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How much drink to buy for the wedding
Say how many adults and children are coming, how long the party lasts and how much your crowd drinks. See how many bottles of wine, spirits, beer, sparkling, soft drinks and water to buy, with a 10 percent buffer.
Move one slider and the others rebalance on their own, so the total stays at 100%.
Bottles go into packs of 6, packs into crates of 12 (beer comes in crates of 20), and crates stack 5 high on a pallet. Packaging and capacities are approximate; ask the depot what it has. The sparkling includes one toast glass for every adult.
Shopping list
100 adults (85 alcohol drinkers), 8 children, 7 hoursTick items off as you order them.
Does not include drinks the venue provides. Quantities include a 10 percent buffer. That works out at about 6.3 alcoholic drinks per drinker over the whole party. Packs are an approximate grouping (6 bottles each, beer in crates of 20); real packaging differs by supplier.
Read before you order
Spirits are the most likely to be underestimated
We count 40 ml a glass, which is 17 glasses to a 0.7 l bottle. That is a small serving and many guests take more. If spirits go down well with your crowd, buy with the right to return unopened bottles.
The aperitif is not part of the party hours
If you serve țuică or wine at the arrival, add an hour or half a drink per guest to the calculation.
Check the venue rules
Some venues do not allow drinks you bring, or charge a fee for every bottle opened. The paces (0.6, 0.9 and 1.3 drinks an hour) and the mix are our assumptions, not survey data.
Order from replies, not from an estimate
With an online invitation each guest replies on their own, and the list shows the real number before you order the drinks.
Share your result
How to use the calculator
- Enter the number of adults, children and the party length in hours.
- Choose how much your crowd drinks: little, average or a lot.
- Say what share of adults do not drink alcohol.
- Adjust how alcohol splits between wine, spirits, beer and sparkling.
- Read the shopping list, and buy what you can return unopened.
Practical tips
Buy with a return option
Ask the supplier whether unopened bottles can be returned for a refund. Then you can round up without risk.
The welcome drink is extra
If you serve țuică or wine at the arrival, add an hour or half a drink per guest to the calculation.
Summer weddings drink more water
For summer weddings, raise water and soft drinks by at least a third, and beer by a fifth.
Check the venue's rules
Some venues do not allow outside drinks or charge a fee for each opened bottle.
How we calculate, and where the numbers come from
We use the classic event-planner model: number of drinkers times hours times drinks per hour. The pace is 0.6 drinks an hour for a quiet party, 0.9 for an ordinary one and 1.3 for a heavy-drinking one. These paces and the default mix are our own assumptions, not survey data.
A drink is 150 ml of wine (five to a 0.75 l bottle), 40 ml of spirits (17 to a 0.7 l bottle), one 0.5 l bottle of beer and 125 ml of sparkling (six to a bottle). The default mix is 45 percent wine, 30 spirits, 20 beer and 5 sparkling. For the toast, each adult gets one extra glass of sparkling.
Soft drinks and water are computed for all guests, children included: 0.3 litres of soft drink and 0.2 litres of water per person per hour, in 2-litre bottles. We add a 10 percent buffer everywhere.
Cost is indicative, at average per-bottle prices, and excludes food or alcohol the venue supplies. If the venue offers an open bar, use the calculator to check the quantities promised.
Figures updated in October 2026
Frequently asked questions
How many bottles of wine for 100 guests?
With the defaults (85 drinkers, 7 hours, average pace) it comes to about 54 bottles of wine, buffer included. The calculator gives the number for your guest list.
How much spirits should I buy?
A serving of spirits is 40 ml, so a 0.7 l bottle holds about 17. The calculator turns pace and mix into bottles, with a 10 percent buffer.
Does it include țuică and pălincă?
They count as spirits. If you serve țuică on arrival, remember 40 ml is a small serving and many guests take several.
How much should I buy for children?
Children only count toward soft drinks and water. The calculator adds them there, not to alcohol.
What if I end up with too many bottles?
Buy with a return option for unopened bottles, or keep the extra for the day after. That is why a 10 percent buffer is enough.
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From numbers to your online invitation
An online invitation collects RSVPs for you, and your guest list and budget live in the same account. Table seating is added separately.