Signature cocktails are a great wedding touch for your reception. They provide an unforgettable element to your special day that guests will long remember.
Types of Signature Wedding Drinks
A signature drink can be made to match the theme of the wedding, the couple's favorite liquor, the honeymoon destination or can be created to reflect the couple's unique personalities. For those looking to save money on the bar tab, consider serving a signature drink instead of beer, wine and liquor.
A catchy name is essential for a signature drink. You can use a cute name for the drink such as Love Lemonade or put a twist on the couple's name, such as The Patricks' Punch. You can even name the cocktail something wedding related such as Wedding March, Blissful Bride or Happy Couple.
Some signature wedding cocktail ideas include:
Color Cocktails
A cocktail can be created to go with the color theme of the wedding. This type of cocktail is pretty to look at and can be delicious to drink. Examples include:
- If you are going with a blue-theme wedding, you can pick from a variety of blue cocktails such as a blueberry mojito or a drink made with blue Curacao liqueur, fresh lime, and cranberry juice. Be sure to garnish with fresh blueberries for a special touch.
- For a pink-theme wedding, a simple cocktail, such as a spiked pink lemonade, is a great choice and can be simple to create. You can use plain lemonade with strawberry syrup and garnish with fresh strawberries. Flavored strawberry vodka is the perfect spike.
- For a purple-theme wedding, serve a lavender lemonade with lavender flowers. A top shelf vodka is a great choice for spiking the drink.
Many times, a signature color cocktail can rely heavily on garnishes for the color. Fresh fruit, colored straws and fancy glasses can turn an ordinary drink into something spectacular. Edible flowers are another option that will give a cocktail a pop of color.
Seasonal Cocktails
A signature cocktail can be created according to the season.
- For a fall wedding, serve a pumpkin or apple flavored drink such as a pumpkin martini.
- In the winter, serve a hot winter cocktail like a customized hot toddy.
- For the spring or summer, offer a lighter choice, such as a sparkling cocktail. A champagne punch works well and can be as simple as mixing a sparkling wine or champagne with fresh fruit juice such as peach or raspberry. Garnish with fresh fruit slices or berries and serve in champagne flutes.
Destination Cocktails
Create a cocktail after the location of the wedding or where the couple is going on their honeymoon. For the couple traveling Hawaii, a pineapple punch is an option. For a beach wedding, serve a tropical drink, such as a pina colada or daiquiri, and add a decorative umbrella as an accent.
If the area where you live is known for a specific drink such as Kentucky for bourbon or California for wine, use that to create your cocktail. You can also use regional favorites such as a spike Southern sweet tea or a Georgia peach tea with peach schnapps.
His and Her Cocktails
Another option is to do two signature cocktails. One created for the bride and one for the groom. This offers the guests not one but two different choices and is a creative way to highlight the couples unique personalities. For example, the groom's could be traditional vodka martini and the bride's could be a Godiva chocolate martini. Both drinks would be served in martini glasses.
Another option is to pick two popular mixed drinks, such as a rum and coke and vodka and cranberry, to use as the couple's drinks.
Serving Suggestions
Many couples decide to serve their signature cocktail at the reception part of their wedding. If you are not having a formal reception, the cocktail can be used to toast after the ceremony. For those having a reception, how you decide to serve the drink depends on the formality of your reception.
- For a more formal reception, you may have the drinks on serving trays and handed to each guest as they arrive.
- For a less formal reception, you can have the drinks set up or made at a bar and have a sign with the name of the cocktail prominently displayed. For example, if you signature cocktail is a punch, serve it in a large punch bowl and place the name of the cocktail name inside a decorative frame in front of the bowl.
Add to a Buffet
The signature cocktail can also be placed on a buffet where the guests can pick one up as they please. Be sure to keep an eye on the drinks when serving this way since they can often go faster than if a bartender or server was handing them out. Assign someone to pour drinks if you plan to have minors at the reception.
Glass Options
While many will serve a cocktail in specific type of glass, you are not limited to the traditional options. One idea is to use small mason jars and affix labels to them with the name of the cocktail.
Cocktail Considerations
While it is entirely up to the bride and groom as to what they want to serve as a cocktail at their reception, there are some basic considerations to keep in mind. Not everyone may want to partake in an alcoholic drink so be sure to include a non-alcoholic option as well. This could be a version of the signature cocktail minus the alcohol. You can also offer guests bottled water, coffee, and tea in addition to the signature drink.
