Wedding Drinks: What Do You Need & Exactly How Much?

Is it time to start figuring out what wedding drinks to serve and how many? One of the most fun and enjoyable tasks in your wedding planning - choosing your wedding drinks - can still be a little tricky to get right as you try to settle on how much of everything you might need. Be it cocktails, mocktails or correct wine pairings for your reception menu, let us provide a few ideas for alcohol-based tipples and the best non-alcoholic suggestions so you can make sure that all of your guests are catered for.

You did it! The ceremony is done, you're married and feeling on top of the world. You and your guests must be ready for a canapé (or 4) and a glass of bubbles to celebrate your commitment. Prosecco is a popular choice these days and often preferable in taste to its famous predecessor, Champagne. It’s also friendlier on your pockets.

You can jazz up your prosecco or champagne welcome wedding drinks by adding fruit purees (such as peach for the classic Bellini). Spiced Bellinis work great for a winter wedding too - maybe add blood orange or a cinnamon twist.

For an alcohol-free welcome drink, a sparkling cordial or fancy fruit juice is always a good choice.

Will you be providing wedding drinks during your wedding breakfast? Mostly we see couples providing wine for guests to enjoy whilst they eat. It's a good idea to consider your food and wine together because what you’re eating can impact which type of wine you should go for.

Here’s a bit of a breakdown for the meat-eaters amongst you. For red or cured meats you can look to opt for a bold red; maybe a Tempranillo or a Malbec. For lighter red meats you could consider Barbera or a Merlot.

Pinot Grigio goes nicely with fish as does anything sparkling.

For white meat, you can flit somewhere between a light red and a good white.  A Pinot Noir or a Sauvignon Blanc. It’s often you’ll find a red and white wine so that guests can make their own choices between the two. We really love this Wine Folly pairing wine guide.

If you’re dining outside, maybe you’re having a BBQ, then you can get really fruity with your drinks. Maybe serving gin cocktails or summer classics like Pimms. For lighter airier months, buckets (or bathtubs!) of beer are also popular and an easy way to include an alcohol-free option.

How Many Wedding Drinks Do You Need?

Here’s a breakdown of what you get from each kind of bottle:

• One bottle of wine = 5 serves
• One case of wine = 12 bottles (60 serves per case)
• One 750ml bottle of spirits or liqueur = 30 standard shots (25ml each)
• One bottle of beer = 1 serve
• Allow 2 glasses of sparkling wine per guest for welcome drinks, 1 per guest for toasts.
• If serving only beer and wine, plan for 20% beer, 80% wine

With a quick calculation, you should be able to figure out how much drink you need to serve at your wedding. We’d recommend allowing the general rule of 1 drink per guest per hour for your reception.

If you are buying your own wine, we’d also recommend purchasing on a sale or return basis, meaning that any unopened bottles can be returned should you wish to do so.

If you have enjoyed this guide to wedding drinks, we think you might enjoy our wine connoisseur edit, or why not explore our full glassware category?