Open bar cost calculator

Work out what an open bar will actually cost before a caterer hands you a per-head quote. Set your guest count, how long the bar is open, and what a drink costs to pour, and see the total, a realistic range, and where the money goes. Every number is yours to change.

§ 01 Your numbers

Change anything. The answer updates as you type.

Guests

Everyone who might have a drink, including the wedding party.

Hours the bar is open

From the moment the bar opens to last call.

Drinks per guest, per hour

A common planning figure is about two in the first hour, then one an hour after. Around 1.4 averaged over a five-hour event.

Non-drinkers (%)

Guests who will not drink alcohol: designated drivers, children, and anyone abstaining.

Your cost per drink (dollars)

What each pour costs YOU, not the retail bar price. Wholesale beer, wine, and spirits work out to a few dollars a drink.

Bartenders

One per 50 to 75 guests keeps the line short.

Cost per bartender (dollars)

Flat fee or hourly times hours, plus any gratuity, for the whole night.

Estimated cost

$5,212

Typical range $3,909 – $6,515

Alcohol (beer, wine, spirits)$4,284
Bartenders$500
Ice, mixers, cups & garnish$428
Total$5,212

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What this assumes, and where it could be wrong

Every one of these is a place the number could be off. They are here because you should be able to check our working, not because we are hedging.

EVERY NUMBER ON THIS PAGE IS ONE YOU ENTERED.

There is no survey behind an open bar. Caterers and venues publish per-head prices, but those are quotes from the people selling you the bar, not a measured statistic, so we do not use them. The calculator multiplies your guest count, your hours, your drink rate, and your cost per drink. The defaults are ours and reasonable, and every one is editable

The drink rate is where the money is. A common planning figure is about two drinks in the first hour and one an hour after, which averages near 1.4 over a five-hour event. A heavier crowd or a hot afternoon pushes it up fast, which is why the range around your total is a quarter either side.

Cost per drink means YOUR cost to pour, not the price a bar would charge. Buying your own beer, wine, and spirits wholesale usually lands a few dollars a drink; a venue that marks up its own stock will be far higher.

We add about a tenth of the alcohol spend for ice, mixers, garnish, cups, and napkins. It is easy to forget and it is never zero.

This is the bar only. It does not include the catering, the venue's corkage or bar-service fee, or a champagne toast, all of which sit on separate lines in a full wedding budget.

Frequently asked questions

How much does an open bar cost?

It depends almost entirely on the guest count, how long the bar is open, and whether you supply the alcohol yourself. For a five-hour reception where you buy your own stock, a few dollars a drink times roughly one and a half drinks per guest per hour is the core of the cost, plus bartenders. The calculator above works it out from your numbers.

Is it cheaper to do an open bar or a cash bar?

An open bar costs the host more, obviously, but a limited open bar (beer, wine, and one signature cocktail) is often close to a cash bar in total cost while feeling far more generous, because guests drink less when the choice is narrower. Many couples land there.

How many bartenders do I need?

One bartender per 50 to 75 guests keeps the line moving. Fewer than that and the bar becomes the bottleneck of the night; more rarely pays for itself unless you are running two separate bar stations.

How do I lower the cost of an open bar?

Supply your own alcohol if the venue allows it, cap the bar at beer and wine plus one cocktail, shorten the hours (close the bar during dinner and reopen for dancing), and buy on consignment so you can return unopened bottles.

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