The wedding bar deserves a little thought too. Not just the cocktails, the whisky or the inevitable gin and tonic, but the champagne. There is something about a bottle being popped just as the evening starts, or a coupe being handed to you before the first dance, that makes a wedding feel like a wedding.
And you don’t necessarily need to serve the same bottle at every function. A sunny mehendi calls for something very different from a candlelit dinner. Here are seven champagnes worth having on your radar at the wedding.
For the big one. Dom Pérignon Vintage is the bottle to bring out when everyone is dressed up, the tables are set and it is time for the proper toast. It is complex and layered, with notes of fruit, citrus, toast and minerality, and feels better suited to being sipped slowly than poured by the dozen.
Save Krug Grande Cuvée for dinner. It is rich, generous and layered, with notes of citrus, dried fruit, brioche and toasted nuts. In other words, it can hold its own alongside a serious menu. Pour it with seafood, grilled dishes or a more elaborate Indian spread and let the food do some of the talking.
Champagne with ice? Yes, really. Moët & Chandon Ice Impérial is designed to be served over ice, making it an easy choice for the less formal parts of the wedding. Add berries, mint or citrus and serve it at a poolside haldi, mehendi or afternoon party when nobody wants to think too hard about their drink.
A pink champagne always knows how to make an entrance. Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé is delicate, fresh and fruit-forward, with a pale pink colour and fine bubbles. Bring it out during cocktail hour, pour it into coupes or let it take centre stage in a champagne tower. It is particularly good when the decor is doing the soft, pretty thing.
Ruinart Blanc de Blancs is made entirely from Chardonnay, giving it a fresh, elegant character with citrus and floral notes. It is the one to reach for during the day, whether that means a long mehendi lunch, brunch with the family or a sundowner that starts before the sun has quite disappeared.
La Grande Dame is Veuve Clicquot’s prestige champagne, and it feels suitably special without needing much introduction. Pinot Noir gives it structure, while fruit and mineral notes keep it fresh. It works particularly well for an intimate cocktail evening or a dinner where you want the champagne to be part of the experience rather than simply another drink on the bar.
Sometimes the bottle is part of the party. Armand de Brignac Brut Gold, with its unmistakable gold bottle, brings plenty of visual drama before you have even poured a glass. Put it on the reception bar, build a Champagne tower around it or save it for the late-night celebrations when the dress code is still going strong but the formalities are over.