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Alcohol Question

FutureMrs.UFutureMrs.U member
First Anniversary 5 Love Its First Comment
in Wedding Etiquette Forum
I know this isn't really etiquette, but you guys seem to have all of the answers so I figured I would put it here. We are proving our own alcohol for the reception and I'm struggling to figure out how much to buy. 
Important details! Its going to be a Saturday afternoon wedding, reception (including a cocktail hour while we take photos) from 12-3 or 4. Only about 50 guests with probably 20% light drinkers, 60% moderate and 20% heavy drinkers. Super informal, think pretty much just a slightly fancy family BBQ. It's going to be outside in the fall at a private park that is about a 30 minute drive on a winding two lane road from town (super normal and expected drive for this area!). 
We are planning on doing an open bar for beer, wine and champagne. There will not be any hard liquor available. We plan on offering a light beer and a dark, a red wine and a white plus plenty of champagne for toasts and people like my sisters and I who like a glass or two at weddings.  Plus some iced tea, lemonade and water for N/A options. 
Thanks for any guidance you can offer and let me know if I left out any important info!
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Re: Alcohol Question

  • cowgirl8238cowgirl8238 member
    First Anniversary First Comment 5 Love Its First Answer

    I would think somewhere around 100 12oz beers and 15 bottles of wine and maybe 5 bottles of champagne would be about right if you go the full 4 hours.  (I averaged out a few of those online calculators.)  How are people consuming these beverages?  Individual cans/bottles or glasses/cups?  I find that glasses/cups tend to be left around half finished during parties so you may need a little more versus a bottle that seems to be carried with and finished.

    Are you going to have any soft drinks beside lemonade and iced tea?  I would recommend a regular and diet soda at a minimum. 

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  • lnixon8lnixon8 member
    First Anniversary First Comment 5 Love Its Name Dropper
    Are you having a bartender? A bartender will pour a much smaller glass of wine than a person at a party- this is also affected by the size of glasses or cups you have available. See if the liquor store will refund any unopened bottles of wine. Or make sure you like the wine lol. 


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  • MesmrEweMesmrEwe member
    First Answer First Comment 5 Love Its Name Dropper
    From reading the list, it sounds rather booze heavy.  Get some soda!  80% of your guests are going to be between moderate and heavy NA drinkers!  Get some cans of Soda/Coke/Pop/Diet (then if they're leftover you can drink them later) and provide some variety there.  Use the variety logic in choosing your NA's.  It's one thing to only provide Pepsi and Diet Pepsi and Light Beer vs. Ale... But multiple varieties of alcoholic beverages but water, lemonade, and iced tea only to anyone not drinking alcohol when that's 80% of your list seems skimpy.  That's not saying go overboard, but even cheap soda works to provide some variety...
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