Thirsty work (From Dudley News)

Thirsty work

7:00am Saturday 4th July 2009

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Fancy a drink? Lucy Corry raises her glass to the week's best buys.

A toast to the bride and groom

It's been more than five years since I got married on a hot summer afternoon, but I can remember it like yesterday. Some of our guests, however, struggled to recall anything the day after thanks to the zeal in which they attacked the champagne cocktails upon arrival.

When my new husband and I arrived at the reception venue after a purposefully short photo session, the party was in full swing. I didn't realise quite how thirsty our beloved friends and family were until one of the waiting staff approached me just before we sat down to eat.

"I hate to interrupt you," she said as hubby and I gazed lovingly at each other, "but there's just £25 left on the bar tab. What would you like us to do?"

Now, promising to love someone for richer and for poorer is all very well, but most newly-weds don't expect to run out of cash before the ink has even dried on the marriage certificate.

Weddings are big business, and with the average UK nuptials estimated to cost around £20,000 it's no wonder many couples claim they can't afford to tie the knot.

It's not always an option, but holding your after-match function at home or in a private venue is a great way to beat costs. If you're worried about what to order in the drinks line, online fine wine retailer www.fromvineyardsdirect.com has a new wedding wine service that promises to take the stress out of the equation.

A simple phone call will get you a bespoke wine list to match your taste, menus and budget - at lower than usual prices - created by one of the company's advisors.

To get an idea of what they have on offer, check out the wine list at www.fromvineyardsdirect.com. Once you've made a decision, delivery can be arranged in a couple of days and - even better - it's free to any UK mainland address. There's also a standard sale or return policy for larger orders.

To save even more, customers who collect their orders of French wines themselves from Calais can save about £1.50 per bottle for wine and £2 for champagne.

While I commend any money-saving efforts - the wedding industry is full of charlatans who love nothing better than helping starry-eyed lovers part with their cash - beware of false economies. Good-quality sparkling wine is a better bet than cheap and nasty champagne (my old favourite Lindauer Brut is a winner and often on special) and there's a lot to be said for offering your guests non-alcoholic drinks, especially if it's hot.

Drinks made from elderflowers were once viewed as sacred and played a vital part in religious ceremonies, so even if you're having a secular wedding, serving elderflower drinks would be a nice touch.

Belvoir Fruit Farms' latest offering is a Pear & Elderflower Presse, which combines the delicate scented taste of elderflowers with sweet pressed pear juice and gently sparkling spring water (available nationwide, RRP £2.65 for a 750ml bottle).

If you feel like getting creative - or fancy something to serve up to guests at a barbecue the day after - try this light, fruity cocktail. Quantities below are to serve one, but it could be easily made in crowd-sized quantities for a very English summer afternoon wedding.

Belvoir Elderflower Cordial is available nationwide, RRP £4.15 for a 750ml bottle.

Elderflower fizz

20ml Belvoir Elderflower Cordial

3 lime wedges

50ml Pink Grapefruit juice

50ml Cloudy Lemonade

Lime wedge

Stir all ingredients together in a highball glass, add ice and garnish with a freshly squeezed lime wedge.

Drink this: While many of the guests at our wedding were happy to drink away our honeymoon money, they were much more circumspect at their own nuptials. My husband's brother served wine so dreadful that no-one could bear to drink it, while my niece offered iced water after her wedding ceremony. To strike the right balance between cheap and cheerful, I think a tray of white port and tonic cocktails are suitably festive - and easy to make even for novice bartenders. Just fill a quarter of a tall glass with white port (try Cockburn's Light White Port, available from Sainsbury's, Morrisons and Somerfield, RRP £7.49), then add ice, tonic water and a slice of lemon.

Liquid news :: Oh no, spilt wine on your wedding outfit? You need Wine Away, an eco-friendly solution to red-wine stains on clothing, carpets and other furnishings.

Wine Away, which is made from fruit and vegetable extracts, is the only red-wine stain remover ever recommended by the Good Housekeeping Institute. If you're prone to wine-related accidents (or are dreading Uncle Ron flinging a glass of celebratory merlot all over your specially-made white satin wedding shoes), a bottle is a must-have for your wedding kit.

Wine Away is available from www.wineawaydirect.co.uk and a range of supermarkets and wine stores nationwide, priced £8.99.

:: Scandinavian design company Menu has loads of elegant wedding gifts, such as a very stylish wine decanter (£54.95). Visit www.menu.as to find out more or call 078 3476 7211 for stockists.

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