This Aldi Superfan Saved Thousands On Her Wedding With This Brilliant Hack (It’s So Smart)

Ali Domrongchai
Ali DomrongchaiAssociate Editor, Groceries
Ali Domrongchai, a Southern-raised, Brooklyn-based food writer, grew up around her family's Thai restaurant that sparked her initial love for food. (Fun fact: her grandparents briefly ran a Thai grocery store in the 70s). In this space, her curiosity on the role that food plays in building community lead her to pursue a Bachelor’s of Arts in American Studies with a focus on the ways in which pad Thai affects the Thai American experience at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She joins The Kitchn as an Associate Editor for the Groceries vertical. Before this role, she held staff positions at Food & Wine, Travel + Leisure, and Allrecipes. Her words and recipes have also been featured in Cook's Country, Simply Recipes, and EatingWell. Oh, and most importantly, she can’t go more than a few hours without a sweet treat.
published Aug 15, 2024
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Aldi storefront MIAMI, FLORIDA USA - 05-19-2024
Credit: Deutschlandreform/Shutterstock

Known for its budget-friendly bounty of produce, pantry staples, and even an impressive wine selection, Aldi has cultivated a loyal following of deal-seekers over the years. Fans of the discount grocer love a good price so much that they’ll happily travel the extra mile (literally) to score their favorite finds. 

One savvy shopper recently cracked the code on maximizing their budget for a wedding. In an Aldi-dedicated Facebook group, the bride-to-be shared that she drove nearly three hours to “stock up on some wine for [their] wedding. Each bottle ended up being only $3.35!”

The OG poster began their post with a photo of a truck that was filled — to the brim — with bottles of bubble-wrapped wine (to make sure they arrived home safely). And because I’m a detective when it comes to scouting food deals and news (and, yes, a bit nosey too) I took a closer look at the photo to tally just how many bottles were in her haul. I counted 60 (!) bottles of wine, which comes to a total of $201. Ingenious — especially considering couples spend on average $2,800 on alcohol for weddings, according to The Knot.

Wondering what kind of wine they road tripped for? While the bottles aren’t completely visible, between the comments and partial letters on a bottle showing, it looks like it is none other than Winking Owl Merlot, an American-made red wine. Which, we weren’t all too surprised to see because the label has time and time again been a fan-favorite among Aldi shoppers. 

After sharing the discovery in an Aldi-dedicated Facebook group, fans have been excitedly weighing in about this ingenious idea: “What a fantastic idea. Your guests are going to love it.” And, naturally, folks asked if the wine was actually that good, with commenters enthusiastically chiming in, “YES IT IS!”

A few shoppers even shared that they have also taken advantage of such a deal: “My daughter did Aldi wine. We had specialty labels printed. It was a hit,” said one commenter, while another added, “We did the same thing for the sparkling pink lemonade for my daughter’s wedding … 64 bottles!”

If you live in a state that sells wine at grocery stores, commenters also shared that “you can also talk to a manager and ask them to special order it for you. I did that with bread for our church food bank. They appreciated that I didn’t just empty out their shelves.”

While it’s not exactly clear which location this poster snagged all of these bottles from or how the wedding itself went, if you’re planning an event and trying to stick to a budget, Aldi might be your best option (just be sure to call your local grocer ahead). 

What’s your favorite Aldi find? Tell us about it in the comments below.