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How Much Beer for a 250 Guest Wedding Shower?

🍺
10
cases of beer

For a 250-guest wedding shower lasting 3 hours

15% buffer included
194
Total servings
0.8
Per person
+1
Buffer cases

How We Calculated This

Our bartender-tested formula, step by step

1

Estimate actual drinkers

250 guests × 65% drinking rate
= 163 drinkers

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

2

Calculate base consumption

163 drinkers × 1.5 drinks/hour × 3 hours
= 734 base drinks

Industry standard is 1.5 drinks per person per hour for a 3-hour event.

3

Apply consumption decay

Adjusted for drinking slowdown over time (decay factor: 2.65)
= 648 adjusted drinks

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

4

Apply wedding shower modifier

× 0.3 (-70% for beer)
= 194 beer servings needed

Wedding Showers typically consume 70% less beer than average.

5

Convert to cases

194 servings ÷ 24 servings per case
= 8.1 cases (raw)

Each case of beer provides 24 servings.

6

Add 15% buffer & round up

8.1 × 1.15 = 9.3, rounded up
= 10 cases

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: Beer by Guest Count

Guests Beer Needed Total Servings
25 guests 1 case 19 servings
50 guests 2 cases 39 servings
75 guests 3 cases 58 servings
100 guests 4 cases 78 servings
150 guests 6 cases 116 servings
200 guests 8 cases 155 servings

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

Your Shopping List

Everything you need, plus essentials you might forget

🍺
Beer
The main event
10
cases

Don't forget these

  • Ice (Keep those beers cold!)
    120 lbs
  • Coolers (2 cases per cooler)
    5 coolers
    Buy

Pro Tips for Your Wedding Shower

Insider advice from experienced bartenders

💡

Mimosa bars are the gold standard. Stock 1 bottle of sparkling per 3 guests, plus orange juice and peach nectar for variety.

⏰

Skip heavy reds. Go 70% white/rosé (Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc) and 30% light red (Pinot Noir).

🎯

Create one signature cocktail (Aperol Spritz, French 75) and batch it ahead of time - plan 2 servings per guest.

🧊

25-30% of guests won't drink alcohol. Offer elegant non-alcoholic options like mocktails or flavored sparkling water.

✨

Afternoon timing means lower consumption - most guests have 1-2 drinks max.

🛒 Buying Guide

For a 2-3 hour afternoon shower, plan for 1.3 drinks per guest. Champagne and wine dominate - stock 1 bottle of sparkling per 3 guests for mimosas, plus 1 wine bottle per 2 drinking guests. Buy 10-15% extra; unopened bottles can be returned or saved for the wedding. Prosecco is cost-effective for mimosas; save real Champagne for the toast.

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