16 April 2026

How Much Wine to Serve at a Wedding? And Which Wines?

If you are planning a wedding and would rather avoid your venue’s over-priced wine list, you are not alone. Choosing your own wedding wines can be a great way to keep more control over quality, style and budget – and it also gives you the chance to serve bottles you actually want to drink.

Helping couples choose wedding wines is something we do regularly, so we have put together this guide to answer some of the most common questions. From how much wine to order, to which styles tend to work best, here is a practical starting point for planning your big day.

In this guide, we’ll cover:

• how much wine to serve at a wedding per guest

• how many glasses or bottles to allow for

• which wines to serve at a wedding

• whether red or white is best

• a few extra tips to help you choose well

Get 10% off your first order here – or get in touch with our wine advisors to talk through your upcoming wedding.

How much wine should you serve at a wedding?

One of the first questions couples ask is how much wine they will actually need. The answer depends on the length of the day, the style of the meal and how generous you want to be – but as a general guide, this is what we usually recommend.

Sparkling wine for arrival drinks and the toast

Allow 1–2 glasses of sparkling wine per person for the arrival drink and toast.

As a rule of thumb, one bottle of sparkling wine gives you around 6 glasses, so an easy way to estimate how many bottles you need is to divide your guest number by 3.

So, for example:

60 guests = around 20 bottles of sparkling wine

This is usually enough to cover a welcome drink plus a toast without cutting it too fine.

Wine for the wedding meal

For the meal itself, we typically recommend allowing half to three quarters of a bottle per person.

That may sound generous, but weddings are long occasions and guests do tend to enjoy a glass or two when wine is being served with food. The good news is that any unopened bottles can usually be kept for another occasion.

So, for a wedding of 60 guests, you would normally be looking at around:

30–45 bottles of still wine in total

If your crowd is particularly wine-loving, or the meal is long and relaxed, it is usually better to round up rather than risk running short.

Which wines should you serve at a wedding?

This is the other big question – and there is no single right answer. The best wines for a wedding are usually the ones that feel easy, appealing and food-friendly, while still fitting the season, the menu and your budget.

Should you serve red or white wine?

A 50/50 split of red and white is often a sensible starting point, but it is worth adjusting this depending on the time of year and what is being served.

For spring, autumn or winter weddings, a 60% red and 40% white split can work well, especially if richer dishes are on the menu.

For summer weddings, a 60% white and 40% red split is often the better choice, as guests tend to lean towards fresher, chilled styles.

Food matters too. Red wines tend to suit heartier meat dishes such as beef, pork or duck, while white wines are often the better fit for fish, chicken and lighter courses.

Which red wines work best for weddings?

For most weddings, it is best to choose reds that are soft, fruit-forward and easy to enjoy, rather than anything too heavy, tannic or high in alcohol.

In general, look for reds around 13.5% alcohol or below and styles with broad appeal.

Good options include:

• Merlot

• Garnacha or Grenache

• New World Pinot Noir

• young Tempranillo

• Beaujolais

other medium to lighter-bodied reds

These styles tend to be versatile with food and approachable for a wide range of guests.

Which white wines work best for weddings?

For white wines, we usually suggest styles that are fresh, expressive and rounded, without being too sharp or aggressively acidic.

Good choices often include:

• Sauvignon Blanc

• fresher, more lightly oaked Chardonnays

• Grüner Veltliner

• Picpoul, especially for seafood

• Viognier

• quality Pinot Grigio

• Soave

These are all styles that tend to feel refreshing and crowd-pleasing, while still pairing well with wedding food.

What about sparkling wine?

The best sparkling wine for your wedding will often come down to budget and personal preference.

Champagne is, of course, the classic choice, but there are plenty of excellent alternatives that offer great value.

Depending on the style you want, you could consider:

• Prosecco – popular, approachable and often very good as an aperitif

• Cava-style wines – often a smart-value option with good freshness

• Crémant – ideal if you want something a little more refined without Champagne pricing

A good sparkling wine can work beautifully for both the arrival drink and the toast, and in some cases can even carry through to the starter if needed.

Do not overlook rosé

Rosé can be a very useful wedding wine.

It combines some of the fruit character of red wine with the refreshing feel of a chilled white, which makes it versatile and easy to enjoy. On warmer days especially, rosé can be an excellent option for guests and can work well with a wide range of dishes.

Why choose organic wedding wine?

We always recommend considering organic wines for weddings.

They are a better choice for the environment, and they are often made with real care and attention in both vineyard and cellar. All of the wines we stock are certified organic, so if that matters to you, it is an easy box to tick.

It is also worth remembering that weddings bring together all sorts of guests with different preferences and dietary choices, so vegan wines can be a sensible option too. Thankfully, almost all of our organic wines are also vegan, and for some couples, no sulphur added wines are another route worth exploring.

A good way to choose – taste before the day

When it comes to narrowing down your wedding wines, we often recommend trying a mixed case first. We can usually offer a little discount on this, and it is one of the best ways to work out what you genuinely enjoy.

You can taste the wines together at home, do a blind tasting with friends, or simply compare a few styles side by side. We are also very happy to help by email or phone and suggest wines based on the season, your menu and your overall budget, get in touch with one of our wine advisors here.

4 extra tips for choosing wedding wine

1. Keep your budget in mind

Budget will naturally shape your choices, and there is no need to overspend in order to serve good wine.

A well-made, crowd-pleasing bottle can often work far better at a wedding than something prestigious but expensive. It is also worth checking whether your venue charges corkage, and factoring that into your overall spend.

2. Think about what you already like – and dislike

Do you already know the styles you enjoy at home? Or perhaps there are wines you would rather avoid altogether?

That is useful information, and it helps narrow things down quickly. If you dislike sharp acidity, do not enjoy Chardonnay, or know you love lighter reds, tell your supplier from the start. It makes choosing much easier.

3. Add a personal touch

Your wedding wines do not have to be generic.

Perhaps there is a wine region you both love, a style you always drink together, or a bottle that means something to you. Adding that sort of personal detail can make the wine feel more part of the day, rather than just another item on the checklist.

4. Ask for advice

If you are not sure where to start, ask.

Whether you are looking for something budget-friendly, something organic, or simply wines that will suit a broad mix of guests, a good supplier should be able to guide you and give you a realistic idea of cost.

Why choose Vintage Roots as your wedding wine supplier?

Choosing your wedding wine supplier is not just about finding bottles at the right price – it is about finding wines you feel confident serving on the day, with advice you can actually trust.

At Vintage Roots, we have been specialising in organic wine since 1986, so helping customers find well-made, characterful wines for big occasions comes very naturally to us. Whether you are planning a small gathering or a much larger celebration, we can help you work out how much wine you may need, suggest styles to suit your menu and the time of year, and recommend options that fit your budget too.

All of our wines are certified organic (you can browse our entire organic wine range here), almost all are vegan, and our range includes everything from great-value sparkling wines and easy-drinking crowd-pleasers to more distinctive bottles if you want to add a more personal touch to your day.

We can also help you put together a mixed case to taste at home first, so you can try a few options and feel sure about what you are choosing. If you are not quite sure where to start, just get in touch with our wine advisors and we will be very happy to help.

Final thoughts

Choosing wedding wine does not need to be complicated. With the right starting point, a sensible quantity plan and a few versatile, food-friendly styles, you can serve wines that feel generous, well chosen and genuinely enjoyable.

We hope this guide has helped you work out how much wine to serve at a wedding – and which wines might be right for your day too.