Good Spirits

Selecting libations for your reception and pre-wedding parties can seem a bit daunting with hundreds of options to choose from. Here’s one that I recently discovered and loved:

Bartenura Moscato, a semi-sweet Italian wine, is super-smooth, refreshing and perfect with desserts, fruit or just on its own. Apparently, it’s a new fave of all the cool hip-hop and rap dudes and was named “the new Cristal” in a New York Post article.

The Sparkling Moscatos are ideal for wedding toasts, too. There’s the pretty blue bottled bubbly, a refreshing sweet and citrusy combo.

The Bartenura Piemonte, a semi-sweet sparkling wine that also pairs well with Asian and medium spicy dishes

And the sweet Sparkling Moscato Rosé is ideal with fruit, cheese and, of course, dessert!

For more information and some fab Bartenura cocktails to concoct, go to bartenura.com.

And while we’re on the subject of toasts, a few words of advice: Keep it short, sweet and simple. It’s a good idea to give the best man and your maid of honor a little guidance. Ask them to keep their toasts to no more than three minutes. They should prepare, practice and definitely use note cards, especially if they’re nervous speaking before a crowd.

Photo Credit: Maria Angela Photography

I went to a wedding once where the best man gave a stellar toast. It was about two minutes long, and he complimented the bride and groom individually and as a couple. He reminisced a bit about a funny childhood memory he had of the groom and wished the couple much happiness. We all loved the sentiment, humor and heartfelt wishes.

Then the maid of honor took her turn and, well, let’s just say it was a bit Kristen Wiig and Rose Byrne from Bridesmaids! She went on and on and on, cried (OK, a few tears are always welcome, but non- stop waterworks, not so much, especially when we could no longer understand her). And she told one inside joke after another that had most of the guests puzzled. Well, she certainly put her heart into it and did her personal best, but a few helpful guidelines for your besties will guarantee a toast that everyone will appreciate. Cheers!

—Diane Forden