Party drinks and supplies calculator
Tell it how many people are coming. You get the shopping list that scales with a headcount: drinks, ice, cups, plates, napkins and trash bags, and cake servings where there's a cake.
- Plates45 plates
- Cups90 cups
- Napkins90 napkins
- Drinks90 cans or bottles
- Ice3 × 10 lb bags
- Trash bags2 bags
- Cake30 servings
- Candles and matches1 pack
- Goodie bags14 bags
This is one part of the plan. The rest is a checklist with real dates, a budget, a menu and an invite that counts your guests for you.
Plan the whole partyThe rules behind the numbers
- Drinks
- Three cans or bottles a guest, or three quarters of a litre each where drinks come by the bottle.
- Cups
- Three a guest. People put a cup down, lose it and take another.
- Plates
- One and a half a guest, which covers seconds and a plate for cake.
- Napkins
- Three a guest.
- Ice
- A pound a guest, bought in ten-pound bags, or half a kilo each.
- Trash bags
- One for every fifteen guests, and never fewer than two.
- Cake
- One serving a guest, at the parties that have a cake.
These are starting estimates: adjust them to your guests, the weather and how long the party runs. To see what it all costs, the budget calculator splits your total by category.
Questions
How many drinks do I need for a party?
Plan on three drinks a guest: three cans or bottles each, or about three quarters of a litre a head if you are buying large bottles. For thirty guests that is ninety cans, or roughly twenty-three litres.
How much ice do I need for a party?
About a pound a guest, so three ten-pound bags for thirty people, or half a kilo each in metric. Buy it the day before or on the day, and get more than you think in hot weather.
How many plates and cups should I buy?
One and a half plates and three cups for each guest. Cups go missing faster than anything else on the table, and a second plate covers cake.
Does this count kids?
Count everyone, adults and children together. A kids' birthday also adds goodie bags for the children, which the calculator shows when you pick that occasion.
Does it tell me how much food to cook?
No. Food depends too much on the menu and the time of day to give one honest number, so this sticks to what scales cleanly with a headcount. The planner drafts a menu for your occasion and your guests' dietary needs.