How much should I budget for wedding drinks?

Brorano first estimates purchase servings by broad category and converts them into generic shopping quantities. The cost range applies assumed low and high supermarket-level prices to those quantities and to estimated in-glass ice. It covers generic beer, wine, sparkling wine, spirits and mixers for selected mixed-drink categories, and combined water, soft drinks, and juices. It does not select brands or read a retailer’s current catalogue.

The lower and upper values are not good and premium wedding packages. They are a planning spread for uncertain brands and package choices. A sale, local deposit system, wholesale account, regional taxes, or a preference for specific wines can move the real invoice outside the range. Replace the estimate with supplier quotes as soon as the menu and package sizes are confirmed.

Guest count and duration affect volume, but the chosen categories affect both ingredients and price. A beer-wine-alcohol-free menu needs fewer spirit and mixer packages than a full bar. Cocktails and long drinks can require several bottles, mixers, and more in-glass ice. Removing a category does not simply remove its cost: likely demand is redistributed to the remaining menu, so recalculate instead of subtracting one line.

Non-drinkers and children lower alcoholic demand but still require a considered alcohol-free offer. Hot weather increases water, soft-drink, and ice quantities and can shift money away from alcohol. Service style also affects category reserves. Enter these factors accurately rather than forcing the calculator toward a preferred budget number.

Create separate budget lines for bartenders, bar hire, glassware, refrigeration, delivery and collection, setup, cleaning, waste handling, travel, permits where relevant, and venue charges. Corkage or restrictions on outside alcohol can change the economics completely. Brorano does not price these services and should not be used as a substitute for a venue or caterer quotation.

Bottle-cooling ice is another separate line. The calculator estimates ice served in glasses with a melt reserve, not ice for tubs, transport, or temporary cold storage. Likewise, named cocktail recipes may need fruit, herbs, syrups, specialty ingredients, and garnish that a broad event-category estimate cannot price precisely. Cost those items from the final menu.

Record the calculator assumptions beside the amount: guest count, service duration, children, non-drinkers, weather, behavior, service style, and selected categories. Then request actual quotes for the generic packages. Compare suppliers on equivalent bottle sizes, deposits, delivery, and return rules rather than looking only at the headline total.

Keep a measured contingency instead of hiding a large buffer inside every category. Recalculate when the final attendance or menu changes, then lock the order and identify who approves additions. After the wedding, compare purchased, returned, and remaining stock. That review improves future planning, although Brorano’s public estimate itself does not track live inventory or guarantee the final spend.