Photo by White Lane Studio.

Here’s a truth that applies to every single gathering ever. It’s better to over-cater than under-cater. No one likes being hungry or thirsty.

And while we’ve written a guide to help you calculate how much alcohol you’ll need for your wedding, we’re of the ilk that it’s better to be safe than sorry. That is, err on the side of caution and order a little more than you think you’ll need.

No, this is not a plug for excessive drinking. Nor is it a tactic to get you to support the wine industry by over-purchasing. Rather, it’s just something we’ve learned first-hand. We ran out of white wine about halfway through one of our team’s engagement parties and it became a distraction (“where’s the white?” desperately cried every woman in attendance over the course of the next two hours until the father of the groom drove to the grog shop to restock and saved the day. No kidding, it was a deal).

Let’s presume you’ve decided what types of wine to serve at your wedding. You’ve figured out the correct quantities to make sure the drinks are flowing all day and night long. And you’ve taken our advice and have a little leftover at the end of the wedding. Here are our suggestions on what to do with that extra plonk.

Gift it to your wedding team

Seriously, nothing says ‘thank you for all your help, I love you’ like wine. Give a bottle or a few to your wedding venue owner, your wedding vendors (photographer, celebrant, caterer, etc.), your bridal party and any members of family or friends that came together to help you in the lead up to your wedding. They’ll greatly appreciate it, and chances are they’ll need it to wind down from the day.

Drink it the next day

Post-wedding recovery sessions are very much a thing and we are very much in favour of these. Getting together for a brunch fry-up and some sparkling wine is the best way to hear all the funny stories from your guests from the night before and catch up with the people you didn’t get to spend too much time with on your wedding day. Share your leftover wine with your catch-up crew and who knows – it could end up being a whole new celebration.

Save it for your wedding anniversary

If you’ve purchased some good quality wine, it’ll be good to cellar and hold onto for the future. Crack a bottle or two on your wedding anniversary, flick through your wedding photos and enjoy an intimate moment reminiscing on how great the day was.

Keep it for another special occasion

Because every celebration is better with wine. Birthdays, anniversaries, Christmases, public holidays – you name the celebration and we’ll bet our bottom dollar that there’s a reason to cheers in there.

Take it honeymooning

If you’re having a local honeymoon, load up the car or the suitcase with a bottle or two of your wedding wine and keep the delicious, loved-up vibes flowing. We can’t think of a more fitting reason to crack open a bottle of your wedding wine than to relax and reflect on the amazing experience you’ve just gone through together.

You could always return it… nah.

Depending on where you buy your alcohol from, you may have the option to return any excess cases, provided they are unopened and in perfect condition to resell. Or, not. Refer to all the points above for (in our opinion) way better ideas.

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Unsure of how much wine you’re going to need for your wedding? Read our guide.

What wines might you need for your wedding? Find out here.