How to Calculate Beverages for the Wedding Reception

Usually the sum of the money the couple would spend on the wedding celebration is a major anxiety for the bride and groom. Every couple wants to have a one of a kind wedding, but without exceeding the wedding budget. You should keep in mind that wedding receptions with open bars can become really wasteful unless you properly fill them with alcoholic beverages. So, instead of serving the cheap liquor, you’d better calculate the certain amount of alcohol according to the number of guests.

How to calculate the beverages for the wedding reception

The first and the most important thing you should know is the number of guests that will attend your wedding. Assign the RSVP date long before your wedding day in order to meet the alcohol order deadlines.

Consider the time of the day when your wedding reception takes place. At the evening weddings guests tend to drink more than at the morning or afternoon ones. Besides, people usually drink more during the warm weather.

Knowing the drinking habits of your guests will help you hit the target and purchase just the right amount of distinct drinks. Try to divide your guests into groups that prefer different types of drinks or don’t consume alcohol at all.

Usually the amount of drinks one person can drink during the evening is counted the following way: two drinks during the very first hour and one drink for every other hour.

Consider serving the wedding cocktails only. You can add any ingredients you want and thus control its final cost depending on the amount of liquor included. Find out the amount of bottles needed. As a rule the normal serving of liquor in the cocktail is 1 to 1.5 ounces. The standard liquor bottle includes approximately 25 pours or 1 ounce or 17 pours of 1.5 ounces.

Avoid spending money on distinct types of liquor. Go for the most popular type of alcohol and serve it at your wedding reception. This way you will avoid the half-filled bottles of alcohol by the end of the evening. Besides, in case your venue charges a corkage fee for each bottle opening, you will be able to save some money on that.

Consult with the person who knows the thing or two about alcohol, especially if you don’t drink. Alcohol brands differ both in price and quality. Pick the best option of liquor in accordance with your wedding budget. Also keep in mind that you may get the discount for wholesale purchase.

Don’t forget to provide your guests with champagne for the toasts. Don’t buy much since you will need just a single glass per each guest.

Find the liquor store that will take back the bottles you won’t open.