied.

We had a very similar situation, though our venue supplied all the mixers (pop, juice, etc) we just had to supply the beer, wine and hard liquor. We had 135 people at our wedding with about 120 being adults of age. My dad was actually in charge of ordering all our booze since he use to own a hotel and bar for 20+ years.

But I definitely suggest where ever you order it from make sure you can return any un-opened beer, wine or hard liquor. The store my dad ordered from let us do this so he returned a bunch of beer a few days after the wedding.

I have to do the same thing at my venue. I haven't even thought about how much we need because it stresses me out!

I found this calculator that looks promising

http://www.frugalmacdoogal.net/event_planning/

This is amazing and on my level, thank you!

This is amazing and on my level, thank you!