The 1.5 Drinks Per Hour Rule
The industry standard is to plan for 1.5 drinks per guest per hour for a typical reception. The first hour (cocktail hour) tends to be heavier as guests settle in, while the last hour slows down. Non-drinkers and designated drivers in your group help balance out heavy drinkers.
Wine, Beer, and Spirits Split
A safe mixed-crowd split is 50% wine, 20% beer, and 30% spirits/cocktails. If you know your crowd is big beer drinkers, swap to 40%/40%/20%. For an older, more formal crowd, 60% wine and 40% spirits with minimal beer is common.