Planning a wedding or party? The Great Wine Co. are here to help!

Planning a wedding is one of the most exciting yet daunting tasks you'll ever face. But fear not! The Great Wine Co. have a great deal of experience planning wine lists for weddings and parties of all sizes. Whether it a West-Country destination wedding or an intimate elopement, we have got you covered.

Tom Bleathman, Client Executive (and recent newlywed) answers your wedding-related wine questions to make planning your big day as smooth as a decade-old Pomerol.

What’s the first step in selecting wines for your wedding?

The first step is not to panic, help is available! Feel free to contact The Great Wine Company at any point before the big day. We will organise an appointment to run through all the important details.

What information do I need before approaching a wine merchant?

Before approaching GWC or any other wine merchant about your wedding, there are a few key pieces of information you'll need to ensure everything runs smoothly:

• The obvious one, your wedding date! This can have a surprisingly big impact to what your guests drink on the day. Is it in summer? Expect more white. Winter? Expect more red. Is the wedding predominantly outside? More white, and so on. We are here to guide you through all these quirks.
• What time is your wedding? Is your wedding ceremony earlier on in the day? If so, it may be worth considering slightly more wine as the wedding breakfast will go on for a longer period.
• How many people are attending? Whether five or five-hundred, it's important to know so we can calculate the amount of wine you’ll need.
• Will you have a cash bar? If you will, you may need wine just for the wedding breakfast. If not, you may plan to provide wine throughout the whole day.
• What's on the menu? If you have already decided on catering, then come with what you’re planning to eat, and we will work to pair the wine with your menu while ensuring it is suitable for drinking on its own throughout the day. If you haven't chosen caterers yet, then just let us know what you like to eat, and we will work from there.
• Corkage. Whilst most venues are happy for wedding parties to source their own wine, the majority will charge a corkage fee to cover glassware and service. It is important to ensure corkage is factored into your calculations, as costs can add up fast. 
• Your likes and dislikes. Love Pinot Noir? Don't like oaked white wines? Fine by us. This is the one day where you’re allowed to be selfish as you like, and we wan to make sure you’re both drinking something that you love!

Should we just choose our favourite wines?

I think this is all dependent on what your favourite wine is! If it’s a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc (always pretty crowd pleasing) then go for it, but if it’s an obscure wine from a remote part of the world, perhaps not. Your wedding is one of the biggest days in your life, but it is also a big party with everyone you love around you, it makes sense to have something everyone is going to enjoy!

Is food and wine matching important?

In my honest opinion, it's not as important as you might think. Don't get me wrong, it's wonderful when your wine complements the food perfectly, but it's important to remember that this wine will often be enjoyed throughout the day and into the evening. You want it to be appealing both with food and on its own. It’s also worth remembering that people will be far too busy chatting to even notice if your white wine perfectly matches the sauce in your starter!

How much Red? How much white? What about Champagne?

It's wonderful when your wine complements the food perfectly, but it's important to remember that this wine will often be enjoyed throughout the day and into the evening. You might want it to be appealing both with food and on its own. It’s also worth remembering that people may be too busy chatting to even notice if a white wine perfectly matches the sauce in their starter! We will help you build a wine list that matches your occasion perfectly, so you can enjoy your day.

Can I try before I buy?

We offer wines from all over the world at various price points. We believe that it’s crucial that you love the wine you’ll be drinking on your big day, as you’ll remember it for the rest of your life! As part of our wedding planning service we can arrange a free tasting tasting to ensure the wines you choose perfectly match your tastes and any food you will be eating on the day.

How much wine do I need?

This is always a tricky question, but there are some general rules, so let’s break it down. Each bottle of wine (75cl) provides 6 good-sized glasses (125ml). Throughout the day, consider:

• Welcome drinks: 1-2 glasses of fizz per person
• Toasts: 1 glass of fizz per person
• Meal: 2-3 glasses of white/red wine per person

If you’re providing wine throughout the reception alongside a cash bar, we recommend an additional ½ to 1 bottle per head, depending on how thirsty you expect your guests to be!

If in doubt, use our 25% sale or return policy

Predicting the exact amount of wine needed can be challenging due to various factors like the number of guests, weather, and the start time of your wedding. The Great Wine Company offers a 25% sale or return policy. For example, if you buy 20 bottles, you can return 5 bottles, no questions asked. This ensures peace of mind that you won’t run out of wine on your big day. The Great Wine Company also offers discounted prices on wedding wines. Please contact us for more information.

Screwcap or cork?

Traditionalists may prefer cork, but modern screwcaps provide equally reliable closures. If your wines are being poured by staff, cork won’t be an issue. However, if wines are placed on tables during your wedding breakfast, screwcaps may be more convenient.

Our top tips

GWC Private Client Exec. (and recent-newlywed) Tom Bleathman shares his top tips for a perfect wedding.

• The two of you are the most important part of your wedding day, so if your wife or husband wants to drink champagne all day, drink champagne all day!
• Don’t be afraid to get the speeches out of the way before eating. I personally did this and it meant I could relax and enjoy the afternoon rather than feeling nervous throughout the wedding breakfast.
• One glass of bubbles for the toasts is plenty.
• Remember, it’s up to you what you use for toasts! Traditionally, Champagne is poured but I personally used a good Crémant to save a few pennies. You could even use the wine which is already in front of the guest, it’s completely up to you.
• Don't forget non-alcoholic alternatives. At every wedding there will always be people who drive or don’t drink alcohol. Have a chat with your venue about what they can offer. Alternatively, GWC have a great range of Non-Alcoholic products.
• Stop for a moment to take it all in. It’s a day you’ll remember for the rest of your life.

Any questions? Get in touch

If you have any other questions about planning your wedding or party, then please don’t hesitate to contact Tom Bleathman.