The dress. The caterer. The invites. The seating. As any bride-to-be can tell you, a successful wedding is all in the details, organized to death, so that every moment of the wedding day goes off without a hitch. As a 30-year old bachelor with one younger sister who has yet to have her own bridezilla moment, I can only speak from the perspective of a wedding guest when I say one thing wedding planners don't put enough emphasis on is the bar.
If you're the average American couple who met at a bar, you'll wistfully remember the watering hole as a big part of your single life. So, like a cozy old cashmere sweater, don't forget about the bar just because you're walking down the aisle!
My brother Courtney (also a bachelor, go figure) and I own a liquor brand: VeeV Açaí Spirit. Because of our large family and social network, we are often asked to donate booze for events, and sometimes even for bachelor/bachelorette parties and weddings. Although the majority of the events we donate to don't fall in the nuptial realm, when we do sponsor weddings we like to own the bar with VeeV specialty cocktails that spark conversation and make guests want to laugh and celebrate. There are also some key rules we always recommend couples follow when it comes to libations on their special day.
First rule of thumb: A full bar doesn't mean an exciting bar. It just means too many bottles and not enough strategy on how the bar and specialty cocktails can complement all the wedding details -- and the guests' overall experience.
My advice: iconic cocktails that touch upon the happiness, humor and stereotypes of the typical wedding. Cocktails that serve as conversation starters. Cocktails that take into account the duration of a wedding and how dignified (or not) you wish to remain during the big event. As a culture, we love to stereotype. Why appreciate human depth and complexity when you can put it in a box? Or in this case, a glass.
Also important is keeping the cocktail options simple as, let's be honest, regardless of how hard any couple tries to avoid it, weddings remain decidedly complicated affairs. Any chance at simplification is welcome.
So although I may not have any martial advice to offer (at least not at this point in my life), I do know a thing or two about great-tasting simple cocktails with a humorous twist that will have your wedding party toasting to the bride and groom all evening long;
