5 Tips for Choosing the Right Wine for Your Wedding

If you want to provide your guests with an excellent wedding and ensure a fun and relaxed atmosphere, you need to serve some great wine. However, that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your honeymoon and waste all your savings on your wine card! Here are a few practical and no-fuss tips that will help you choose the wine for your wedding.

How much to get?

One of the hardest choices for all couples isn’t what to choose, but how many bottles to get. But, when it comes to wines, it’s always better to have too much than too little. If a bottle gives you about four glasses, getting a bottle per person is a good measure. Some will drink more, some will drink less, but since you can’t see the future, a bottle per guest will get you through the night for sure.

Don’t obsess over seasons

Now that you know your quantity, it’s time to pick your whites, reds and bubblies. Most people choose to pair winter weddings with red wine and summer weddings with white, but the season shouldn’t matter as long as your wine fits the menu. People want to drink their favorite wines whenever they want to (which is the reason why traditionally spring rosés became available all year-round). However, even though there are no seasonal rules anymore, there are some guidelines you can follow in order to make the right choice. For instance, experts generally recommend pairing your chicken dinner with a white or a red that’s quite light—that’s always a safe bet. If you’re serving fish or seafood, light Greek wines will fit your menu perfectly. On the other hand, you want something strong and aromatic like a red Grenache or red pinot noir with your beef dinner. You can even find affordable organic red wine for your wedding if you want to surprise your guests with something high-quality. Guests that practice an eco-friendly and organic lifestyle will love your red wine card! However, if you’re serving pork, bolder whites like Burgundy will pair very well.

Don’t forget the bubbly

Your wedding will be a fantastic celebration and there’s nothing that screams celebration more than champagne. So, be sure to have a few bottles at hand at least for your reception toast. While you don’t want to go bankrupt, don’t be too cheap when picking your bubbly—after all, you’re toasting to your future! If you want to save some money yet still get quality champagne, ask waiters to fill the glasses only half way. Not everyone loves bubbly, so a few sips will be more than enough for a toast. If you’re not a huge champagne fan, you can find sparkling ciders that will make your wedding stand out and wow the crowd (there are even non-alcoholic varieties, so even little ones can toast to your marriage).

Feel free to personalize

Weddings with personal touches and details usually leave the best impressions with the guests, so don’t hesitate to customize your wines. Today, you can get wines that will tell a story. For instance, you can serve wine you had on your first date, the wine you enjoyed when you proposed or the wine from your favorite winery (unless your fave wine costs $200 a bottle). All in all, these little customizations will give your wedding a romantic note and your guests will enjoy the fantasy.

Don’t overthink it

Organizing a wedding is stressful, so don’t make it even harder on yourself with an overly complicated wine card. Don’t overthink it, and simply pick a white, red and sparkling wine and your guests will be satisfied. It’s always best to keep a light white wine that will refresh your guest (pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc are great), stick with a fruity and crispy red (pinot noir) and go for a mild bubbly. These go well with a variety of foods and appeal to the largest number of people. If your guests have a good glass of wine in their hands, they will certainly have a wonderful time and rush to bless your marriage! Cheers to that!