Drinks are usually an underrated decorative option for your wedding. Yep, decorative! Rather than setting up the usual table with the usual dispensers and the usual cups, turn your outdoor drink table into a drink display.
Beerbarrow
For a farmhouse wedding, what cuter cooler than a beerbarrow? Not to mention how easy cleanup will be. For a dressier look, or for wine or champagne instead of beer, put floral arrangements in the ice.
Well, maybe this tractor is cuter than a wheelbarrow.
If your wedding has a rustic theme, try these wash bins as coolers. They can hold quite a few bottles and cans and look great with a burlap bow. If you're looking for something more unique, use a claw foot bathtub!
Photo booth
Set up your drink display near the photo booth, so your guests can pick up a drink as soon as they're done snapping their mementos – or, in case your guests need some liquid courage before they get in front of the camera.
Sangria bar
Let your guests make their own sangria! Set out pitchers with different juices, your favorite white and red wines, a clear soda, and lots of fruit. This makes a beautifully colored arrangement that is sure to please everyone. Letting your guests mix their own also lets kids create an alcohol-free sangria they can enjoy, too.
Champagne punch bar
Similar to the sangria bar, set out several juice choices and fruit chunks for your guests to add to their champagne flutes. If it's a hot day, consider adding fruit sorbets or freezing flowers in ice cubes for a simple, elegant accent.
Source:
Wine & beer barrels
You can use barrels a couple different ways for drinks. If you only have access to two or three barrels, you can lay a board across the top and use it as a table. If you have more barrels, you can use the top of the barrel itself as the table, and scatter them around the reception area so a drink is always within reach.
Source: Barrel Tables, Barrel Tops
Cooler canoe
Are you having your reception near a river or pond? Or do you just love being in the water? Fill a canoe with ice and your favorite boating or tubing drinks.
Source: Canoe
Tailgating
Who doesn't love tailgating? Decorate your old truck and set coolers in the bed.
Lockers
If you're going for a totally unique look and style, check out this awesome locker bar. The lockers held glasses and napkins and the bride and groom had their favorite beers on tap for their guests during cocktail hour.
Source: Locker Bar
Vintage
If you're going for a totally unique look and style, check out this awesome locker bar. The lockers held glasses and napkins and the bride and groom had their favorite beers on tap for their guests during cocktail hour.
Source: Locker BarVintage
For a vintage-themed wedding, consider using old suitcases and hat boxes as drink stations. These would also be great decorations for the bride and groom who love to travel. Inside the lid, attach maps of places you've been or places you intend to go.
There are some awesome ideas here, but some can get pretty expensive if you don't already have the items. No need to worry – you can still make an incredible, unique drink station your guests will love. Use furniture you already have! A dresser or vanity is perfect for a drink table because you can use the drawers to hold cups, straws, napkins, even containers of fruit or other add-ins. Strategically lay fabric and flowers across it and around the drawers for a stunning display.
A ladder can be an eye-catching drink station, too. Lay boards across the steps – but secure these really well so they don't get unbalanced – for pre-made drinks to sit on.
Elizabeth graduated from The University of Findlay with a Master of Arts in Rhetoric and Writing. She now resides in Portland, Oregon where she is employed in the real estate business and is particularly enjoying the local cuisine. As a writer, Elizabeth believes in a quote from one of her favorite TV shows: "We have only two jobs on this Earth. The first: to learn. The second: to cope." A deep desire to learn struck Elizabeth when she was young, and now she hopes to help you cope by sharing information, and helping you apply the knowledge. Weddings and event planning can be overwhelming; sometimes it's okay to take a little advice from a stranger on the internet.
