Top sparklings to kick off your wedding celebration.

There are only a handful of truly special occasions in your life that can be marked with an equally special drink. The first toast to your marriage is one of them. Whether it’s the glass you sip straight after you say “I do”, or served as you deliver a wedding speech that leaves no eye dry, bubbles are a must. Here we’re giving top tips from the Dan Murphy’s Customer Events Team, who, in case you don’t know, provide a free wedding planning service (check it out here). Ahead, how to choose the best bubbles to toast your wedding with. Cheers!

Make it a highlight

It can be the first bottle served at the reception, but in modern weddings it’s more often the drink served following the ceremony and alongside the first toast to the couple that qualifies as the toasting Champagne. Why is toasting Champagne a thing? “It’s that first glass that sets the tone for the whole evening,” says Alarna Thorncraft, Dan Murphy’s Customer Events Team Lead. “Usually everyone’s a bit emotional and elated from the ceremony, and everyone’s focused on the same thing. Everyone sips and tastes together, so it calls for something a bit more special.” If your reception is fully catered, this may be the only wine you have to outsource, so it’s also an opportunity to show your style as a couple with a bottle that means something to you, either because it’s what you drank when you got engaged, it’s from a region you love, or just because it’s your favourite. If you want to make a real spectacle of it, pour a Champagne tower — though, we recommend an expert be on hand for this, it’s harder than it looks.

To taste

“I prefer a really toasty sparkling, like the Veuve du Vernay Brut NV, and the Lanson Black Label Champagne NV is a real crowd pleaser,” says Thorncraft, “but you should pick something that’s really your style that you will love to drink in years to come when you’re reminiscing about your big day or maybe celebrating your anniversary.” Don’t have a sparkling style? Go classic. If your budget allows, Veuve Clicquot Brut Yellow Label Champagne is a wonderfully festive drink — it was designed that way by Madame Clicquot herself. It’s sure to be a hit with guests.

Think about the look

“Toasting Champagne is often the only drink of the event where guests see the bottle,” says Thorncraft. “Cameras are out, and the bottles are usually on display rather than behind a bar, so I like to go for a bottle that looks pretty or compliments your theme.” Belvino Prosecco DOC is a really affordable sparkling in a stunning clear, bevelled bottle. Similarly, Freixenet Prosecco is an Italian sparkling in a very romantic diamond-embossed bottle. “For a really glam wedding, I love the gold bottle of Veuve Alary Gold Sparkling, or the gold and black of the Haute Couture French Sparkling,” says Thorncraft.

Work the budget

If we do some quick math, the average wedding in Australia costs $30k for 100 guests. Half of that goes to catering ($15k), and half of that to alcohol, which is $7k. “Of course, it depends on your guest list, but for 100 people we usually recommend a starting cost of $5k,” says Thorncraft. “Specifically for the toasting drink, you want to work off 1.5 glasses per person. For 100 people, that’s 25 bottles. You might want to spend a little more per bottle than you do at your reception, because it is that special first drink that will be on display, but you can work with your budget to get something delicious.” Charles Orban Blanc de Blancs Champagne and Louis Auger Champagne Brut are both amazing value-for-money authentic Champagnes and very drinkable. For something exemplary in a lower price bracket, the Amelia & Trent Burge Versus Cuvee Brut is a crisp, fruity Australian sparkling, ideal for summery afternoons.

Make it easy

Whether you know exactly what you want, or would like some (or a lot of) help choosing the sparkling for your wedding toast, the Dan Murphy’s wedding planner is at your service. It makes the ordering and delivery seamless, so you can tick it off your list and move on to harder wedding tasks, like the speech.