Mes Invités How many drinks should you plan for a wedding?
For 100 guests, allow about 34 bottles of wine at dinner, 17 bottles of sparkling wine at the drinks reception and 12 at dessert, and 100 to 125 litres of water. Le calcul part du nombre d’adultes qui boivent de l’alcool, du nombre de verres servis et du rendement d’une bouteille.
Updated on 7 October 2026
These quantities are for preparing a reception stock. They are not consumption recommendations: alcohol is not risk-free, and Santé publique France reminds us of the guideline of no more than 10 drinks per week, 2 per day, with alcohol-free days. Always plan for water and clearly visible non-alcoholic drinks.
The calculator
The method
- Count the adults who drink alcohol. Generally 80% of guests are adults, and 85% of them drink it: 68 people out of 100 guests.
- Count the glasses served. 2.5 at the two-hour drinks reception, 3 glasses of wine at dinner, one flute at dessert.
- Divide by the yield. A 75 cl bottle gives 6 glasses of 12.5 cl.
- Add 10% margin, and ask for unopened bottles to be taken back.
Why the tool may give a different total
This public calculator is based on general assumptions: a share of adults, a share of people who drink alcohol, a number of drinks per person depending on the length of the event and the weather. In a wedding space, the calculation is different and simpler: for each moment, it divides the number of adults and children actually expected by a rule of thumb such as “one bottle for N people”, which the couple or their caterer adjusts. Both methods give the same order of magnitude, not the same figure down to the bottle. In both cases, it is a planning aid: the caterer or wine merchant who knows your guests has the final say.
For 100 guests, in mild weather
| Moment | Calculation | Quantity | With 10% margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sparkling wine at the drinks reception | 68 × 2.5 glasses × 60% ÷ 6 | 17 bottles | 19 |
| Beer at the drinks reception | 68 × 2,5 × 25 % | 43 bottles of 33 cl | 47 |
| Wine at the drinks reception | 68 × 2,5 × 15 % ÷ 6 | 5 bottles | 5 |
| Wine at dinner | 68 × 3 glasses ÷ 6 | 34 bottles | 38 |
| Sparkling wine with dessert | 68 × 1 flute ÷ 6 | 12 bottles | 13 |
| Water | 100 × 1 to 1.25 litre | 100 to 125 litres | 110 à 138 |
| Soft drinks and juices | 100 × 0.45 to 0.6 litre | 45 to 60 litres | 50 à 66 |
With a menu mixing meat and fish, the 34 bottles for dinner split into 15 red, 12 white and 7 rosé. If sparkling wine is the only alcoholic drink at the drinks reception, you need 29 bottles.
Depending on the number of guests
| Guests | Sparkling wine, drinks reception | 33 cl beers | Wine, drinks reception | Wine, dinner | Sparkling wine, dessert | Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 guests | 9 | 22 | 3 | 17 | 6 | 50 à 63 L |
| 80 guests | 14 | 34 | 4 | 28 | 10 | 80 à 100 L |
| 100 guests | 17 | 43 | 5 | 34 | 12 | 100 à 125 L |
| 120 guests | 21 | 51 | 6 | 41 | 14 | 120 à 150 L |
| 150 guests | 26 | 64 | 7 | 51 | 17 | 150 à 188 L |
| 200 guests | 34 | 85 | 9 | 68 | 23 | 200 à 250 L |
Wine, by menu
| Menu | Red | White | Rosé |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meat, autumn and winter | 60 % | 30 % | 10 % |
| Meat and fish | 45 % | 35 % | 20 % |
| Fish, summer | 25 % | 50 % | 25 % |
| Vegetarian | 25 % | 45 % | 30 % |
Water and soft drinks depending on the weather
| Temperature | Water per guest | Soft drinks and juices per guest | Alcohol |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 °C or below | 0.8 to 1 litre | 0.35 to 0.5 litre | Basic |
| 19 à 24 °C | 1 to 1.25 litre | 0.45 to 0.6 litre | Basic |
| 25 à 29 °C | 1.25 to 1.75 litre | 0.6 to 0.8 litre | Do not increase |
| 30 °C and above | 1.75 to 2.25 litres | 0.8 to 1 litre | Reduce from 10 to 20% |
Bottle yield
| Drink | Container | Course | Glasses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wine | 75 cl | 12,5 cl | 6 |
| Wine | 75 cl | 10 cl | 7 à 8 |
| Champagne or crémant | 75 cl | 12,5 cl | 6 flutes |
| Spirits | 70 cl | 4 cl | 17 doses |
| Juice | 1 litre | 20 cl | 5 |
| Water | 1,5 litre | 25 cl | 6 |
Ice, coffee and evening bar
Allow 0.3 to 0.5 kg of ice per guest, 0.5 to 0.8 kg in very hot weather, and 0.6 to 0.8 cup of coffee per adult. For an evening bar, limit the number of products and start from one bottle of spirits for every 15 to 20 adults likely to drink it, with supervised service. Finally, check the venue’s cold storage capacity: the problem is more often storage than quantity.
Frequently asked questions
- How many bottles of wine for 100 guests?
- About 34 bottles for the dinner, based on 80 adults of whom 68 drink wine, three glasses each and six glasses per bottle. Add 10% margin, making 38 bottles.
- How much champagne at the drinks reception?
- For 100 guests and a two-hour drinks reception, 17 bottles if sparkling wine makes up 60% of the drinks served, 29 if it is the only alcoholic drink, which is about one bottle for every three to four people.
- How much water should you plan for?
- From 1 to 1.25 litre per guest in mild weather, 1.75 to 2.25 litres above 30 °C, with 70% still water and 30% sparkling water.
- Do you need more alcohol when it is hot?
- No. In very hot weather, increase water and non-alcoholic drinks, and cut the alcohol stock by 10 to 20%.
Sources and method
- Santé publique France, alcohol consumption guidelines : no more than 10 drinks per week, 2 per day, and some alcohol-free days.
- Health Insurance, heatwave : drink water regularly and avoid alcohol in hot weather.
- Records from a wedding caterer in business since 2012: benchmarks for preparation and service.
- 2026 simulator and barometer from a specialist site: budgets targeted by 9.144 future couples and budgets modelled by number of guests.
Private studies and guides are described without being named; public bodies are cited with their link.
Each figure is labelled: Official public statistic; Observed expenses declared after the wedding; Survey declared intentions or estimates; Market price ranges seen among suppliers; Calculation calculated preparation benchmark, not a statistic.
These are orders of magnitude for mainland France. A local quote always takes precedence, and a price per person only makes sense if you know what it includes. Last updated: 7 October 2026.