Alcohol consumption

Kawwray

Can 130 people consume $4000 alcohol in a wedding reception? Most of our families and friends are heavy drinker - we are trying to figure out if we should go with the package ($27/ person) or host paid bar.

tiffanydaniels

It would depend on factors:  how much is each drink if you go with a consumption bar? are you going to alow people to get what they want or is it going to be limited? do you think that everyone is going to drink around 30 dollars of alcohol each (my guess is that is around 6-7 drinks per person) that seems like a lot but if you have a 5 hour reception that is a little more than 1 drink per hour. 

You have to do what you feel comfortable with and if you feel your guests will drink a lot then i would get the unlimited, because i would rather not see the bill at the end of the night. that is personally just me! 

jnkreager

Well...divide your list into categories:
1. People who will not drink (kids, grandparents, etc.)
2. People who will drink 1-2 drinks
3. People who will drink 3-4 drinks
4. People who will drink 5+

Then multiply the number of people in each categorgy x the number of drinks x the cost of a drink (probably $5-$7).

For example:
1. 30 people
2. 20 people x 2 drinks = 40 drinks
3. 30 people x 4 drinks = 120 drinks
4. 50 people x 6 drinks = 300 drinks

460 drinks x $6 per drink = $2760...so in the hypothetical, it would be cheaper to do a consumption bar.

abt87

agree with above. You have to figure out how much it is going to cost you per drink and your reception planner will know this.. I know someone who went with a consumption bar, was quoted at $4000, but lo and behold, their guests drank more than the 4 drinks/person for the 3 hour reception that was in the math for the quote. Their bar bill was $9000.   Also, think about if you're going to allow shots. Those will count as a drink too.  And if your reception is within walking distance to accomodations/taxi or if people are going to have to stay sober enough to drive.