How to Pull Off a Non-Alcoholic Wedding Bar
Planning a perfect wedding day can be pretty tough, as there are a million little elements and details that go into the process. Besides picking your perfect dress, decor, and theme, you also have to ensure that your guests have a great time at your wedding. After all, no one wants their wedding day and reception to be boring and dull. To ensure a good time for your family and friends, wedding bars are a must.
When you’ve handpicked every little element of your wedding, why should your wedding bar be run-of-the-mill? There are many different options for wedding bars these days, from soft bars and dry bars to non-alcoholic wedding bars. As more and more people embrace the alcohol-free lifestyle, the popularity of non-alcoholic wedding bars is also growing. At the end of the day, you want to create an inviting and cool place where your guests can hang out and chat during the party. If you and most of your guests are non-alcoholics, then including a wedding bar with non-alcoholic beverages from Better Rhodes can be a great idea.
In this article, we will explore how you can pull off a great non-alcoholic bar at your wedding day party. But before we get to that, it’s important to know the different options and styles available for wedding bars.
What is a Wedding Bar?
A wedding bar is essentially a place where your guests will gather during the wedding party for a drink or two. However, having a wedding bar setup is not just about drinking. It also gives your family and friends a chance to catch up with each other and socialize during the party. In addition to this, having a wedding bar is very important for the wedding toast. This means that even if you (and your guests) don’t take any alcohol, it’s still important to have a wedding bar at your party. A non-alcoholic wedding bar is a perfect solution for such a situation.
Different Types of Wedding Bars
When it comes to wedding bars, there are several options to choose from –
1. Open Bar
This is the most common type of bar found at most weddings. With an open bar, the host (that is you) usually pays a flat rate for the bar. In this setup, the guests are free to order as many drinks as they want. Most open bars at weddings serve beer, wine, liquor, and champagne, among other alcoholic beverages.
2. White Bar
A white bar is one that only serves white wine, champagne, and beer. In a white bar, a limit is set on the types of alcohol served to the guests, and it can be a good way to cut down the costs of the wedding bar.
3. Dry Bar
A dry bar is a good option if your guests do not drink. Although a dry bar sounds very much like a non-alcoholic bar, it only serves sodas, juices, and flavored waters. Dry bars are opted by many people to remove the hassle of choosing the perfect alcohol for their guests.
4. Soft Bar
Just like the white bar, a soft bar also limits the kind of alcohol served at the wedding. In a soft bar, only, white wine and champagne are served. This type of wedding bar is usually chosen when the wedding guests do not have a wide range of alcohol preferences.
5. Consumption Bar
A consumption bar is essentially the opposite of an open bar. While an open bar requires payment in the form of a flat rate, the price in a consumption bar is determined on the basis of drinks ordered by guests. Having a consumption bar means greater number of choices for alcoholic beverages, however, it is known to be pricier than open bars.
6. Non-Alcoholic Wedding Bar
A non-alcoholic wedding bar is a bar type that doesn’t serve alcoholic drinks. However, it is quite different from a dry bar. Instead of just juices and sodas, a non-alcoholic bar serves non-alcoholic, wine, gin, and tequila alternatives. A non-alcoholic bar gives the whole experience of a regular wedding bar, without any compromise on quality, flavors, or merriment.
The Growing Popularity of Non-Alcoholic Wedding Bars
Many people consider alcohol to be an important element for a successful wedding. However, there is a growing trend around the world where many millennials and Gen Zers are deciding not to have alcoholic bars at their weddings. According to recent research, it was found that almost 56% of millennials consider themselves to be mindful drinkers. Gen Zers, on the other hand, are known to drink even lesser (20%) than millennials. The shift in the alcohol-consumption habits of these younger generations is largely because of financial and wellness reasons.
It does not come as a surprise that many weddings are incorporating non-alcoholic bars too. Whether the hosts are drinkers or not, it has become important to include non-alcoholic beverages in the wedding bars. Even if most of the guests are drinkers, there will be a few guests who are either underage, pregnant or choosing not to consume alcohol. Having options for non-alcoholic drinks ensures that they are taken into consideration when planning the event. It also gives the other wedding guests a chance to be present for the occasion rather than going overboard with the drinks. With non-alcoholic beverages from Better Rhodes, you can give a celebratory experience to your wedding guests without the alcohol.
Tips for Pulling Off a Non-Alcoholic Wedding Bar
The key to a good wedding bar lies in providing the guests with great drinks, whether they are alcoholic or non-alcoholic. However, the question remains – how can you elevate the experience of your guests with a non-alcoholic wedding bar? Here are some tips for pulling off a non-alcoholic bar successfully at your wedding –
1. Use Trendy Cocktails as Inspiration for Mocktails
If you want to provide good drinks to your wedding guests, think about making them with the freshest ingredients. It’s a good idea to take inspiration from the popular cocktails, and use the non-alcoholic components of these drinks to make delicious mocktails. Better Rhodes also offers some alcohol-free cocktail kits, using which you can create some great drink combinations. If you make these drinks the right way, most of your guests will not even miss alcoholic drinks at your event.
The most important part is to experiment with different flavors. You can also experiment with the sophisticated mixers at Better Rhodes to create some signature alcohol-free cocktails for the wedding. For instance, mix the Betty Buzz Sparkling Grapefruit with CEDAR’s Classic Gin Alternative to create a great non-alcoholic grapefruit gin cocktail. You can even consider creating two drinks that represent the personality of you and your partner. Many expert mixologists say that it is not necessary to have high alcohol-by-volume content to create nuanced and delicious drinks.
2. Include Some Wellness-Oriented Drinks
To offer something new to health-conscious guests, you can also think of including some wellness-oriented drinks like kombucha. Kombucha is not only a great standalone drink, it can make tasty and fun mocktails too. Mix kombucha with a YOURS non-alcoholic California Red Blend to make a Kombucha Sangria, or make a Ginger Apple Kombucha Cocktail by mixing Clean V Vodka Alternative, Kombucha, and Som Ginger. Think about including fun garnishes for the drinks, like blueberries, wild cherry, lavender or rosemary sprigs, and more.
There are endless combinations you can come up with. It’s a good idea to take inspiration from the popular cocktail flavors to spin kombucha-infused drinks for your guests. Giving this unique twist to the alcohol-free beverages will provide your guests with a taste they won’t be able to get enough of. Another drink you can consider including in your bar is a non-alcoholic cider. Mixing a non-alcoholic cider like Jukes with blackberry and cranberry juices can be a great way to create a tart and crisp drink.
3. How about a pressed juice station?
Another great way to level up your non-alcoholic wedding bar is by including a pressed-juice station. This can be great for catering to the simpler tastes of some of the guests who might not enjoy popular cocktail-inspired flavors. This fresh pressed juice station need not be boring though. You can think of combining different juices to create specialty drinks too. If you’re not interested in a juice station, you can think of a lemonade stand
4. Custom soda station
Both children and adults love sodas, but let’s agree that serving regular bottled soda at your wedding is not really elegant and classy. If you still want to serve soda to your guests, you can consider including a custom soda-making station. You can provide the guests with options for bitters and flavored syrups like the Cheeky Agave Syrup and Liber & Co Real Grenadine, using which they can build their own custom-flavored sodas.
5. Give options for garnishes
So you’re thinking of adding some custom non-alcoholic beverage stations, but want to elevate the experience even more? Consider including a custom garnish station for the drinks. In the station, guests can be allowed to pick from a variety of garnishes, like cucumber, ginger, citrus, berries, melon, lavender, honey, mint, basil, and more, to add to their drinks. All these garnishes can be displayed in beautiful ceramic bowls. The garnish station will also be a great conversation starter for the guests.
6. Wine Alternatives for sit-down dinner
Up until a few years back, including alcohol-free wines would not have been considered the best for sit-down dinners during weddings. However, the latest wine alternatives in the market are created using the traditional methods of winemaking. The only difference is that the alcohol is removed from these wines with the help of cutting-edge technology. If you are thinking of including some alcohol-free wines in your wedding dinner, you can choose from the following –
- Wander + Found Pinot Noir: This wine alternative pairs really well with grilled fish, vegetables, and steak. The ripened dark red fruits are highlighted by earthen-rich notes of dried currants. The complex long finish makes it an excellent choice for your wedding dinner.
- Fre Cabernet Sauvignon: This boasts a rich palate of spice and berries, and a dark cherry aroma, which makes it a perfect accompaniment for blue cheese and steak.
- Wander + Found Cuveé Blanc: If you’re thinking of including a white wine alternative, consider this Cuveé Blanc. It has fresh and clean notes of citrus and lime, and its body is enhanced with just the right acidity.
- Wander + Found Rosé: Who doesn’t love a Rosé? This delightful Rosé wine offers complex notes of ripe berries and citrus, while the mineral base gives it structure and depth. Include this in your sit-down dinner, or just serve it on the wedding bar. It will certainly be a conversation starter.
7. Non-Alcoholic Champagne for Toasting
No wedding celebration is complete without a glass of champagne as a toast for the newly-married couple. However, many who choose not to include alcohol in their wedding often wonder how they’ll pull off a toast in a classy way. Popping the corks and clinking glasses can make for a memorable experience. This is where non-alcoholic champagne alternatives come in. Thanks to the new alcohol removal technologies, many great alcohol-free champagnes have come up over the years.
- Vinada Amazing Airén Gold: This has a lively bright color, with a fresh fruity taste and sensations, which are topped off with a crisp finish. The beautiful sparkling wine makes an excellent option for a wedding day toast.
- Better Sparklings: If you’re looking for a variety of sparkling wines, then this is the collection for you. It contains 6 different bubblies that will suit the tastes of all your guests.
Wrapping Up
It’s amply evident that there are many new ways with non-alcoholic beverages to offer a unique experience to your wedding guests. With these great tips and ideas, you can make a non-alcoholic wedding bar that will be remembered for years to come. Interested in incorporating non-alcoholic beverages into your wedding day? Take a look at the unique selection of non-alcoholic spirits, wines, beers, and mixers offered at the Better Rhodes marketplace.
References:
https://www.thezoereport.com/living/how-to-do-a-non-alcoholic-wedding-bar
https://www.brides.com/story/non-alcoholic-wedding-bar
https://www.beeventhire.co.uk/the-ultimate-guide-to-your-wedding-reception-bar/