Wedding drinks, sorted. I let Dan Murphy’s do the groundwork so I didn’t have to.
I got married recently. People tell you it’s one of the best days of your life – and for me and my partner (now husband) Max, it absolutely was. It surpassed all our expectations. 11/10. Best wedding I’ve ever attended.
When you’re faced with planning what is meant to be the best day of your life, there are a few emotions on the cards. You feel excited, then shortly after that, a little overwhelmed, then a tad nervous, and so on and so forth. You start picturing how everything could look, you spend a ridiculous amount of time on Pinterest, you practise your non-ugly crying face, and you become that person who froths a wedding expo. At any one time, I had a laundry list of things to think about in the months leading up to the big day. Big day, big list. We also decided to do everything ourselves and not hire the help of a coordinator because many moons ago, I actually was a wedding coordinator, so I felt like I’d have it under control. I did, but it was still a lot.
I quickly learned that leaning on suppliers who knew what they were doing would help the planning process immensely: enter the Dan Murphy's Wedding & Event Service team. Or as I like to call them, The Fairy Godmothers of Wedding Drinks. Here’s a bit about my experience using this handy (and completely free!) service and why I wholeheartedly couldn’t recommend it more.
I had never been one of those girls who dreamed about what their wedding day would look like. However, I also announced in my Year 11 debutante introduction that “I hoped this wasn’t the last time I wore a lavish white dress” – weird flex, but I think I just didn’t want to end up a crazy cat lady when I grew up. It was actually Max who suggested we get married on my aunt and uncle’s farm in regional Victoria. It’s a place that held the happiest memories: tearing around in paddock bombs, horse rides, camping under the stars and hiding from headlights on night walks. Max had experienced its magic, and the incredible hospitality of my aunt and uncle, since we started dating over 11 years ago, so I was totally on board with his suggestion. It was the perfect one-of-a-kind location for us to say ‘I do’.
Having it on a farm meant two things: we could have the music as loud as we wanted until the wee hours of the morning, and we had to BYO everything. And I mean everything. I imagine planning our wedding was similar to what someone planning a music festival would experience (with less bands and Portaloos). We were up for the challenge. I was the queen of spreadsheets. The conqueror of gathering quotes. And I’d heard on the grapevine that Dan Murphy’s could take care of all our alcohol so we didn’t have to.
About four months before the wedding, I jumped onto the Dan Murphy’s website and found the Wedding Orders link in the footer. All I had to do was fill in a form with basic info: date and location of the big dance, how many of my friends and family were joining, and my contact details. Easy! Shortly after, I received a ‘request received’ ticket email and an introduction from Bridget from the Dan’s Customer Relations Wedding Team. I looked back at the email chain with Bridget while writing this story – there were 52 emails between us. That could be one email a week for a whole year. Now, I need to stress, that’s the doing of a fickle bride, not an inefficient process. I had so many questions, I had changes; and all the while she had suggestions and words of support as I navigated the world of wedding drinks. And let me remind you, this service was 100% gratis – you pay for the drinks, of course, but the team are also able to help you get the best deals and you can return any unopened cases your guests don’t guzzle.
Once I’d connected with Bridget, she suggested putting in a phone call to discuss everything. She explained the process: we’d chat about what Max and I had in mind for drinks, secure a (refundable) tasting pack, review and finalise selections, lock in numbers and a delivery schedule, and then pull off the wedding of the century.
I had a chat with Todd, Dan’s Wedding and Event Lead, and Kellie, Dan’s National Wedding and Events Partnership Manager about their take on this service and why it’s a no-brainer for brides and grooms. “Your wedding alcohol can really be a bespoke offering instead of being locked into a venue’s house wines,” Kellie says. Todd explains flexibility is a huge calling card. “Brides and grooms might change their mind during the planning process, which is absolutely fine – trends change, too. Using this service means they have the flexibility to make adjustments,” Todd says. The team at Dan’s is also well connected with wedding venues and suppliers, so they can make recommendations during the planning process and liaise with your venue directly to ensure the drinks arrive smoothly – not one moment too early or late.
Todd and Kellie both agree it’s pretty special playing a part in the biggest day of a couple’s lives. “I can understand the stress weddings can cause as I used to work in events – I think having knowledge of the industry really helps me instil confidence in couples,” Kellie says. “We have the ability to have an impact on a milestone in people’s lives – it’s very satisfying,” Todd says.
As for the hottest wedding drinks right now? “Lychee Martinis and Margaritas are always popular,” Kellie says. “I generally suggest a refreshing drink to start and something like an Espresso Martini to finish with your dessert.”
Want to know some of the drinks we picked for our wedding? Probably not, but you’ll find them listed along the bottom of this page anyway.
