Saving on Wine/Champange

DingoL

Hi All, getting married in August 2010, just booked the hotel. And I'm looking to reduce costs, €55 a head for meal can't be changed so I'm going to start on the next most expensive thing, wine. Lots of wine makes for a great wedding, so how much would you budget per guest?
Corkage is €8 so I reckon if I can get a nice drinkable wine for €3-4 I can save €1000 over a 100 bottles (assuming 1/2 bottle per guest) compared to the house wine which is €22. Does anybody have any tips on getting/importing wine at this price?
My next question is about Champagne the hotel is quoting €10 pp for a champagne reception so I am wondering how many bottles would you budget for 200 guests?
Would 50 bottles be enough? Based on this if I could get a nice champange/sparkling white for 13.50 adding corkage I'd still be saving another €925.

Optimist

Would also love to know what other people are doing?
We are thinking about heading up North to buy both wine and champagne.

Helmet

Winemark in the North were running a special on Gato Negro after the new year, 3 bottles for £10.
We bought up the lot in Banbridge (sterling was nearly level with the euro at the time as well). We got Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon blanc.

We also got 30 bottles of prosecco in Asda at £4 each for the reception arrival.
Well worth heading north!

DingoL

I have been researching this, I will certainly be going up north to sample some of the wines they have at 3 for ten but if the quality is not right I will get the ferry to France and buy from this crowd:
http://www.normandie-wine.com
They have wines that start at 2.60 a bottle so a €4 bottle must be drinkable.
They also do cheap bubbles.

shane b

Hi
I got married last september asd we bought our wine from O'Briens wine and they delivered to the hotel on the morning of the wedding for free. This saved us travel to buy, storage and borrowing a van to bring it to the hotel the evening before as we had enough to do etc. Any bottles not used they took back and refund the difference.
The wine was Santa Rita red and wine which worked out around € 8 a bottle. We had 175 quests at the wedding and 65 bottles of wine were drank

Hope this helps

weddingtrainer

shane b wrote: »

Hi
I got married last september asd we bought our wine from O'Briens wine and they delivered to the hotel on the morning of the wedding for free. This saved us travel to buy, storage and borrowing a van to bring it to the hotel the evening before as we had enough to do etc. Any bottles not used they took back and refund the difference.
The wine was Santa Rita red and wine which worked out around € 8 a bottle. We had 175 quests at the wedding and 65 bottles of wine were drank

Hope this helps

this is definetely the best and cheapest way to go. A nice red like Santa Rita Cabernet Sauvignon goes down really well with most wine drinkers and there no waste cos you cn take back whatever you dont use. Its easily the most economical way to save on your drinks bill.