byob costs and stores

There are online calculators that you can use for estimates. I've heard great things about Big Red Liquors. I would visit local stores to check prices or contact them for quotes. Smaller locally owned stores might give a bulk discount. Costco offers great prices, but doesn't allow returns on alcohol. I'm not sure of any stores in my area that deliver, but it's definitely something you could ask about. You'll have to ask about the return policy as well.

So we did this for our rehearsal dinner, not our wedding, but you could use the same principles. Ours was for 24 people, but only 20 of them drink.

A bottle of wine serves typically 4-5 glasses. A bottle of champagne serves 8 small glasses (enough for a toast). So get 1 bottle of champagne per every 8 guests (and then add a couple extra just in case). We got 3 bottles of champagne.

For wine, we got 4 bottles of white and 3 bottles of red (but 2 of the red bottles are pretty big). For beer, we got 3 12-packs (so 36 bottles). This is for an event that will be 2 hours long, and again to serve 20 people. We spent a total of $214!

Definitely ask around for return policies, and also case discounts (many places offer a percentage off if you’re buying cases of wine or maybe even liquor).

Look into the online calculators (a lot of big chain liquor stores also have someone that can help with party planning)— they tend to suggest 2 drinks per person for the first hour and 1 per person per hour for the rest of the night, but have pie charts with typical Wine to beer to liquor ratios which is a helpful start

But, and I can’t stress this enough, YOU know your guests better than any online calculator. We knew we had a big drinking crowd so we looked at what the calculators suggested, THEN rounded up, THEN got extra of what we knew our crowd was big into (IPAs, whiskey, Cabernet Sauvignon, and cider), and our guests did some serious damage— If we hadn’t doubted the calculator as it related to our personal experiences with our guests, we may have run the risk of underbuying. But again, my crowd is not your crowd — not all are created equal. We had an adults only wedding so literally all of our guests were drinkers (don’t worry, we also had shuttle service !)

Why don't you just buy what you can afford and when it runs out whoever wants more can purchase it? I think it would be expensive doing an open bar concept for 5 hours vs providing enough and calling it a day.

I saw something on Pinterest that said to ask guests to bring their fav bottle of wine and set up a table for them so there’s variety and something everyone likes

View Quoted Comment I’ll Check for online calculators. Thank you!

View Quoted Comment I wish I had wine drinkers haha that’s not too bad at all

View Quoted Comment You’re right! I have big hard liquor drinkers in my family so we will round up. Thank you!

View Quoted Comment I wish but we have some heavy drinkers and there’s no alcohol at all at these places if it runs out 😂 I’m trying to over buy then be able to return some.

View Quoted Comment Unfortunately my family isn’t full of classy wine drinkers and we would have bottles of moonshine on the table lol

View Quoted Comment Sounds even better to me lol

Also do a search for best tasting wine under $10 or $15. Then do a search for best cheap liquor for hard liquors if you want to save some money. We hope to do a "stock the bar" theme shower -- sorry if some find this tacky. I know most of our friends will find it brilliant since they will be drinking it.