Indian wedding drinks calculator
See how many drinks to plan for your sangeet or reception bar. No sign-up.
Prefilled with Anaya & Rohan's sangeet. Change any field.
This one event, not the whole wedding.
From the first drink to last call.
Full bar splits drinks 50% spirits, 25% beer, 25% wine. Many sangeets and receptions are dry, and that works too.
How the calculator works
Step 1: Count the guests
The guests expected at this one event, such as the sangeet or reception.
Step 2: Set the bar hours
From when drinks start to last call. Each guest is counted at one drink an hour.
Step 3: Choose who drinks
Set the share who drink alcohol, or pick Dry. Everyone else gets soft drinks.
The numbers:
drinks = guests × bar hours × 1 an hour; wine bottles = wine drinks ÷ 5; spirits bottles = spirit drinks ÷ 16, rounded up
Know who is coming to each event
In PlanMe, each function is called a festivity, with its own guest list and RSVPs, so your sangeet and reception headcounts are real numbers, not guesses. Track bartender and bar quotes in your wedding budget and add the bar order to your checklist.
Where the numbers come from
The one drink per guest per hour pace comes from The Knot's wedding alcohol calculator guide, where a bartender advises assuming each guest has one drink an hour, and notes guests drink more early on. The same guide gives the full bar mix of 50% liquor, 25% beer and 25% wine, and counts a 750 ml bottle of wine as 5 drinks of 5 oz.
Spirits use the NIAAA standard drink of a 1.5 oz shot, and beer a 12 oz can. A 750 ml bottle holds about 25.4 fl oz, so it gives about 16 shots. The share who drink, the beer and wine 50/50 split and the soft drink pace are assumptions you set, not published figures. Many Indian weddings are dry or serve alcohol only at some events, so the calculator always counts soft drinks and mocktails, and you can pick Dry.
For the headcount, the guest attendance calculator estimates how many invited guests will come to each event, and the catering headcount calculator splits the plates by diet.
Related
Wedding drinks questions
How many drinks do I need for an Indian wedding sangeet or reception?
Plan about one drink per guest for every hour the bar is open. That is the rule of thumb a bartender gives in The Knot's wedding alcohol guide. Count the guests who drink alcohol for the bar, and the rest for soft drinks and mocktails at the same pace. For 200 guests and a 4-hour bar, that is about 800 drinks in total.
How does the Indian wedding drinks calculator work?
Drinks = guests × hours the bar is open × 1 drink an hour. The share who drink sets how many of those are alcoholic. In the Anaya & Rohan example, 200 guests come to the sangeet, 60% drink and the bar is open 4 hours: 120 × 4 = 480 alcoholic drinks and 80 × 4 = 320 soft drinks, 800 in all. On a full bar that is 120 beers, 24 bottles of wine and 15 bottles of spirits.
How many glasses are in a bottle of wine or spirits?
The Knot counts a 750 ml bottle of wine as 5 drinks of 5 oz. The NIAAA defines a standard shot of spirits as 1.5 oz, so a 750 ml bottle (about 25.4 fl oz) gives about 16 pours. If your bartender pours bigger, say 1.75 oz as The Knot assumes, a bottle gives about 14, so buy a few more.
What split of beer, wine and spirits should I use?
The Knot says the recommended mix these days is 50% liquor, 25% beer and 25% wine, which is the full bar setting. Beer and wine only is split evenly as a starting point. Your caterer or bartender knows your crowd better, so ask them before you buy.
What if our sangeet or reception is dry?
Many Indian weddings are dry or serve alcohol at only some events. Pick Dry and the calculator counts soft drinks and mocktails for every guest. You can also lower the share who drink if only part of the family drinks.
Is the calculator free, and is my data saved?
Yes, it is free and needs no sign-up. It runs in your browser and nothing is uploaded. Your last numbers are kept on this device only.