How much wine do I need for 200 guests?

You need 202 bottles of wine for 200 guests at a wedding. This provides 878 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 200 guests, you'll need 202 bottles to provide 878 total servings.

What percentage of guests will drink wine at a wedding?

At a wedding with 200 guests, approximately 130 guests (65%) will actively drink. Our formula accounts for this when calculating the 202 bottles you need.

Should I buy extra wine as a buffer?

Yes! Our calculation of 202 bottles already includes a 15% buffer (26 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 202 bottles of wine last for 200 guests?

202 bottles of wine will last approximately 5 hours for 200 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 200 Guest Wedding?

🍷

202

bottles of wine

For a 200-guest wedding lasting 5 hours

15% buffer included

878

Total servings

4.4

Per person

+26

Buffer bottles

How We Calculated This

Our bartender-tested formula, step by step

Estimate actual drinkers

200 guests × 65% drinking rate

= 130 drinkers

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

Calculate base consumption

130 drinkers × 1.5 drinks/hour × 5 hours

= 975 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)

= 731 adjusted drinks

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

Apply wedding modifier

× 1.2 (+20% for wine)

= 878 wine servings needed

Weddings typically consume 20% more wine than average.

Convert to bottles

878 servings ÷ 5 servings per bottle

= 175.6 bottles (raw)

Each bottle of wine provides 5 servings.

Add 15% buffer & round up

175.6 × 1.15 = 201.9, rounded up

= 202 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	220 servings
75 guests	76 bottles	329 servings
100 guests	101 bottles	439 servings
150 guests	152 bottles	659 servings
200 guests (you)	202 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

202

bottles

Don't forget these

Wine opener/corkscrew (Have a backup!)

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

260 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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