Photo credits at the end of this post.  Written by Ronee Uyeshiro, Cedarwood bride guest blogger.

For many couples, bar design and decor at their wedding is an afterthought, but it shouldn’t be. Since drinks are such a huge part of the wedding experience, I thought it’d be fun to break down the anatomy of an unforgettable wedding bar or beverage station. All the pictures below were taken at Cedarwood (oooh, the possibilities).

Styling The Bar and Beverage Station

First and foremost, you’ll want to start with the bar itself. Think of it as a blank canvas. Farm tables, wine barrels and antique furniture are all fun alternatives to the classic white tablecloth. Once you have the bar itself, liven it up with signage, props and florals.

Fun Ways to Serve

Galvanized tubs, rustic beverage dispensers and antique baby’s bathtubs are all unique and charming ways to present self-serve drinks to your guests.

Give ‘em a Taste

For a fun twist on the standard bar setup, why not go thematic? Think about what you like to do as a couple and run with it. Wine tasting, anyone?

Menus and Signage

Whether it’s a custom sign made by the talented Cedarwood design team, or festive bunting, signage does double duty by letting your guests know what’s on the menu and adding some style to your bar.

Creating a Signature Drink

Don’t be afraid to get creative with your signature drinks. In my opinion, it’s best to have two different base liquors (i.e. vodka and bourbon) to give your guests more options. My husband and I went movie-themed with our signature drinks, calling them Pretty in Pink and Gone With the Wind. You can find the recipe for the Pretty in Pink here.

Accessorize

After you’ve had fun experimenting with different drink recipes, it’s time to accessorize. There are so many fun extras you can add to your drinks to kick them up a notch and make them extraordinary.

Get creative with your glassware

Jelly jars, colorful mismatched tumblers and antique coupe glasses are just a few of the unique glassware options that can set your drinks apart.

Add straws, drink flags, cocktail napkins

Small touches can make a big impact! Florals, stripes and patterns are all great options.

Garnish, Garnish, Garnish

Fruit, vegetables, herbs, flowers and candy all make great garnishes.

Get Personal

Do yourself a favor (pun intended) and thank your guests with gifts you can incorporate into your bar decor. Personalized wine bottles and beer koozies make great favors.

Whatever your wedding style, I hope you’ll find these tips helpful to create the wedding bar of your dreams.

If you have any questions or want to learn how my awesome groom created the homemade cocktail bitters we gave as favors, feel free to check out my personal blog Little Mint Kitchenette.

Cheers!

Ronee Uyeshiro, Cedarwood bride and guest blogger on behalf of the Cedarwood Event Team

Photographer Credits:

Feature image Kristyn Hogan 1. Krystal Mann 2. Kristyn Hogan 3. Krista Lee Photography 4. Ace Photography 5. Kristyn Hogan 6. Erin Lee of The Collection 7. Rachel Moore Photography 8. Ace Photography 9. Ace Photography 10. Tec Petaja 11. Brandon Chesbro 12. Kristyn Hogan 13. Clayton Austin 14. Michelle Lange Photography 15. Frenzel Studios 16. Ace Photography 17. Clayton Austin 18. Kristyn Hogan 19. Firm Anchor Photography 20. Kristyn Hogan  21. Jenna Henderson 22. Krista Lee Photography  23. Photographix 24. Kristyn Hogan 25. Photographix 26. Kristyn Hogan 27. Aspen Hall 28. Jen and Chris Creed 29. Jen and Chris Creed