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So, you’ve said 'yes' to the wedding dress, chosen your shoes and decided on a photographer. Now it’s time for some very important maths. Yes, we’re talking wedding wine. Whether you plan to serve it from noon until the early hours, or just with your wedding breakfast, you’ll want to make sure the bottles you go for are loved by all (and importantly, come into budget).
To help ensure you buy the best bottles, and enough of each, we’ve trialled four wedding wine services, picking out the best red, white and sparkling buys from each retailer.
How do you calculate your wedding wine?
While there is no definitive way to calculate how many bottles you’ll need for the big day, there are a couple of formulas you can apply.
Some say to divide the total number of adult guests by half — in other words, allow for half a bottle per guest. While we think this could be fine if you’re only planning to provide wine with dinner, for longer periods this seems a bit mean.
Another way to approach things is to assume your guests will drink two glasses of wine in the first hour, followed by one glass per hour thereafter. You get five glasses of wine from a bottle, so based on 100 guests drinking from 2pm until midnight, you’d need 220 bottles of wine.
Sounds a lot, right? Luckily many retailers offer sale or return...
Sale or return
Have you ever been to a wedding where they’ve run out of wine? We’re guessing the answer to that is ‘no’. That’s because people always overestimate how much will be drunk. And while that’s a good thing on the day, the next morning you’ll likely wake up to cases of wine that you no longer need.
Now you have two choices; turn the spare room into a wine cellar and begin married life merrily sozzled (tempting) or take up the offer of sale or return. Sale or return (SOR, as it's often referred to) is where a retailer will refund you for wine returned in a saleable condition (basically, unopened bottles). Either way, we’d keep a bottle (or two) of your wedding fizz for celebrating your first anniversary. Cheers!
Corkage
While there are still some unicorn wedding venues out there that don’t charge corkage fees, many do. However, it can still work out cheaper (and result in better wine) to buy quality bottles you adore and pay the corkage fee. For example, caterers often inflate the price of ‘house’ wine (charging £10-20 for something not worth that), so it’s worth checking to see if you can save by buying wines in bulk and adding on the fee. Even if you don’t save money, you’ll probably end up with a much better glass of vino.
Tastings
The fun bit! Many retailers offer free in-store or virtual tastings, where wine is sent to you at home. The wine experts will ask you a few key questions, including your budget, wine preferences, menu and number of guests, and make suggestions accordingly.
If you’d prefer to have a bit of an idea before setting up a meeting, our ELLE wine and spirits expert has picked the best white, red and sparkling wine from each retailer. We recommend ordering a few bottles to try at home alongside similar dishes you plan to serve on the big day. You can also rope in bridesmaids or groomsmen, to crowdsource their favourites over the course of an evening. This will avoid palate fatigue (which can happen when trying multiple serves at the same time!)
Discounts
Whatever your budget, you’ll want to feel like you’re getting a good deal on your wedding wine. After all, it’s likely to be the biggest booze order you’ll ever place! All retailers offer a discount, which generally increases, the more you buy, but you’ll start to see savings when buying as little as six or more bottles. We’ve highlighted the best value white, red and sparkling bottles from each retailer below, to get you started.
Laithwaites
Offering both in-store and online wine tastings, Laithwaites couldn’t make it easier to decide on the best bottles for your big day. You’ll start to see the best savings when you buy 12 or more bottles (which shouldn’t be a problem), and they’re happy to take back up to 20% of the order value if you happen to over-order. However, the brand's wedding wine calculator should make calculations a doddle.
Need to know
Glass hire: Free with any purchase, collection from store only, subject to availability.
Sale or return: Yes, up to 20% of your order.
Cost-effective chianti? Yes, we were shocked too, but this hearty Italian red delivers with a complex palate bursting with raspberries, cherry and a lick of warming spice. Pair with tomato-based dishes, charcuterie and the late-night pizza truck.
Need to know
| Type | Chianti |
|---|---|
| Saving | £2 a bottle |
This stand-out sauvignon blanc from New Zealand’s much-admired Marlborough region is guaranteed to impress guests. Aromatic grapefruit and tropical passionfruit burst out of the glass, making it perfect for summer weddings, alongside goats cheese canapés.
Need to know
| Type | Sauvignon blanc |
|---|---|
| Saving | £2.50 a bottle |
Made in exactly the same way as champagne, and just a hop, skip and a jump outside of the designated region, crémant is a great value alternative if your heart is set on French fizz. There’s the same delicious notes of stone fruit and crunchy green apple, with a hint of toast on the finish.
Online from May 15
Need to know
| Type | Crémant |
|---|---|
| Saving | £5.01 a bottle |
Majestic
Majestic is an obvious go-to when placing a bulky booze order, and with good reason. The brand has a wide range of bottles for every budget, offers free glass hire (one less thing to think about) and fun in-store tastings. There’s also an online wedding calculator, if you’re not sure where to start, and the knowledgeable staff are always super friendly in person.
We've done the hard work for you, and these are the best value bottles we’d recommend from Majestic.
Need to know
Glass hire: Yes, £1 deposit per glass, refundable once returned
Sale or return: Yes
Domini Veneti 'La Casetta' Valpolicella Ripasso DOC Superiore
Domini Veneti 'La Casetta' Valpolicella Ripasso DOC Superiore
If you’re a fan of the intense richness of Italy’s amarone, you’ll want to take note of this special blend, which delivers a similar flavour profile, but without the price tag. Described as a ‘baby amarone’, it has the same high ABV, and is every bit as rich (due to the inclusion of leftover dessert wine grape skins).
It’s exceptional with game if you’re having an autumnal wedding but the forest floor notes would also excel alongside mushroom dishes.
Need to know
| Type | Red blend |
|---|---|
| Saving | £4 a bottle |
With pronounced white peach, pear and a crisp citrus finish, this full-bodied white is super food friendly. It’s made from Italy’s indigenous turbiana grape and gives serious holiday vibes, working a treat with scallops, lobster, grilled fish and even the cheese course.
Need to know
| Type | Turbiana |
|---|---|
| Saving | £2 a bottle |
Chanoine Frères 'Réserve Privée' Brut Champagne
Chanoine Frères 'Réserve Privée' Brut Champagne
This is quite a phenomenal saving, so if you’re set on champagne, we’d snap these bottles up pronto. It comes from one of the oldest houses in champagne, yet progressively, has a female cellarmaster at the helm. The blend is dominated by pinot noir, which lends a decadent, well-rounded mouthfeel, while juicy acidity will cut through rich canapés.
Need to know
| Type | Champagne |
|---|---|
| Saving | £23 a bottle |
Waitrose Cellar
Waitrose is a slightly trickier retailer with which to bag a bargain, with discounts applied based on stock levels. That said, we’ve seen these bottles on offer recently, so it’s worth checking back soon, and regardless, they’re well-priced bottles. Alternatively, their mixed cases can offer a decent discount too.
Need to know
Glass hire: Free with any purchase, collection from store only, subject to availability.
Sale or return: Yes, up to 20% of your order.
Part of the Gonzalez Byass portfolio (who make some of our favourite sherry!), Beronia is our go-to for a decent rioja at price worth stocking up on. As you’d expect, it would complement Spanish-style tapas dishes, as well as lamb and pork.
Need to know
| Type | Rioja |
|---|---|
| Saving | £4 a bottle |
The ‘petit chablis’ classification captures chardonnay-based wines that don’t fit into the standard chablis, premier cru and grand cru regions — and as a result, you get a more petit price. We love this dry white, with its fresh lemon notes and flinty minerality, it would work well with creamy chicken as well as fish and chip canapés.
Need to know
| Type | Chablis |
|---|---|
| Saving | N/A |
English sparkling wine is the chicest choice for toasts, particularly if you’re getting married in the countryside. This one is made in pretty limited quantities, making it all the more special, and is a great example of a blanc de blanc (meaning it’s made with 100% chardonnay). You can expect bright citrus notes, toasted brioche and a whiff of complex smoke — we’re confident your guests will thank you for it.
Need to know
| Type | English sparkling |
|---|---|
| Saving | N/A |
Slurp
Slurp don’t offer discounts online, but if you call and speak to an advisor, they will happily offer discounts on big orders across most of their range. So, we’d begin by ordering these bottles, before picking up the phone to haggle...
Need to know
Glass hire: No
Sale or return: Yes, up to 20% of your order.
Described as a ‘modern’ rioja, we think this elegant crianza (although a little more expensive than Beronia’s above), would elevate any wedding breakfast. Rich and jammy, with a touch of oak and dark chocolate, we’d serve alongside roast beef dishes, for maximum appeal.
Need to know
| Type | Rioja |
|---|---|
| Saving | Call to discuss |
Torpez à Saint Tropez Bravade Cotes de Provence Rosé
Torpez à Saint Tropez Bravade Cotes de Provence Rosé
If you’re getting married in the summer (or are just a big blush fan), adding a rosé to the menu is a great idea. It’s incredibly versatile — pairing with everything from canapés through to fruity desserts — and displays mouthwatering citrus, grapefruit and a hint of minerality.
Need to know
| Type | Provence rosé |
|---|---|
| Saving | Call to discuss |
Charles Mignon Premium Reserve Champagne Brut NV
Charles Mignon Premium Reserve Champagne Brut NV
Looking for a bright, great value champagne to serve all day? We’ve found it in this under-the-radar family producer. The chardonnay dominates, bringing with it a decadent toasted brioche element, but notes of green apple supply the freshness needed for all day toasting. Cheers!
Need to know
| Type | Champagne |
|---|---|
| Saving | £10 |
Stacey is our Senior Food and Drink Editor, looking after all food and drink reviews — from coffee pods and veg boxes, to natural wine and tequila.
Stacey is also founder of Crummbs, where she’s written nearly 2,000 restaurant and hotel reviews since 2013. Prior to this, Stacey wrote hundreds of in-depth buying guides for the Independent, i newspaper and BBC Good Food, as well as reviewing restaurants and interviewing celebrities in her column at Balance Magazine.
Stacey has also appeared in BAFTA-nominated BBC documentary Blood, Sweat & Takeaways, where she investigated South East Asia's food production industry, appearing on both Newsnight and BBC World Service to share her findings.
Regularly checking out the latest restaurants, bars and product launches, Stacey also loves experimenting with recipes at home, and is a WSET-certified wine and spirits expert, with over 10 years of experience in the business.
You can follow Stacey on Instagram @crummbs_uk
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