YOU ARE MARRIED! Now it’s time to celebrate, with the first stop being the drinks reception. This is the time to raise a glass or two with your husband or wife and start the day with your friends and family. Today we’re sharing our top three ideas on what to serve during your drinks reception.

1. Champagne or sparkling wine

This is a classic for good reason. No matter what time of year it is, everyone loves a glass of fizz, plus it’s the traditional drink with which to toast the happy couple. When it comes to picking out the best champagne, prosecco or sparkling wine we always suggest buying a bottle of each and having a tasting at home with family and friends. What better excuse for a dinner party?! In terms of pricing, prosecco is great for those on a tighter budget, with sparkling wine costing around double and champagne coming in at the top end of the market. At the end of the day, we promise most of your guests are unlikely to be able to taste the difference!

2. Soft drink options

We always advise our couples to have at least one creative soft drink option. Even if there aren’t going to be any children at the wedding there is always likely to be at least one guest who doesn’t drink alcohol. Soft drinks don’t have to be boring – team up with your caterer to create something with a bit more personality so that anyone without champagne or wine doesn’t feel left out.

3. Cocktails

A good cocktail is like a work of art. So much time, effort and creativity goes into these incredible mixtures and trust us, we appreciate it! Deciding what sort of cocktail to serve can be tricky, but we’d always suggest drawing inspiration from the season. In summer a refreshing classic like gin and tonic is always a winner, whereas in winter something warming like Irish coffee is an unexpected but always-popular choice.

Cocktails don’t stop at seasonality, we also highly recommend putting your story into these too. Maybe you met at a fair? If so, is there something creative that we could do with cotton candy? Or if you love to ski, what about incorporating mulled wine or peppermint schnapps hot chocolate for some apres-ski influence?

At the end of the day, it’s difficult to go too far wrong during a drinks reception. But with a little bit of time and attention you can really turn it into something extra special. You know your guests better than anyone so let your imagination run wild – and don’t forget the H2O, we all need to stay hydrated – it’s a loooooong day.

Next stop, determining your quantities. Get in touch if we can help!

Until next time,