Alcohol for 150 Guests
The full drink shopping list for a wedding with 150 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 150 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 128 drinkers and 765 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 | 230 cans | 10 x 24-can cases |
| Wine | 306 glasses | 62 x 750ml bottles |
| Champagne (toast) | 150 toast glasses | 30 x 750ml bottles |
| Spirits | 280 drinks | 17 x 750ml bottles (or 8 x 1.75L) |
| Signature cocktail servings | 128 servings (counted in spirits above) | included |
| Non-alcoholic | 212 drinks | 18 x 12-packs (212 cans) |
| Ice | 150 lb | 15 x 10 lb bags |
Cost for 150 guests at example prices
| Item | Buy quantity | Example price | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wine | 62 bottles | $12.00 | $744.00 |
| Champagne | 30 bottles | $14.00 | $420.00 |
| Beer | 10 cases | $19.00 | $190.00 |
| Spirits | 17 bottles | $22.00 | $374.00 |
| Non-alcoholic | 18 12-packs | $7.00 | $126.00 |
| Ice | 15 bags | $3.00 | $45.00 |
| Estimated total | $1,899.00 | ||
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 150 guests at a wedding?
At the wedding defaults used on this page (150 guests, 85 percent drinkers, 5 hours, average level), you need 230 beer cans, 306 wine glasses, 280 spirits drinks and 212 non-alcoholic drinks. That buys as 10 cases of beer, 62 bottles of wine, 30 bottles of champagne, 17 bottles of spirits, 18 non-alcoholic 12-packs and 15 bags of ice, for $1,899.00 at the example prices.
How many bottles of wine do I need for 150 guests?
306 wine glasses divided by 5 glasses per 750ml bottle, rounded up, is 62 bottles. The champagne toast is separate and adds 30 bottles.
How much beer do I need for 150 guests?
Beer is 30 percent of the drinker mix, giving 230 cans. Divided by 24 cans per case and rounded up, that is 10 cases.
How much ice do I need for 150 guests?
At 1 lb of ice per guest, 150 guests need 150 lb of ice, which is 15 bags of 10 lb.
How much will drinks cost for 150 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 $1,899.00: $744.00 wine, $420.00 champagne, $190.00 beer, $374.00 spirits, $126.00 non-alcoholic and $45.00 ice.
How many non-alcoholic drinks do I need for 150 guests?
212 drinks: the non-alcoholic share of the drinker mix plus 6 drinks for each of the 22 non-drinkers. That buys as 212 cans, or 18 packs of 12.