Many wedding experts, such as event planners and food and drink connoisseurs, agree that each guest should be allotted a half bottle of wine. A standard 750-ml wine bottle holds five servings of wine at 5 oz each, which is roughly four glasses. A half bottle of wine per guest might seem like a lot, but some guests will drink more and some less, and planners should take into account that a party typically lasts three to four hours.

On the Other: Your Guests Might Not be Wine Drinkers

For a wedding guest list of 250 people, a half bottle per guest allotment equals 125 bottles of wine. If you calculate bottles per table, at 10 people per table that means five bottles per table. That might be too much wine if the wedding guests are non-drinkers or drink less often. If this is the case, order less wine, e.g. two bottles, and ask for more bottles of wine to be served at a table if requested.

Bottom Line

It's better to order more wine than not enough. Running out of wine reflects poorly on the hosts of the event. For a dinner than lasts four hours, hosts should count on having four drinks per guests, including two glasses of wine. Many guests might want to just taste different types of wine and won't drain their glasses. Plus, some wine suppliers might accept returns on large wine orders as long as the box is unopened. Ask your supplier if this is an option.

Source:

How Much Wine for 250 People; Cheap Wedding Solutions

How to Pick Wines for Weddings; Epicurious

How Much Liquor?; Super Weddings

Resource:

WineIntro.com: Planning for a Wedding

iVillage.com: Weddings