PourPlan · bar staffing

How many bartenders for 150 guests?

4 behind the bar — one head barman and 3 working with them, for an evening wedding with a tab.

Most guides stop there. The number that actually costs you money is the next one down.

What the job really is
Crew1 head barman + 34
Setup before guestsice, glassware, stock, the bar itself1.5 hrs
Guests on site14:30 arrival to about 01:0010.5 hrs
Breakdownexcludes travel — that is yours1 hr
Shift length, eachlong enough to need breaks planned13 hrs
Total crew-hourswhat you are actually paying for52

That is a 13-hour day. One crew straight through, before travel. Price the job on crew-hours rather than headcount, or a long wedding quietly eats the margin you thought you had.

The other thing that runs out

Drinks rarely run out. Glassware does — two per guest per type covers breakage and the wash cycle.

Wine glasses300
Champagne flutes300
Highball / tumbler300
Water & soft-drink glasses300
Ice15 × 5kg bags75 kg
And how much will they drink?

Other guest counts

120 guests180 guests200 guests

Run a mobile bar? PourPlan turns this into a quote, a van load sheet, a running tab on the night and a reconciliation the morning after. See what's coming →