Speech! Speech!
5 Wedding Toast Champagne Alternatives
The wedding toasts and speeches are an integral part of any wedding breakfast. This is one of the favourite parts! It can be totally wonderful or excruciatingly awful. In either event, it’s usually memorable.
Of tradition, the modern-day wedding toast is usually drunk in Champagne. Of course, you can choose an alternative libation with which to wash down the speeches at your own wedding and we’ll look at some options later.
The history of the toast
According to this article on The Feminist Bride, the story goes like this:
In days of yore, groups of people were often at war with neighbouring groups of people. Truces were often formed by marrying the offspring of respective leaders to each other. At the banquet table the bride’s father would be the first one to take a sip from a communal wine pitcher. This action sent the message to his guests that it wasn’t poisoned.
But why a toast? Well, wine was not always as sweet and smooth as it could be. To improve the situation, they’d pop a piece of burnt toast into the communal wine pitcher and that would absorb some of the acidity. And that’s how the term originated.
Choosing the tipple for your wedding toasts
As we said at the start of the blog, Champagne is the traditional choice. The chances are it’s also the most expensive. That said, all our leading supermarkets do jolly good own label Champagnes that are worth consideration. This guide to what kind of Champagne to serve at your wedding is worth a read if Champers is what your heart is set on.
But if your wallet simply isn’t elastic enough for Champagne, or it’s simply not to your taste, what else is appropriate for your wedding toasts? Let’s take a look at five fab alternatives to accompany your wedding speeches.
- Crémant
Staying with French sparkling wines consider Crémant. This article from The Guardian shows how Crémant gives you more fizz for your buck than Champagne!
- Prosecco
Moving now to Italy there’s a sparkling wine that we’ve all become familiar with thanks to Fizz Friday: Prosecco. The success of Prosecco is something of a phenomenon that can’t be put down to its accessible price point alone. This article on the BBC website proffers reasons why that should be. See also this blog from Born Again Swindonian on the topic of Prosecco. And, to go slightly off topic, Cava is a great fizz-alternative. Further, as this article points out, it’s closer in taste to Champagne than is Prosecco. Not only is Cava closer in taste to Champagne than Prosecco, it’s made in the same method. But with different grapes. Find out much more about Cava on the Wine Folly website.
4. Signature cocktail
Are you planning a signature cocktail at your wedding? If so, substitute the Champagne toast with that. Have large jugs of the cocktail prepared and poured in glasses in readiness when your guests sit down.
5. Do it with a shot
The niece of a friend of mine did this. The half-Danish bride opted to give each guest a shot glass engraved with her and her husband’s initials. These were charged with snaps (it’s snaps not schnapps in Denmark) for the toasts. Skaal!
The glasses, along with a Lego mini-figure for each guest, doubled as a wedding favour.
Okay, so not everyone is keen on shots. But if you want to do it don’t hesitate. Your guests only need have a tiny taste. There’s no need for them to down it in one.
- Go with whatever is on the tables
It’s not vital that you have a specific drink for your guests to toast with. You could simply let them toast with whatever they already have in front of them. It’s simple and if you’re on a budget it’s cost-effective
Raise your glasses
While we’re on the subject of toasts and speeches we’ll leave you with this guide to the running order of speeches. It’s good to know who speaks when!
What are you planning for your wedding toasts? Champagne or something different? Let us know via our social media channels – we’d love to hear from you. Find our contact details here.
Until next time: Salute, Cin Cin, and Cheers! Oh – and not forgetting Skaal!
Our packages
So that’s everything you need to know about drinks for the wedding toast. To find out about our venue styling packages go here. And for wedding flower packages visit this page.
Credits
Venue for main photo : Wrag Barn
Photo: Barefoot Photography
Wedding gowns : Fairytale Occasions
Suits: Fox in House
MUA: Holly Andersen
Wedding Cupcakes: Fays Fairy Cakes
Venue styling : Fabulous Functions UK
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