Your wedding day is slowly creeping up on you. You’ve been busy running around, making all the arrangements for your special celebration. The cake design has been ordered, the reception menu has been decided and a caterer reserved, and now it’s time to focus on drinks. Your guests will be at your wedding to celebrate you and the love and happiness you share with your significant other. But let’s be honest, they love and appreciate the free drinks too. Signature cocktail drinks are currently trending at wedding receptions and are very fun to come up with. They can significantly cut alcoholic drink costs and add another special and meaningful touch to your reception.
Get Inspired
There are plenty of things in your life that can inspire you when choosing a signature drink. If you and your spouse-to-be happen to have the same favorite drink, you might want to keep it simple and go with what you know and love. Maybe you shared a drink on your first date, or had a favorite drink on your first vacation away together. It can be fun to reminisce about those memorable times and bring back a blast from your past.
Color, Color, Color
Some couples choose a signature cocktail based on their wedding colors. There are drinks to suit any color scheme or wedding theme. Cocktail mixers come in a rainbow of colors, from blue to red to green to yellow there are so many possabilities when you want to have your drink color match your wedding color scheme. It is also a good idea to keep in mind the time of year and what ingredients are in season, especially if you are keeping a tight budget. Herb, flower, and fruit additions should be fresh. Canned or previously prepared options lack quality and flavor, and you want the best for your special day. A spring or summer wedding would be great with a light or fruity cocktail, while a darker, savory, or even warm cocktail would be suitable for an autumn or winter wedding ceremony.
Think About Special Places You Have Been
Think about a mixed drink that reflects your past, present, or future. Choose a drink inspired by your hometown or country, where you’re getting married, or where you will be spending your honeymoon. Long Island Iced Tea, a Manhattan for New York, or perhaps a Blue Hawaiian or Alabama Slammer. If you’re headed somewhere tropical, a fruity cocktail is a great option. A margarita for a Mexican honeymoon or a drink made with Cognac if you’re headed to France. Use local flavors to tie in your destination and the season. If you can’t find a cocktail that suits your desires, try creating your own custom drink recipe. Just don’t get carried away with flavor combinations; you want your guests to enjoy the cocktails.
Don’t Forget the Details
Once you’ve decided on a good drink to serve it’s time to decide how they will be garnished and served. Some drinks are best with just a sugared rim. Others are great with fruit or flower garnishes. For drinks served in high ball glasses, use colorful straws that compliment your wedding colors. You can even have custom drink flags made. When serving the drinks, it is best to keep with the tone of your wedding. If things are formal, have waiters passing around the drinks on trays. And if things are more informal, keep large pitchers or punch bowls on tables and allow guests to serve themselves.
Think Up a Fun and Clever Name
Perhaps the most fun part of coming up with a signature cocktail is deciding upon a unique name to accompany it. Don’t settle for ordinary. This is your drink being served on your day; call it whatever you’d like to. Create a name that features your names, personalities, or a place that is particularly memorable. The names can be playful like “The I-Do” or “Something Borrowed” to meaningful like “Forever Yours” or “Romance”. Another fun idea would be to combine your two last names into one great name for your cocktail!
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Olivia Nicholas is a writer and blogger with Storkie. She has been writing articles and blogging for the wedding industry over 10 years.
