How much alcohol for 300 wedding guests?

By Forever Farrah Published 2026-10-19.

For 300 guests over a five-hour bar, buy about 163 bottles of wine, 495 beers and 20 bottles of spirits, plus 60 of sparkling for the toast.

For 300 wedding guests and a five-hour bar, plan about 1,650 drinks: roughly 163 bottles of wine (about 14 cases), 495 bottles or cans of beer and 20 bottles of spirits. Add 60 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 1,650 drinks are worked out

300 guests × 5 hours × 1 drink an hour × 1.1 buffer = 1,650 drinks.

Split by what people drink, that is 825 glasses of wine, 495 beers and 330 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 300 wedding guests by hours of bar service

Bar open	Drinks	Wine (bottles)	Beer	Spirits (750 ml)
4 hours	1,320	131	396	16
5 hours	1,650	163	495	20
6 hours	1,980	196	594	24

If your guests drink differently

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

Bottles for 300 guests over five hours by drink mix (wine / beer / spirits %)

Mix	Wine (bottles)	Beer	Spirits (750 ml)
Mostly wine (70 / 20 / 10)	228	330	10
Our default (50 / 30 / 20)	163	495	20
Beer-heavy (30 / 60 / 10)	98	990	10
Cocktail-heavy (30 / 20 / 50)	98	330	49

Serving only beer and wine? At 60% wine and 40% beer, 300 guests need about 196 bottles of wine and 660 beers. Wine only, it is about 326 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 250 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 300 wedding guests?

About 163 bottles if half of all drinks are wine over a five-hour bar, plus 60 bottles of sparkling for the toast. If wine is most of what your guests drink, plan nearer 228.

How much beer do I need for 300 wedding guests?

About 495 bottles or cans if beer is 30% of drinks, which is 21 cases of 24. A beer-heavy crowd can take 990.

How many bottles of liquor for 300 guests?

About 20 bottles of 750 ml if spirits are 20% of drinks. For a full cocktail bar at half of all drinks, plan 49.