Best way to have champagne poured for toast?

I think this is something the caterer usually handles. I'd ask them what they suggest.

They don't have to toast with champagne. They can toast with whatever drink they have at hand. But if you want them, the champagne glasses are usually already at the table for each guest. Champagne won't spoil in a half hour, but it may not be as cold. Are you having servers? Can they pour it a little closer to the reception time?

There will be no servers my mom is catering with my aunt buffet style, so I dont want to burdon her to fill all the cups :/ I just wasnt sure if it would spoil sitting out from 3:45 until 5:15 when we eat

Im just thinking that going around during cocktail hour would just be a hassle.

Actually I saw this done recently. A couple had some young cousins (early 20's) who they had wanted to include, they went around and poured everyone a glass of champagne right before the toast.

It would be fine sitting out but, like OTW said, it would be warm. If you can get someone to pour it closer to the time of the toast, that would be helpful.

Side note: a bottle of champagne has 4-5 glasses. For a toast, you want to pour just a small amount, but it still should be between 1/3 and 1/2 of a glass. So you might want to count on at least one bottle per table anyways, if you think most of your guests will want to have some.

Oh I read that wrong. After a full hour and a half, tey will be room temperature. Champagne doesn't taste well in room temperature. And to be honest, a bottle split between 8 people isn't that much champagne per person so I think it would actually be more cost effective to have one bottler per table. Whoever is "serving" may be too generous with one table and realize he doesn't have enough for the other.

Are you against just having people toast with whatever they have?

keep in mind that champagne bottles take practice to open, so know your audience if you expect everyone to be able to do it cleanly without shooting aunt bethenny in the forehead with a cork

Hmmmmmm .

@kate i didnt think of that. lol most of our guests are beer drinkings not wine or champagne. I guess they could toast with whatever they have. But i just thought the glasses also added something to the table

Our caterer is going to have people serving champagne before the toasts. So a few of the servers will walk around with glasses of champagne and sparkling cider for people to have.

An hour in a half is too long for Champagne to sit. It will be flat and at room temp which is just a waste of champagne.

Thank you everyone GLAD i asked. i dont want people drinking nasty room temp stuff!! Lol! ok ill fig out an alternative

We are not having a champagne toast. People will toast with whatever they're drinking at the time. Just saves me money and hassle.

You definitely do NOT want to pour the champagne 1.5 hrs before it should be served. Not only will it be warm, it will have lost a lot of bubbles - both things that will make it taste less than stellar.

Since you don't have servers, is there anyone you could ask...a friend not in the wedding party, an aunt, cousin, brother, etc...that could maybe just open bottles and put them on each table when it's time to have the toasts?

I got champagne for our toasts, but only allowed for half a serving per person (so I allowed for 12 servings a bottle as opposed to the normal 6). A lot of people don't drink sparkling wine and it was just for toasts.

If you could just find someone to open the bottle 10 mins before you want to do toasts, and put them out on each table with a quick note the bottle is for the table to share, I think that could work.

A bottle for 8 people doesn't stretch that far! You would be surprised! Everyone would get less than a full glass.

I would pass out the bottles right as people are finishing dinner but before speeches start. You want your champagne to be cold.

Most weddings I go to don't do champagne- just toast with whatever they are already drinking.

I'm most likely going to leave a bottle on each table cuz we don't have caterers hanging out

It has to be cold and after an hour it's a waste. Why not just have a few bottles on a table so people can pour it themselves or get a few guests to help. A bottle of champagne will serve 8-10 and not everyone will take it.

I've actually been trying to figure out how we are going to do the champagne toast as well! We only have one bartender and even though we're only having around 70 guests, it still takes forever to get everyone their drinks! I think we are going to have the bartender pour and set up somewhat like you see in the picture right before cocktail hour, so everyone can grab one on their way into the reception hall. You might could modify it to something that works for y'all

This was very helpful, thank you ladies and thanks for asking the question.nice to know I'm not alone in this. My other question is, if you have everyone toast with whatever is in their hand, is it still ok to just have champagne for the wedding party ??