How Every Wedding Will Be Serving Drinks This Summer

It’s that time of year when wedding planning starts to get underway. Couples across the country are choosing color schemes, cocktails, menus, and locations for their big day. One thing we’re big on is making sure your guests have enough to drink (though not too much!). For wedding planners, this means finding a way to serve alcohol that meets your needs while also fitting into the scheme of your wedding.

The big wedding trend of 2017 is Urban-Rustic. This season, we’re all coveting that chic, distressed elegance. We’re going back to our roots with what’s sometimes called “Hicksterism.” People are having their weddings at summer campgrounds, which often have a lake, plus a heavy dose of summery nostalgia. This means minimalism and simplicity, but with a modern twist. This trend is urban rustic, and you’re going to want to make sure to balance out your barn-to-table vibe with some more show-stopping accents.

We’ve curated some ideas that capture this modern rustic aesthetic to give you inspiration about how to get beverages into your guests’ hands (and, ultimately, their stomachs). These unique ideas for serving beer and wine mean you can skip the bartender (remember: minimalism is key), and have your guests go right to the source with these distressed yet totally elegant coolers. You’ll be saving on the bartenders, but also wowing your guests with these show-stoppers.

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Here are 2017’s top three trends for storing booze during a wedding:

The Bathtub

Photo: welovepictures: Travis & Maike, www.welovepictures.co.za

Think of your Aunt Alice growing her lavender in a tub in her garden. There’s something super-unique and personal about a tub, probably because of the intimacy it invites. A claw-foot tub is a definite showstopper at a wedding, and it will have your guests enthralled with the contrast it makes against your backdrop.

Photo: Kristyn Hogan, www.kristynhogan.com

The bathtub trend is going to be huge in 2017. It’s versatile, since you can get them in different sizes, plus you can personalize it yourself with a message or paint it to fit in with your color scheme.

Photo: Matthew Morgan, portfolio.matthewmorgan.net

If your wedding is later in the season, now is a great time to head upstate for some antiquing. Make a day of it with a claw-foot tub at the top of your list! Or find a place to rent one. This option for keeping your drinks cool will make your wedding utterly unique.

The Boat

Photo: Meaghan Elliot, http://mephotography.com/

The boat is 2017’s newest trend for keeping beverages cool during a wedding. It’s something different, perfect for a woodsy or outdoor wedding. If your wedding is happening on a campground, definitely ask the proprietors if you can rent one so you’re not stuck with a canoe after your wedding (though it might come in handy if you’re an outdoorsy type).

Photo: Jesse Turnquist, http://turnquistphotography.com/
Photo: Danielle Gillett, https://gillettphoto.com

As everything about your special day should, the boat beverage cooler tells your guests a lot about yourselves as a couple. Its uniqueness conveys that you are DIY types and risk-takers. And its abundance means your guests will feel welcome to stay and drink the night away, to your health and the beauty of your love.

The Bucket

Photo: Jenn Tai, www.weddingsbyjenn.com

This is the most affordable option, but one that still captures the 2017 wedding vibe. The bucket is a versatile option, since they are widely available and also can be personalized to match your tastes.

Photo: Eric Draht, www.drahtphotography.com

This is also the least ostentatious option. While a boat and a tub call attention to the drinks station, wowing your guests with their uniqueness, the bucket is more along the lines of a cute addition to a simple, intimate wedding where most of the guests may already know each other. The bucket option calls to mind picnics and backyard BBQs and other occasions in which people who love each other celebrate — only this time, it’s all for you.