Wine with Leslie: How to select wines for your wedding and how much you should buy

Including one that's worth the minor 'scandal' of serving supermarket fizz at your wedding

Close up of new married couple toasting champagne glasses at wedding party. Bride and groom hands clinking glasses at wedding reception. wine with leslie wedding toast champagne

Some thoughts on wine for weddings and parties in general. For my own wedding, we had a small reception for around 32 people in our house with a meal cooked by chef friends, and a much larger party a week later. I served a different wine with each of the seven courses, but such extravagance was only possible thanks to the small numbers.

If choosing wines for a large wedding or party (assuming you can bring your own for a corkage fee), aim for a half bottle of wine per person. Hence 100 guests require 50 bottles of wine, a figure that allows leeway for non-drinkers — err on the side of generosity and look for a sale or return option.