Planning a wedding

Champagne for a wedding? Is it worth it?

The traditional wedding plan calls for Champagne to be served to toast the Bride and Groom and is, in our view, a waste of money!

The subtle flavours of French Champagne cannot be appreciated by a palette recently tainted with sherry, lager, wine, a cooked meal, desserts, etc. We would recommend serving a cheaper alternative, such as Cremant de Bourgogne, Spanish Cava, New Zealand Lindauer or similar, as few guests will be able to tell the difference!

Champagne should always be the first drink of the day and only ever served as an aperitif. If there must be Champagne at the wedding, then plan to serve it as the welcoming drink at the reception. Allow an hour or so for guests to sip and mingle before dining. Generous hosts will allow a half bottle per guest to put everyone in good spirits!

Those on a tighter budget may wish to know that a standard bottle fills five to six Champagne flutes.

Dealing with Venues

Unlicensed premises will allow you to bring your own alcoholic beverages without hindrance, though beware of caterers who might try to insist that they provide all that is needed. It’s your ‘do’ and you’re paying the bill so don’t be bullied!

Licensed premises make a hefty profit from the sale of Champagne and do not encourage those who wish to do it themselves. They are entitled to levy a charge, usually referred to as corkage, on a per bottle basis and will demand anything from £5 to £30 per bottle or more.

If you want to take your own Champagne then make sure this is understood and agreed in writing at the time you are making the booking. Despite what you may be told about ‘company policy’ or ‘head office rules’ the charge usually is at the discretion of the manager or proprietor who will be prepared to haggle if the booking depends on it!

There is little point bringing up the matter a month before the Wedding when you are ‘over a barrel’.

Our own Cheurlin-Dangin Champagne is such good value that, even with the corkage charge added on, it may still be a better buy than what’s on offer at your venue! Why not try one bottle to check it out first — many of our wedding customers have done so and have always come back for more!