Great value-for-money wines

To save costs while still giving guests the option to consume either beer or wine, pick either a red or white wine to serve for the entire evening.
Recommended are New World wine brands from Argentina, Chile and South Africa, which are value for money. Try Malbec (Argentina), which is mainly fruit-driven or the dense, elegant Camenere (Chile) and Pinotage (South Africa), which has hints of vanilla and plum on the nose.

Taste different wines with your banquet spread

A wine you both enjoy might not be a wine your guests take to. Pick out a few wines before you attend the banquet food-tasting session, so you can determine which ones go well with the dishes that will be served.

Buy your own

Stores like Carrefour retail decent, palatable wines for as low as $12.50 a bottle. For higher-end options, most wine retailers like Wine Affaire, Wine Garage and Wine Network sell bottles in bulk.

Corkage fee-savers

· If you’ve opted for a pricier banquet package, negotiate for a corkage fee waiver.
· Ask the banquet manager to instruct wait staff not to top up wine or clear glasses that are three-quarters empty too quickly.
· Don’t follow convention and open too many bottles at a go. Guests who drive won’t drink and many will have a token sip, so elect a wine monitor to ensure not too many bottles are opened at once.
· If your guest list comprises more mature guests, it may be wiser to reduce the number of bottles served.

Also in Female Brides Spring 2009:

How to shoot your wedding album in Paris, UK or Greece, plus chic wedding gowns and big, bold accessories