Saber Your Way to the Best Reception Ever

Your guests are going to be so excited to celebrate on your wedding day, but that doesn't completely relieve those host or hostess nerves. You want everyone to have an amazing time, and we totally get it. Not only do we have all the secrets to throwing a fun wedding—we also have the number one party starter to kick off the night. By the way, it has to do with bubbly. And now that we have your attention...

Whether you're transitioning guests from the cocktail hour to the dinner tables or signaling the cutting of the cake, a champagne saber is the perfect attention-grabbing trick to rally the troops. It gets everyone's attention while simultaneously pumping up the party vibe. Marine Guadalpi, head butler from St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, told us exactly how to saber your champagne and shared tips for pulling it off.

Why saber a bottle of champagne at your wedding?
Champagne sabering is an ultimate celebratory ritual. Not only does champagne symbolize the marking of a special occasion, but opening a bottle of champagne with a saber is the most grandiose way of acknowledging a festivity and impressing your audience.

What is used to saber?
The practice was originally performed with a battle sword, but has since adapted to use much smaller sabering knives, featuring a short, blunt blade. If you need something in a pinch, sabering has been performed with everything from a butter knife to the bottom of a glass and even a credit card! The art of sabrage is all about technique, so any flat, blunt instrument applied with the correct angle and pressure can be a successful tool. For the ultimate spectacle, St. Regis Hotels & Resorts has partnered with Parisian Silversmith Christofle to create a perfectly balanced, bespoke sterling silver saber featuring St. Regis's signature diamond handle. We love the idea of getting an engraved saber for your wedding day (like a cake-cutting set!) that can be kept for years to come and used on anniversaries.

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Is there a perfect time to do it (before dinner, before the cake cutting)?
A champagne sabering can be performed at any point throughout an event. Whether it be to start off the evening with a toast or after a speech, it's an entertaining and eventful performance that can even be completed several times throughout the day as well as transitioning off into the evening.

Does any kind of sparkling wine work? What about a magnum bottle?
Any form of sparkling wine is saber friendly—the trick is that your bottle must be chilled at least 45 minutes prior to your sabering to ensure a proper and safe experience. I once sabered a double magnum bottle of champagne. It was difficult due to the heaviness of the bottle, but it ended up with a seamless sabering.

Can anyone learn to saber a bottle?
Anyone can saber—it's all about the technique.

What are some important things to keep in mind before sabering a bottle?
Don't be nervous, and do not apply too much pressure and strength toward sabering your bottle. If you have the proper technique and knowledge, then it should be a winner every time.

Now that we have all those details out of the way, Marine shared a simple, four-step guide on sabering your own champagne:

1. Choose a young vintage champagne with pressure still on the cork. Prepare the bottle by chilling it between 45 to 48 degrees Fahrenheit, or 7 to 8 degrees Celsius, for 24 hours to lower its pressure and vibration.
2. Reverse the bottle in an ice bucket about 20 minutes before opening.
3. When ready, reveal the cork by carefully removing the foil in its entirety, before unwinding and discarding the wire basket.
4. Carefully pointing the bottle up, slide the blade of a saber along the body toward the neck. The force of the blade as it hits the lip of the bottle's neck will break the glass. Magically, the cork and collar shall remain intact and the champagne will be ready for a toast.