Wine and Your Wedding

If you have a venue that lets you bring your own wine don't forget to figure in the cost of the corkage fee.  Some venues charge as much as $10-20 dollars per bottle!  While this seems steep, don't forget to figure in the cost differential.  So if you figure the venue markup for wine, possibly as much as 60% of the cost, you can save yourself some money buying a $15 bottle of wine and paying the corkage fee.  So don't be shy about asking what their corkage fee is before making this important decision.  Also consider asking your store for a discount for buying in bulk and/or the convenience of returning any wine not opened after the wedding.  Depending on where you live you may be able to buy from an adjoining state and save by avoiding sales tax or paying a lower tax.  Don't throw away money just because you're uncomfortable asking, this could save you money you'd rather spend elsewhere!

Also for some reason most wines venues choose are domestic, and you can usually get a better buy by purchasing an imported wine of a similar quality.  Chilean Sauvignon Blanc or some nice Sicilian vintages are available for as little as $10.  Often a comparable domestic wine is going to cost you 5-10 dollars more.