How much champagne do I need for 20 guests?

You need 26 bottles of champagne for 20 guests at a wedding. This provides 135 total servings with a 15% buffer to ensure you don't run out.

How much champagne per person for a wedding?

Plan for 6.8 servings of champagne 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 champagne?

One bottle of champagne contains 6 servings. For 20 guests, you'll need 26 bottles to provide 135 total servings.

What percentage of guests will drink champagne at a wedding?

At a wedding with 20 guests, approximately 16 guests (80%) will actively drink. Our formula accounts for this when calculating the 26 bottles you need.

Should I buy extra champagne as a buffer?

Yes! Our calculation of 26 bottles already includes a 15% buffer (3 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 26 bottles of champagne last for 20 guests?

26 bottles of champagne will last approximately 5 hours for 20 guests at a wedding. This calculation factors in the natural slowdown of consumption as the event progresses.

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How Much Champagne for a 20 Guest Wedding?

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bottles of champagne

For a 20-guest wedding lasting 5 hours

15% buffer included

135

Total servings

6.8

Per person

Buffer bottles

How We Calculated This

Our bartender-tested formula, step by step

Estimate actual drinkers

20 guests × 80% drinking rate

= 16 drinkers

At small events, about 80% of guests typically drink alcohol.

Calculate base consumption

16 drinkers × 1.5 drinks/hour × 5 hours

= 120 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)

= 90 adjusted drinks

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

Apply wedding modifier

× 1.5 (+50% for champagne)

= 135 champagne servings needed

Weddings typically consume 50% more champagne than average.

Convert to bottles

135 servings ÷ 6 servings per bottle

= 22.5 bottles (raw)

Each bottle of champagne provides 6 servings.

Add 15% buffer & round up

22.5 × 1.15 = 25.9, rounded up

= 26 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: Champagne by Guest Count

Guests	Champagne Needed	Total Servings
25 guests	33 bottles	169 servings
50 guests	65 bottles	338 servings
75 guests	98 bottles	506 servings
100 guests	130 bottles	675 servings
150 guests	195 bottles	1013 servings
200 guests	260 bottles	1350 servings

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

Your Shopping List

Everything you need, plus essentials you might forget

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Champagne

The main event

bottles

Don't forget these

Champagne flutes (1.5 per drinker)

24 glasses
Buy
Ice buckets (Keep bottles chilled)

7 buckets
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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