Food and drink typically takes up almost half of your wedding budget, making it an important part of the celebrations of the day you say “I do”.
If you are a beer enthusiast there a few clever ways to serve beer on your wedding day to fit your wedding theme and colour palette. Here we have listed some ways to serve up beer at your wedding in fun and unexpected ways.
Signature beer
Signature cocktails are a great way to personalize your wedding, but if you and your spouse-to-be are more of a beer-loving couple, you can definitely put your own spin on showing off your favourites. If one of you loves stout beer and the other lager, a ‘Black and Tan’ made from Guinness and lager will be a perfect signature beer.
Seasonal and flavoured beers
One fun trend is to include a seasonally-appropriate beer for your wedding. Lighter beers correspond to hotter weather and daytime weddings, while darker beers may be more popular during winter weddings or evening receptions. For example, an autumn wedding can feature Oktoberfest ales, while spring and summer weddings can feature citrus-flavoured beers.
Serving a special flavoured beer at your reception is another fun way to show off your personalities. If you have a favourite flavoured beer, include it on your alcohol menu as a signature drink.
Find a quirky container
The can versus bottle debate is not a significant factor at a wedding, so feel free to choose whichever option you think looks best in your wedding décor. How you display them can be matched to your wedding style or theme.
Ideas include a rowing-boat filled with ice and beers that's paired with a basket of beer sleeves and bottle jackets customised with “To have and to hold and keep your beer cold”. If you are hosting a rustic wedding in a farm or barn, then turn a humble wheelbarrow into a similarly clever drink display. At a vintage wedding, display beers in an antique bathtub during cocktail hour as a nod to Prohibition.
Beer tasting table
For couples that are beer aficionados who want to share their passion for the amber nectar, try a beer tasting table. This can also be a good conversation starter for guests who do not know each other. If you have beer that is best served cold, offer guests chilled beer glasses to compensate or have servers place them on the table as a welcome drink once guests arrive.
Keg barrels
Have a rustic keg barrel out on display, rather than hidden behind the bar. Guests can either help themselves or be served by a bartender. You can purchase smaller kegs to accommodate your guest count, especially if you plan to include craft beer from local breweries. Having a keg at your wedding is a nice way to serve draft beer; some beer aficionados will insist on drinking draft beer thanks to its fresher quality being served on tap. It is also more economical to purchase a keg if you know it will be consumed. At the end of the night, people can bring home leftover cans and bottles but a keg has to be returned to the store or brewery.
Local breweries will probably be able to provide you half kegs, quarter kegs or even eighth kegs to fulfil your needs. On top of being conveniently located, supporting local breweries is a great way to keep money in your local community and promote independent local businesses.
If you go ahead with beer kegs of your favourite beers at your wedding, consider also providing personalized pint glasses alongside which will double as favours.
Customise your home-brew
Brewing your own beer is not particularly difficult, and multiple breweries sell beer-making kits so you can customize the taste to meet your palette. Some smaller breweries may be open to working with you to create the perfect beers that you want for your wedding, but ask well in advance to schedule in dates.
Before you start buying dozens of bottles for your home-brew, make sure that your venue allows you to serve home-brew as a wedding beer. Home-brewed beers are also a great as favours and grooms-men gifts.
Serve Up a Shandy
Not everyone at your wedding will be wanting to drink beer. Supply cider and ginger beer as alternatives. Ginger been can also be served as a non-alcoholic drink and the option of apple juice for the non-drinkers will fit into your brewing theme.
Beer Centrepieces
Beer bottles can serve as bases for table numbers. Label your tables with the names of your favourite beers or breweries. Decorating beer bottle centrepieces with wheat and hops is also a beer-inspired touch, particularly if you are holding your wedding reception at a brewery.