So, you’re doing the DIY alcohol thing for your wedding. The general rule is one drink per hour per guest, but if you have particularly boozy friends, more will be required! Here are our wedding alcohol tips:
The best way we’ve seen to work out how much booze you need is to split your friends into three groups: Non-drinkers, drinkers and heavy drinkers. For the non-drinkers, allocate a couple drinks each per hour of the reception, plus some extras for people who are parched (you should have a LOT of water). This is the cheapest group to have at your wedding, so don’t be afraid to throw in extra drinks here as people who drink alcohol might also want a non-alcoholic option too. Especially those who alternate their drinks with water or soft drink.
For the regular drinkers, one or two drinks per hour should suffice. It does depend on your friend group and family, some guests will easily knock back a couple of beers per hour while others will happily sip on their wine for over an hour so keep this in mind.
And then the heavy drinkers, for these people you will need a seemingly endless supply! Allocate between two and three drinks per hour per guest. And if you have any left over, you can always polish it off at the recovery party the next day!
And remember… if your wedding is in summer, of course your guests will drink their drinks more quickly. Ensure you have plenty of water and non-alcoholic options especially in this case. You don’t want your nana fainting after sitting in the sun for an hour in 40° heat! Be prepared and provide icy water for the ceremony, and maybe parasols and fans too if you live it somewhere where summer really scorches!
In terms of different choices for your wedding alcohol, here is a rough guide to what drink options you should have handy:
- 1 or 2 whites
- 1 or 2 reds
- 1 bubbles
- 3 types of beer/cider (1 light beer option is a good idea)
- 2 non-alcoholic options
- if you are having spirits, one vodka, one whiskey is enough, but provide tequila/gin/rum if you have the budget or if it’s your favourite!
- If you love cocktails, throw in one or two of your favourites for good measure
