How much alcohol for 150 wedding guests?

By Forever Farrah Published 2026-10-19.

For 150 guests over a five-hour bar, buy about 82 bottles of wine, 248 beers and 10 bottles of spirits, plus 30 of sparkling for the toast.

For 150 wedding guests and a five-hour bar, plan about 825 drinks: roughly 82 bottles of wine (about 7 cases), 248 bottles or cans of beer and 10 bottles of spirits. Add 30 bottles of sparkling wine if everyone gets a glass for the toast. That assumes one drink per guest per hour, a 10% buffer, and a split of half wine, 30% beer and 20% spirits.

How the 825 drinks are worked out

150 guests × 5 hours × 1 drink an hour × 1.1 buffer = 825 drinks.

Split by what people drink, that is 413 glasses of wine, 248 beers and 164 spirit measures. A 750 ml bottle pours about 5 glasses of wine or about 16 measures of spirits, and every bottle count is rounded up.

If your bar is open longer or shorter

Alcohol for 150 wedding guests by hours of bar service

Bar open	Drinks	Wine (bottles)	Beer	Spirits (750 ml)
4 hours	660	66	198	8
5 hours	825	82	248	10
6 hours	990	98	297	12

If your guests drink differently

The split matters as much as the total. Shift it toward what your guests actually order.

Bottles for 150 guests over five hours by drink mix (wine / beer / spirits %)

Mix	Wine (bottles)	Beer	Spirits (750 ml)
Mostly wine (70 / 20 / 10)	114	165	5
Our default (50 / 30 / 20)	82	248	10
Beer-heavy (30 / 60 / 10)	49	495	5
Cocktail-heavy (30 / 20 / 50)	49	165	25

Serving only beer and wine? At 60% wine and 40% beer, 150 guests need about 98 bottles of wine and 330 beers. Wine only, it is about 163 bottles.

Ways to buy less without running out

• Not everyone drinks. If a quarter of your guests won't, take a quarter off every number above, or set it in the calculator below.
• Ask about sale or return. Many shops take back unopened bottles, so you can buy to the top of the range.
• Close the bar during dinner if wine is on the tables, and count the dinner wine once.
• Ask your venue what is included. Some packages already cover the toast or a house wine.

Change the guest count, hours or mix to see your own numbers:

How much alcohol do you need for your wedding?

Planning for a different number? Alcohol for 125 guests or Alcohol for 175 guests. For the method behind every number, read how much alcohol you need for a wedding.

Frequently asked questions

How much wine do I need for 150 wedding guests?

About 82 bottles if half of all drinks are wine over a five-hour bar, plus 30 bottles of sparkling for the toast. If wine is most of what your guests drink, plan nearer 114.

How much beer do I need for 150 wedding guests?

About 248 bottles or cans if beer is 30% of drinks, which is 11 cases of 24. A beer-heavy crowd can take 495.

How many bottles of liquor for 150 guests?

About 10 bottles of 750 ml if spirits are 20% of drinks. For a full cocktail bar at half of all drinks, plan 25.