Alcohol for 300 Guests
The full drink shopping list for a wedding with 300 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 300 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 255 drinkers and 1530 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 | 459 cans | 20 x 24-can cases |
| Wine | 612 glasses | 123 x 750ml bottles |
| Champagne (toast) | 300 toast glasses | 60 x 750ml bottles |
| Spirits | 561 drinks | 33 x 750ml bottles (or 15 x 1.75L) |
| Signature cocktail servings | 255 servings (counted in spirits above) | included |
| Non-alcoholic | 423 drinks | 36 x 12-packs (423 cans) |
| Ice | 300 lb | 30 x 10 lb bags |
Cost for 300 guests at example prices
| Item | Buy quantity | Example price | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wine | 123 bottles | $12.00 | $1,476.00 |
| Champagne | 60 bottles | $14.00 | $840.00 |
| Beer | 20 cases | $19.00 | $380.00 |
| Spirits | 33 bottles | $22.00 | $726.00 |
| Non-alcoholic | 36 12-packs | $7.00 | $252.00 |
| Ice | 30 bags | $3.00 | $90.00 |
| Estimated total | $3,764.00 | ||
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 300 guests at a wedding?
At the wedding defaults used on this page (300 guests, 85 percent drinkers, 5 hours, average level), you need 459 beer cans, 612 wine glasses, 561 spirits drinks and 423 non-alcoholic drinks. That buys as 20 cases of beer, 123 bottles of wine, 60 bottles of champagne, 33 bottles of spirits, 36 non-alcoholic 12-packs and 30 bags of ice, for $3,764.00 at the example prices.
How many bottles of wine do I need for 300 guests?
612 wine glasses divided by 5 glasses per 750ml bottle, rounded up, is 123 bottles. The champagne toast is separate and adds 60 bottles.
How much beer do I need for 300 guests?
Beer is 30 percent of the drinker mix, giving 459 cans. Divided by 24 cans per case and rounded up, that is 20 cases.
How much ice do I need for 300 guests?
At 1 lb of ice per guest, 300 guests need 300 lb of ice, which is 30 bags of 10 lb.
How much will drinks cost for 300 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 $3,764.00: $1,476.00 wine, $840.00 champagne, $380.00 beer, $726.00 spirits, $252.00 non-alcoholic and $90.00 ice.
How many non-alcoholic drinks do I need for 300 guests?
423 drinks: the non-alcoholic share of the drinker mix plus 6 drinks for each of the 45 non-drinkers. That buys as 423 cans, or 36 packs of 12.