Occasion & Season
Wedding Cocktails & Signature Drinks
Everything you need for wedding cocktails — selecting a signature drink, scaling batch recipes for hundreds, setting up a stunning display, and crowd-pleasing favorites for every guest.
The wedding cocktail is the signature of the reception. Guests remember it, it appears in photos, it's the drink they're handed when they walk in from the ceremony. Getting it right matters — and getting it wrong is more forgiving than you might think, because the joy of the occasion elevates everything.
The Signature Wedding Cocktail: Selection Framework
The best wedding signature cocktails share a few qualities:
They tell a story: The drink has some connection to the couple — where they met, where they honeymooned, a shared flavor memory. A cocktail with a story becomes a topic of conversation.
They're accessible: A wedding includes guests across generations, experience levels, and preferences. The signature drink should be appealing to a broad palate — avoid extreme bitterness, very high alcohol, or intensely unusual flavor profiles.
They batch well: At a wedding, the signature cocktail will be made 100-400 times. It must work at scale. See Batching Cocktails for Parties for the full batching playbook.
They photograph well: Color matters at weddings. A pale pink, golden, or ruby-colored drink looks spectacular in the hands of guests and on the table.
Crowd-Favorite Wedding Cocktails
The Classic Champagne Welcome: A glass of Champagne or Prosecco in hand as guests exit the ceremony is universally welcoming and requires zero bartending skill. Elevate it with a small float of St-Germain (elderflower liqueur) or a single raspberry in each glass.
The Batch Margarita: The Margarita has the advantage of near-universal recognition and a very forgiving flavor profile. Batched in a large container, served over ice with a salt rim option: - Scale: 3 parts tequila, 2 parts Cointreau, 2 parts fresh lime juice, 1 part simple syrup - For 100 servings (2 oz spirit each): 6 bottles tequila, 2 liters Cointreau, 2 liters lime juice, 1 liter simple syrup
The Gin Garden Spritz: Spritz format with gin, elderflower, and cucumber soda — fresh, light, and beautiful with fresh herb garnishes: - 1.5 oz gin - 0.5 oz St-Germain - Cucumber soda to top - Thin cucumber wheel and mint sprig
The Whiskey Smash: Seasonal fruit (berries or stone fruit), Muddling mint and bourbon. Rustic and warm — excellent for fall weddings. The fresh fruit element makes each drink slightly unique. Use a Muddler and a Cocktail Shaker to prepare individual serves, or batch the bourbon base with a fruit syrup.
Scaling Wedding Batches: The Math
Wedding cocktails need precise scaling. The batching rules for events:
Consumption estimate: Plan for 1 cocktail per guest for the signature drink (you'll have additional beer, wine, and spirits). For a 150-person wedding: 150 servings of the signature cocktail.
Batching without carbonation: Pre-batch all spirit, citrus, and sweetener. Add sparkling elements (soda, Prosecco, ginger beer) at service. A carbonated pre-batch goes flat quickly.
Example: Batch Margarita for 150 Guests: - 4.5 liters (6 bottles) blanco tequila - 3 liters Cointreau - 3 liters fresh lime juice (about 60 limes) - 2 liters simple syrup - Water for dilution (approximately 20% of total volume)
Total pre-batch volume: ~13 liters. Refrigerate in food-safe containers. Transfer to dispensing pitchers or a drink dispenser at service.
Dilution at batch scale: At individual cocktail scale, the Shaking or stirring provides dilution. At batch scale, pre-add 15-20% water to replicate this. Taste and adjust.
The Bar Display: Presentation at Wedding Scale
The signature cocktail deserves a proper display:
Drink dispenser/beverage tower: A clear glass drink dispenser with the signature cocktail looks beautiful and allows self-service. Fill with the batch, add garnishes inside (fruit wheels, herb sprigs), and label clearly.
Signage: A small card or framed sign with the drink name and its story. Guests read it while they wait, and it becomes a conversation piece.
Garnish station: Set out a bowl of garnishes (citrus wheels, fresh herbs, edible flowers) so guests can dress their own drinks. This adds an interactive element and makes photos more interesting.
Ice management: At outdoor summer weddings, ice melts fast. Plan for double the ice you think you need. A full cooler of ice, replenished throughout the reception, is a non-negotiable infrastructure element.
Non-Alcoholic Wedding Options
Every wedding should have a non-alcoholic signature drink that's as beautiful as the alcoholic version. Pregnant guests, sober guests, and guests who simply choose not to drink deserve an option that isn't just soda water with a lime.
Signature Wedding Mocktail: - Fresh cucumber juice - Elderflower Cordial - Fresh lime juice - Sparkling water - Mint and cucumber garnish
Batch the cucumber-elderflower-lime base, add sparkling water at service. Serve in identical glasses to the alcoholic version. See The Non-Alcoholic Home Bar for additional mocktail recipes and inclusive hosting guidance.
A Final Note on Wedding Bar Logistics
At events over 100 people, consider hiring a professional bartender for at minimum the cocktail hour, even if you've pre-batched the signature drink. A professional handles crowd management, pacing, and the inevitable spills and special requests with grace that's genuinely worth the cost.