I clearly remember my wedding wines: Champagne Leclerc for the fizz; Sancerre from a grower, Frank Bailly Reverdy, who’s since become a good friend; and a Julienas from Beaujolais for the red. All unashamedly French and delicious. It was a bright Summer’s day in July and I’m sure I’m the only person alive who’d still remember them.

But what wines would I choose now if I was having my big day? We’d be getting through a few bottles, and a Champagne, Sancerre and red Cru Beaujolais would be quite wallet crippling now. They were expensive back then (1996) but today they’re nudging up to £30 a bottle and I’d definitely be wanting to spend a great deal less than that.

So let’s go with some guidelines as I see them: how to decide on the wine style, keep the costs down, know how much to order and, of course, keep it classy.

Firstly, decide on the style of wine you’re going for. Many couples set out to please their guests, which seems to be no bad thing. But when it comes to wine, it’s dangerous. Why? because I doubt you’ll know what your guests like. You do, however, know what you like. You wouldn’t think too much about your guests liking the room/marquee décor. You’d have it decorated the way that you think is beautiful. So, when it comes to wine, have a bit of confidence and choose what you think is delicious. Choose wines that complement the season, the setting and of course the food — but always avoid the ultimate crime of choosing bland, inoffensive wines.

I’d be wanting to keep the costs down, too. The first thing to tackle is the fizz — often the priciest of your wines and, if it’s a Champagne, it could be twice, if not three times the price of your still wines. But it doesn’t have to be Champagne. For delicious fizz that costs half the price of Champagne choose a Crémant: a sparkling wine made in various regions of France in a very similar method to Champagne (bottle fermented), using grape varieties local to their region. Crémant de Loire, Crémant de Bourgogne and Crémant d’Alsace are all reliably delicious, and I’d probably choose them in that order. Next, don’t dismiss the big stores or supermarkets: Lidl and Aldi are two that have some terrific wines at incredible prices.

So you’ve set your budget, and decided you want wines that you both like. Now it’s time to select the wines themselves. t’s a big day. Maybe the biggest. It’s not an Oyster Bay day, nor a Jam Shed Red moment, and I hope you’d want wines that look and feel classy. Avoid the big brands and avoid the supermarket own labels. Not because they’re not good — but they’re just not special. You can get some very good, very classy and very tasty wines in the supermarkets and larger stores that are neither a big brand nor a supermarket own label.

And then there’s the conundrum of how much to order. If you’re like me, your greatest fear will be running out. Much will depend on what other drinks you’re serving, but as a general guideline, it’s a glass and a half of fizz for the reception, then two thirds of a bottle of wine per head. If you’re having a meaty main course I’d go for more red than white wine. I’d also order all of it on sale or return which most wine shops and merchants will do. Majestic are great at this but sadly supermarkets aren’t. And don’t forget another glass of fizz for the toast.

Here's what I would go for if I was having my wedding tomorrow:

FIZZ

Cremant de Loire Brut, Langlois-Chateau

WHITE

The Puzzle Souvignier Gris/Muscaris, Chassaux et Fils

RED

Chateau Maris Organic ‘Les Planels’ Syrah, Languedoc