How much wine do I need for 250 guests?

You need 253 bottles of wine for 250 guests at a wedding. This provides 1097 total servings with a 15% buffer to ensure you don't run out.

How much wine per person for a wedding?

Plan for 4.4 servings of wine per person at a wedding. This accounts for the fact that not everyone drinks alcohol and consumption naturally slows as the event progresses.

How many servings are in a bottle of wine?

One bottle of wine contains 5 servings. For 250 guests, you'll need 253 bottles to provide 1097 total servings.

What percentage of guests will drink wine at a wedding?

At a wedding with 250 guests, approximately 163 guests (65%) will actively drink. Our formula accounts for this when calculating the 253 bottles you need.

Should I buy extra wine as a buffer?

Yes! Our calculation of 253 bottles already includes a 15% buffer (33 extra bottles). This ensures you won't run out even if some guests drink more than average. It's always better to have leftovers than to run short.

How long will 253 bottles of wine last for 250 guests?

253 bottles of wine will last approximately 5 hours for 250 guests at a wedding. This calculation factors in the natural slowdown of consumption as the event progresses.

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How Much Wine for a 250 Guest Wedding?

🍷

253

bottles of wine

For a 250-guest wedding lasting 5 hours

15% buffer included

1097

Total servings

4.4

Per person

+33

Buffer bottles

How We Calculated This

Our bartender-tested formula, step by step

Estimate actual drinkers

250 guests × 65% drinking rate

= 163 drinkers

At xlarge events, about 65% of guests typically drink alcohol.

Calculate base consumption

163 drinkers × 1.5 drinks/hour × 5 hours

= 1223 base drinks

Industry standard is 1.5 drinks per person per hour for a 5-hour event.

Apply consumption decay

Adjusted for drinking slowdown over time (decay factor: 3.75)

= 917 adjusted drinks

People drink faster in the first hour and slow down as the event progresses.

Apply wedding modifier

× 1.2 (+20% for wine)

= 1097 wine servings needed

Weddings typically consume 20% more wine than average.

Convert to bottles

1097 servings ÷ 5 servings per bottle

= 219.4 bottles (raw)

Each bottle of wine provides 5 servings.

Add 15% buffer & round up

219.4 × 1.15 = 252.3, rounded up

= 253 bottles

Always round up and add a buffer. Running out is worse than having leftovers!

* Why trust this formula?

Based on industry standards and refined by bartenders with 30+ years of experience. We factor in consumption decay (people drink less as events progress) and real-world drinking percentages.

📊 Quick Reference: Wine by Guest Count

Guests	Wine Needed	Total Servings
25 guests	26 bottles	110 servings
50 guests	51 bottles	219 servings
75 guests	76 bottles	329 servings
100 guests	102 bottles	439 servings
150 guests	152 bottles	658 servings
200 guests	203 bottles	878 servings

* All calculations include a 15% buffer. Amounts for wedding.

Your Shopping List

Everything you need, plus essentials you might forget

🍷

Wine

The main event

253

bottles

Don't forget these

Wine opener/corkscrew (Have a backup!)

2 pieces
Buy
Wine glasses (or plastic) (2 per drinker for variety)

326 glasses
Buy

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Pro Tips for Your Wedding

Insider advice from experienced bartenders

💡

40% of all alcohol is consumed during cocktail hour - front-load your bar staff and ice.

⏰

Offer 1-2 signature cocktails instead of a full bar to cut spirit costs by 40% and speed up service.

🎯

Pre-pour wine at dinner tables 5 minutes before guests sit to prevent service bottlenecks.

🧊

Order 10-15% extra and ask vendors about their return policy on unopened bottles.

✨

If dancing goes past 10pm, reopen a simplified bar: beer, wine, and 2 signature drinks only.

🛒 Buying Guide

For weddings, plan a 60/40 split between red and white wine for fall/winter, or flip it for spring/summer. Budget $12-18 per bottle for a crowd-pleasing selection - guests can't tell the difference between $15 and $40 wine at a party. Consider having champagne for toasts separate from your open bar calculation.

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