For Couples Wanting to Save Money on Your Wedding Bar Package
Is serving only beer and wine your best option? The math might surprise you.
No doubt about it, weddings are expensive! Understandably most couples will look for ways to save money on the many elements required for a wedding. Now, I may be a bit biased since I own a boutique mobile bartending service, but I would suggest not cutting too deeply into the bar budget. Why? Honestly, a complimentary bar is what your guests are most looking forward to, and it’s the one spot of the wedding reception that will be repeatedly visited all night long. Your bar service is essentially the lifeblood of the party.
A typical spend for most wedding bars is somewhere between $3-$5,000. For those wanting to keep it on the less costly side, the common assumption is that beer and wine-only service is the way to do it.
Below I’ve done the math for you. The calculations below are based on “industry standards” of how guests drink at weddings. It is impossible to predict how your guests will actually be drinking, but it’s been my professional experience that these figures are pretty accurate on average.
First, let's figure out the total number of servings
We will use average numbers for guest numbers, hours of bar service and assume that the guests are 'average' drinkers.
150 guests
5 hours of bar service
Average drinkers
Guests will drink:
First hour: 2 drinks x 150= 300 drinks
Hours 2-5: 1 drink per hour x 150 x 4= 600 drinks
Total alcohol servings: 900
Beer & Wine Service
When beer and wine are the only alcoholic options at a wedding, guests will typically consume more beer than wine.
Guests will drink:
60% Beer = 540 servings
40% Wine = 360 servings
BEER
540 servings = 45 - 12 pks
Bud Lt (24 pk):12 x $19 = $228
IPA (12 pk): 11 x $19 = $209
Lager/Amber (12 pk): 10 x $19= $190
TOTAL: $627
WINE
360 servings = 72 bottles
Red wine: $10 x 36= $360
White wine: $10 x 36= $360
TOTAL: $720
GRAND TOTAL: $1,347
Beer, Wine & Mixed Drinks Service
When liquor is on the menu, guests will overwhelmingly prefer mixed drinks over beer and wine. Note: the calculations below were for standard mixed drinks, such a vodka/tonic, rum/cokes, etc., and do not include the price of mixers and ice.
Guests will drink:
30% Beer = 270 servings
20% Wine = 180 servings
50% Liquor = 450 servings
BEER
270 servings = 23- 12 packs
Bud Lt (24 pk): 6 x $19= $114
IPA (12 pk): 6 x $19= $114
Lager/Amber (12 pk): 5 x $19= $95
TOTAL: $323
WINE
180 servings = 36 bottles
Red wine: $10 x 18 = $180
White wine: $10 x 18 = $180
TOTAL: $360
LIQUOR
450 servings = 28 750 ml bottles
Tito’s Vodka (35%): 10 bottles x $20 = $200
Jack Daniels (35%): 10 bottles x $25 = $250
Capt. Morgan (15%0 : 4 bottles x $15 = $60
Tanqueray Gin (15%): 4 bottles x $25 = $100
TOTAL: $610
GRAND TOTAL: $1,293
Beer and Wine Service is Not the Least Expensive. Surprised?
The key thing to notice here is that although beer and wine may cost less per bottle, there are fewer servings per bottle. A 750 ml of liquor will make approximately 16 drinks, whereas a bottle of wine will serve 5-6 drinks. If your guests only have beer and wine as options, they will drink more beer and wine which will add up quickly.
In the end, it makes sense (and cents!) to do the math before settling on what bar service package you’re going with. Cheers!
Want to figure out what your Alcohol Budget will be? I created a FREE Alcohol Budget worksheet so that you can plan with confidence!
Click the button below to get access to the Happy Bar Alcohol Budget Worksheet!
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