Online wine retailers continue to lead the way as the suppliers of choice for couples getting married in Ireland, according to our most recent wedding wine survey, in conjunction with WeddingDates.ie.

The survey questioned engaged couples on a range of issues from hotel corkage to the impact of the economy on their overall wedding plans and budgets, and follows on from our first survey on the same subjects almost two years ago.

The most recent survey found that 3 in 4 couples still say “I don’t” to hotel wine, preferring to bring their own wine despite significant falls in the prices on wine lists. Of those couples purchasing hotel wine, over 4 in 10 reported paying €15 or less per bottle, versus only 1 in 10 two years ago. For those bringing their own wine, whereas more than half paid more than €8 corkage two years ago, less than 3 in 10 do today, with 1 in 6 claiming free corkage from their wedding hotel!

Over half of all couples admitted to “cutting back some of the costs” of their wedding due to the current economic climate, with 1 in 10 postponing their wedding because of it, an increase on both counts from the last survey.

And it’s the online retailers who still appear to be benefiting the most from frugal couples. Almost 1 in 4 engaged couples are considering buying their wedding wine from online retailers, versus 1 in 5 for traditional off-licences or wine stores and 1 in 5 considering supermarkets.

And the good news continues for wine purists, with 97% of respondents saying that selecting the right wine is an important part of their big day, and 19 in 20 couples valuing expert advice on wine selection.

Interestingly, whereas both hotels and supermarkets are up in couples’ preferences from two years ago, it appears to have come at the expense of overseas suppliers as the latest survey showed a significant fall in the number of people going outside Ireland for their wedding wine. Less than 6% of couples are considering buying their wine outside Ireland versus more than twice that number two years ago. That has to be good news for everyone.

Now, the fun part! We were offering up three wedding wine tasting kits to three lucky respondents to our survey, so without further ‘I do’: congratulations to Fiona Moran from Dublin, Stephanie Motherway from Cork and Alan Henderson also from Dublin!

Thanks so much to everyone who took the time to complete our survey, the responses always make for interesting reading and show once again how savvy buying is in. Best wishes and a clinking of wine glasses to all the couples getting married this year.

WeddingDates.ie was launched in 2008 and is Ireland’s dedicated wedding venue finder. WeddingWines.ie was launched in January of this year to make buying wedding wine online easier for couples.

It’s almost two years since we did our first (and last) wedding wine survey so we thought it about time we gauged the views of prospective to-be-weds again to see how views have changed.

This time we’ve teamed up with the fabulous and gorgeous Weddingdates.ie – your one-stop shop for wedding venues – and our own sister site, the equally gorgeous and ever-so-simple Weddingwines.ie – your one-stop shop for wedding wine.

We’ve wedding wine tasting kits to give away to three lucky respondents, comprising six wedding wines from the Weddingwines.ie menu, tasting glasses, corkscrew and an Essential Wine Tasting Guide.

The survey should take no more than two minutes to complete and you can link to it here via Weddingdates.ie.

All we ask is that you’re domiciled in the Republic of Ireland, are over 18 years of age and are getting married sometime soon (the last one we must leave to your conscience, the first two, we’re afraid, are obligatory for the prizes!).

Even if the boys in the NYPD choir have finished singing ‘Galway Bay’ for another year, there’s no reason for the bells to stop ringing.  In January and February, when some businesses are a bit listless after the exertions of Christmas, the wedding industry, with more fairs and events than you can shake a bride’s bouquet at, remains toned, glowing and perky to a startling degree. Just like us.

I mention this, though, not because of any breaking news from the unmarried members of staff, but because our experience of talking to numerous wedding customers made us wonder why there was no one-stop website for wedding wine when all the other accoutrements such as frocks, flowers and limousines get at least their share of specialized attention online. There’s enough to do when planning a wedding without having to become a wine buff into the bargain. Why had no-one come up with a quick, easy online service?

So we’re delighted to announce the arrival of www.weddingwines.ie, a wine service especially for weddings in Ireland (perhaps you’d guessed that!), offering tried and trusted wines from the Curious range and free delivery nationwide.

We’ve picked nine of what our wedding customers have told us are the most popular bottles:

• three red
• three white
• three sparkling

and put them into a website that’s very, very easy to use. Browse the wines, choose the ones you like the look of, and request a quote; you’ll have our answer, with a minimum of ten per cent discount, in the course of the next working day, if not sooner.

You’ll also find a very handy list of frequently asked questions and full details of our try-before-you-buy, delivery and returns arrangements.

If you’d prefer to choose from the three or four hundred wines in the full Curious range instead of our hand-picked nine, we’ll be delighted to help you with that, too – just let us know. You could drive to France instead, or pounce on a supermarket special, of course; but if you’d prefer to do things the easy way, with great value, personal service and free delivery, we hope that weddingwines.ie will ring one of those bells.

Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Shiraz have traditionally been the big red players in the global wine market. There are a number of reasons these varietals have gained such popularity, one factor being that they are all relatively easy to cultivate, another being that they simply produce excellent wines. But if you are the sort of person that likes to explore or have a break from the norm, it’s time to try Carmenère.

Widely grown in the Médoc in the 18th century, Carmenère produced exceptionally good wine but was abandoned due to susceptibility to coulure and the resulting low yields. In the 19th century, cuttings of Merlot were taken to Chile, however it was later found that the majority of these vines were in fact Carmenère (up to 90% in certain vineyards). They look so similar, and don’t taste miles apart either, but they ripen at different times. So a field of Merlot and Carmenère vines harvested at the same time often produced a bit of a monster wine.

The fascinating part of this story is that Chile only officially recognised Carmenère as recently as 1996, and it has only been able to label wines as Carmenère since 1998. In this time many Chilean winemakers have come to grips with managing this wonderful grape. Like Pinot Noir, it’s fussy. Between winter and harvest time, too much rain can play havoc with the final flavours, and on the flip-side, a site that is too hot can off set the balance with too much alcohol. But Chile has many sites that are perfectly suited, and it looks like what is a loss to France, is a gain for Chile.

A big, full-bodied wine, Carmenère makes powerful, spicy reds with low acidity, fairly high tannins and a velvety texture. Expect flavours of dark, sweet fruit (blackberry and plum) and perhaps green bell pepper and green bean when under-ripe.

Who knows, had it worked out in France, Carmenère could have been rolling of the tongue as easily as Merlot. Maybe some day it will. Just don’t believe that it’s only the noble grapes varieties that can produce stunning wine.

There’s no better place to start than with Santa Alicia’s Carmenère.

The perfect end to the wedding series would see me deciding on my ideal wedding wine before getting married. Well, as much as I love this blogging business, there’s no way I’m getting married so I can write about myself, so I decided to take advantage of my friends misfortune.

Aaron got hitched at the end of August, so as a farewell to the first in the university gang to lose his freedom of thought, I’ve helped to ease the pain by choosing twelve superb drinking wines to start his collection and help ease the pain with a truly enjoyable wedding gift.

Below is a copy of the notes I included in the case. Aaron and Sarah love their wine, but they would be the first to admit that they aren’t the most knowledgeable on the subject. The only instructions I was given was to choose mostly whites, so I did, with the intention of opening their palate to new varietals and styles.

Farnese Pinot Grigio

Farnese is one of Italy’s best producers.  It was voted Italian Winery of the Year in 2007 by the IWSC for the third year running. Lemon, lime and a mineral crispness with a gentle spicy finish.

Lugana Tenuta Trebbiano

An Italian for Chablis fanatics. Grapes are grown on the edge of Lake Garda, on ancient post glacial soils. It has a restrained style, with lovely minerality and a slight saltiness. Very elegant, and just made to go with shell fish.

Palazzi Chardonnay

Like the Earthworks Chardonnay (which I know you love), the Palazzi has no oak influence. It was fermented in 100% stainless steel tanks. Grapes are grown in Piemonte. Crisp, citrus fruit flavours with hints of ripe peach, balanced by lively acidity.

Mirabello Pinot Grigio Sparkling

I think you’ve tried the still version of this. Made from the white Pinot Grigio grape, it has a splash of the red Pinot Nero for a little extra colour. Simply made, with only 24 hours of cold maceration for extra freshness (as opposed to three weeks for many reds).

Greenhough Dry Riesling

The world’s top wine experts say that Riesling is the greatest of all white grape varieties. It’s a difficult one to grow and hard to get right, but when they do there are none better. This is seriously good drinking. Riesling has a great ability to acquire the characteristics of where it is grown (aka ‘terroir’). Probably the best white here.

Tussock Sauvignon Blanc

This is typical New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc – my favourite country for this grape variety. Think of cat’s pee on a gooseberry bush. Nettle, elderflower and hints of capsicum layer over a subtle background of tropical fruit characters.

Quinta el Refugio Tinto Toro

From the Tempranillo grape, this isn’t unlike a typical Rioja. It was one of the stars of one of our wine tastings, punching well above its weight. The winemakers have used American oak to impart subtle flavours of vanilla. Dark fruits and full-bodied.

Orballo Albarino

Albarino is the grape here. A great alternative to Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc, this could be the next big thing. The Orballo got me hooked on Spanish whites and it won a silver medal with Decanter, who run the UK’s best wine competition.

Muddy Water Rosé

In my opinion, this is one of the best Rosés out there. I’m not a big fan of pink, but this one is exceptional. Strong smooth berry and plum flavours, fresh, slightly sweet and lively with a touch of complexity (from partial barrel aging) and a lingering finish.

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Sierra Grande Sauvignon Blanc

This is our entry level Chilean Sauvignon, from the organic Sierra Grande winery. Although not as concentrated as its New Zealand counterparts, its fresh, vibrant and zesty. Very aromatic with racy acidity, and ironically, one of our most popular wedding wines.

Paarl Heights Chenin Blanc

If you’re not used to drinking Chenin Blanc, this is a good place to start. Soft, rounded and quite ‘chunky’ on the palate. Citrus aromas with tropical fruit flavours, backed by good acidity. Try with seafood, poultry and even mild Indian dishes.

Glaetzer Amon-Ra 2006

OMG. The world’s most renowned wine critic, Robert Parker, gave this the perfect score. Very few wines in the world have such perfect qualities and ability to age this long. It will peak around 2025 (drink up to 2040+). It’s big and bold, as Australian Shiraz often is. Worth leaving for a special occasion and to be shared only with people that will appreciate it. Cellar somewhere where the temperature won’t fluctuate too much (between 12-15 degrees C). It might be worth buying a thermometer to be safe. Lie it on its side to stop the cork drying out, and when open, decant for at least six hours.

The results of our wedding survey are in and it makes for nice reading for online wine retailers if not for hotels.

At the start of July we asked couples recently or about to be married to tell us about their customs and preferences for choosing their wedding wine, and they couldn’t wait to tell us (might’ve been the free case of wine we were offering one lucky respondent!).

The overwhelming message was that hotels are losing out to online and traditional wine retailers when it comes to wedding wine. Only one in six couples had or intended to buy their wine from the wedding hotel, with almost a third of them doing it because they had no choice.

In choosing not to go with the hotel wine, almost one in four couples purchased from an online wine retailer, more than those who purchased from a traditional off-licence or independent retailer and almost three times more than those buying from a supermarket. (Despite accounting for over a half of all wine consumed in Ireland today, supermarkets accounted for only 7% of all wedding wine purchased.)

On closer inspection it would appear that hotels aren’t missing out on too much, however, with corkage still a significant revenue generator on the day. More than half of our couples reported paying €8 or more per bottle on corkage, with one in fourteen reporting charges of €15 or more.

Couples are clearly being a lot more savvy, with 42% reporting cutting back on some aspect of their wedding in light of the current economic climate. This is hardly surprising but it shows once again the responsibility, and opportunity, for product and service providers to respond to changing conditions and consumer preferences.

I’ve been critical in the past of the practice of some hotels of sourcing the cheapest possible plonk as house wines then slapping on obscene mark-ups, and it seems this could be a widely held view – however unfair on those that do actually make an effort in providing quality and value when it comes to wine. Maybe hotels are quite happy just taking corkage fees – after all, it does away with the bother of sourcing wines at all – but there’s pressure there too with many couples reporting significant success in bartering down corkage charges.

I think more than anything our survey has shown that couples are prepared to shop around for their wedding wine, and that value can be found by doing so.

Interestingly though quality appears to be even higher on the wedding check-list – whereas 7 in 10 couples reported price as “very important”, 9 in 10 said the same of “quality and taste” of the wine. That’s fabulous news, as consumers have the only say that matters when it comes to the wine that appears on our shelves or wine-lists. Keep up the good work.

The winner of our wedding survey draw for a free case of wine is Grace Cunningham. Congratulations Grace but a huge thanks to everyone who took valuable time to complete the survey, we hope you found the results interesting.

It’s party time in our wedding series, as guest blogger, Kate Hyde, takes us through her top tips for planning a great henparty. Kate recently appeared on the Irish version of Dragon’s Den, representing her fantastic business, Henparty.ie. Lads, take note!

The Henparty, next to the Wedding day, is the most important day in a girls life. Even better than a birthday, a Henparty is the final send off for the Bride-to-be. Henparties can be extremely well planned and competitive affairs. Gone are the days of a ‘knees up’ in the local pub and a taxi home. Instead women are chartering yachts, enjoying cookery demos, spending weekends at activity centres and more. What was just a night out five years ago has turned into something much more.

Essentially there are five key elements to a typical Irish Henparty– an afternoon activity, a meal, games and dressing up, pubs/clubs and accommodation. And like weddings, despite the recession – Henparties are here to stay with most women, no matter how small or large the budget, going to huge effort to organise the perfect Hen. So the pressure on the bridesmaids to organise ‘the best Henparty ever’ can be fierce. Follow these steps and you are guaranteed a Hen night to remember!

•    Always remember all attention must be on the Hen herself. It is her big night and nothing, including stunning outfits or hissy fits, must detract attention from her.
•    What the Hen wants the Hen gets – including ridiculous outfits, childish games and repetitive stories from school and college.
•    Make sure the restaurant booked is ‘Hen friendly’. Otherwise you may be asked to leave when you turn up with the blow-up-man and 20 bunny outfits.
•    Having the Henparty too close to the wedding is asking for trouble. Breakouts, dark circles under the eyes and the possibility of repetitive-strain-injury from the dance floor are problems the bride could do without on her Big Day.
•    Book accommodation before booking anything else. Availability may be gone when you eventually get around to it and imagine breaking that piece of news to ‘Hen-zilla’.
•    Never book a stripper for a Hen with a shy disposition, a fear of baby oil or elderly relatives present.
•    Think carefully before inviting a man to a Henparty, even if he is a good friend. Tales of wedding night corsets, bikini waxes and ‘feathers versus hat’ conversations will simply bore him.
•    Be mindful of budgets in today’s climate. Asking guests to pay for full day spa outings or helicopter rides could put them in financial difficulty. And no Henparty is worth selling a body organ.
•    Again, we are in a recession people. Be sure to ring service providers ahead of time. Tell them it is a group booking and ask what sort of deal can they offer. Even Nightclubs are prepared to offer incentives to Henparties.
•    What goes on Henparty stays on Henparty. No matter how much you want to tell everyone at work about the antics back at the hotel at the end of the night – don’t. Its just not cricket ladies.
•    Guilt is not a reason to ask your mother to the Henparty. Guilt is what you will feel when she is being revived by paramedics. If your mother isn’t down with Beyonce or shots at the bar then don’t ask her to the Hen. Have a Kitchen Party instead.
•    Money problems at a Henparty are as old as the flood. Have one person in charge of all things financial on the night and make sure no-one goes home without paying. Yes! It does happen!

Kate has just released her new book “How to henparty – The Essential Guide“.

Next up on the Wedding Series, Ciara from WeddingDates.ie explains why it’s OK to put a little (or a lot!) of your personality into your wedding. As we say to engaged couples again and again, please yourself and only yourself, because it’s your big day, and most guests won’t appreciate the effort half as much as you would like. It would seem that Ciara agrees!

Weddings are traditional affairs.  The walking down the aisle, giving away the bride and exchanging of vows has been around forever and a day. Being such a traditional event doesn’t mean weddings have to be boring, or staid, or downright dull.

Now I admit that I haven’t been to THAT MANY weddings, but it has been said on the street that some weddings can have a bit of a déjà vu effect.  Especially if it’s a siblings wedding or someone from the same group of friends.  Especially if it is held in the same venue or has the same band. My tuppence worth is that you should put your own stamp on your own wedding. It should have a flavour of the couple and include their interests and passions.  Why not after all?  Nobody but you is going to think that your wedding day is the most special day of their lives, so why make them sit through something beige?  Give them something to talk about, something to laugh about and something to remember!

Put some personality into your wedding décor.  Particularly with wedding favours or centrepieces, there is great opportunity to be creative!  What is exciting about tables numbered 1 to 10?  Nothing, that’s what.  How about photos of you and the groom in various holiday locations, or with various friends or family members who are sitting at that table.  How about themed centre pieces?  How about Fortune Cookie favours or little plant pots with seeds?  The choices are as limitless as your imagination.

Entertain your guests.  Between the ceremony and the meal and between the meal and the band there will be a lull in proceedings.  People have taken time off work, bought a new frock and possibly travelled to be with you on your big day.  You’d better make damn sure you feed, water and entertain them!! There is nothing worse than people being so hungry before the meal they get cranky, or worse yet – hit the bar too hard!  Provide your guests with some finger food or canapés if there is a long gap before they are eating again.  A cheese buffet is a nice idea here as well, especially if you can serve it with some nice wine.

There should also be something more for the guests to do than just drink – I had a magician at my launch party and he worked really well, mingling between the guests, not intrusive at all but the perfect way to liven up peoples afternoon.  Other ideas I have heard bandied about are Big Games (ie, inflatable twister, giant boxing ring, Sumo suits etc) – sounds a bit mental, but you can be damn sure that people would let their hair down and have a good ol’ laugh – and isn’t that what you want for people at your wedding?

Please yourself.  While you have to consider the needs and wants of your guests (as above) you also can’t please everybody.  And if Granny is coming and can’t stand loud music but you have your heart set on a kickin’ band, then I’d be finding Granny a quiet spot where she could hang out.  As soon as you start to try to satisfy everyone, you will most certainly end up not satisfying anyone, most particularly yourself.  So make the tough choices and make it a day to remember for you guys and filled with fun and personality.  Even if you are into Death Metal (!)

For more tips, musings and unusual ideas for weddings, check out Ireland’s number one wedding blog: www.weddingdates.ie/blog

It may not be as much fun as picking the wedding wine, but planning the financial aspects of your wedding as part of your start together as a couple is so important we asked TWO of Ireland’s top independent financial advisors for their top tips on planning ahead. Liam Ferguson of Ferguson and Associates adds his advice to couples starting out.

It can seem a bit unromantic to be discussing the subject of money in the days leading up to your wedding, but it’s important that you do, especially if you haven’t been living together before marriage.  Get a few ground rules in place and money need never be a source of marital discontent. Fail to agree and money can cause some terrible bitterness and bad feeling.

1. Get the skeletons out of the closet

As you’re both entering into an important financial partnership, both sides need to know the full picture of each other’s finances before signing on the dotted line.  If one partner has huge debts, a damaged credit history, a gambling problem etc., get it out in the open.  There’s no point in one partner assuming that you’ll be able to buy a marital home just as soon as you have the deposit saved, only to later realise that you’ll only be able to buy, borrow or even save when your intended has cleared a mountain of debt which could take years.

If there is a problem, get it out in the open and figure out a way to deal with it together.  Get professional help if necessary.

2. Agree how you’ll manage your finances as a couple

There’s no correct way for everyone to manage their household finances.  Different people will have different methods.  Some people simply pool all their income into one joint account and go from there.  But that can lead to resentment if there are unequal amounts being paid in and/or one partner is spending more on themselves out of the joint account than the other.

One way of solving this is to work out a monthly budget for all necessary household expenses, like mortgage or rent, electricity, gas, food etc.  The Financial Regulator has a useful budget planner here to help you itemise most of the usual ones.  Open a joint bank account for payment of all these bills and agree to contribute a fixed amount into it each month.  Try to keep a bit of a float for unexpected bills.  Once the household expenses account has been fed each month, any remaining income can be set aside for having fun.

3. Have a joint financial plan

Before setting out on life’s road together, make sure that at least you’re heading in the same general direction.  Discuss your longer-term goals and aspirations.  If you want to retire at 50 and then travel the world until you’ve visited every single country in it at least twice, that takes a different type of financial planning and management to someone who loves their job and intends to work until they’re carried out of their office in a wooden box.

Decide and agree a few basics – Are we going to save towards a new / bigger house?  If we’d like to have children, how will we pay for their upbringing and later school and/or college?  When would we like to retire?  These things cost money but if you agree a plan, then you can agree on how to fund your plans together.

4. Accept that your attitudes to money may be different

Some people are naturally very prudent with money and will always live within their means, save something every month, contribute towards their pension every month and never borrow for short-term requirements such as holidays etc.  Others prefer to live in the “now” and spend every cent they earn as soon as it arrives.  As a financial advisor, I try to convince everyone to lean towards the former type.  As a human being, I know it’s also hugely important to have fun and not be so preoccupied with the future that you don’t enjoy life now.

But can these two extremes live together in wedded bliss?  Certainly, provided that they agree the common ground first.  If your man is spending apparently vast sums on golf clubs, low-profile tyres or the latest digital gadgets, don’t berate him if he’s also contributing his agreed share into your joint plans.  Or if your dearly beloved is spending more on clothes, Jimmy Choos, hairstyling and make-up in a month than you spend on your own personal appearance in a year, don’t grumble if she’s also contributing to your agreed joint plans.

Liam D. Ferguson is principal of pension, mortgage & insurance brokers, Ferguson and Associates, http://fergablog.blogspot.com and LDFerguson on Twitter.

Following only closely behind matching the colour of your serviettes with the groom’s party cravates in matters of celestial importance on your wedding day, comes the small matter of budgeting and paying for the day’s extravagances. Ok, we mock slightly. It may not be as much fun as picking the wine, but planning the financial aspects of your wedding as part of your start together as a couple is so important we asked TWO of Ireland’s top independent financial advisors for their top tips on planning ahead. First up, Allan Cuthbert of Financial Wellbeing.

When people are planning their big day one important element that is essential to discuss is a financial plan.

It is key for a happy and healthy marriage that you both can discuss your financial position openly. This is not the time to burry your head in the sand and hope the other partner never see your personal loans! Instead you need to sit down and openly discuss the key financial areas in your life.

1. Loans

First step is to write down your mortgage and personal loans to ensure you both know the level of debt you are bringing to the marriage. Make sure your Bank has you on the right mortgage and that you have a plan to clear all personal loans after the wedding.

2. Protection

Your future together also need to be protected against the real possibility of losing your job, become seriously ill and death. I know this is not a nice thing to discuss. How will you cope, do you need additional protection or is the cover you have sufficient.

3. Will

Another must at this stage is making a Will. It is also cheaper to get a Will made now then having to apply to the courts for your right to your partners assets. Your solicitor should write you a Will for free or minimum cost so give your solicitor a call.

4. Savings

My last tip is to set up a joint bank account. You both have access to this and get your wages paid in to this account each month. All your household bills, mortgage payments, loans need to paid from this account too. Close off all other bank accounts, laser cards, store cards, etc. Each month it will be easier to manage your day-to-day finances and to see if you are building up a good level of savings.

Your financial plan will be the road map to a happier future and will stop many serious arguments regarding money.

Allan Cuthbert QFA is an Independent Financial Planner and specialises in helping young couples become more financially secure. He offers a free service that reviews couples mortgage, protection and saving needs and assist couple in planning a brighter future together. For more information visit Financial Wellbeing.