We already wrote that wedding decorators point out how plastic lemonades and impersonal alcohol bottles on the festive table can spoil the work of any decorator. As an excellent alternative to drinks placed on the table, there is a wedding bar, where all alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks will be in one place and a professional bartender will prepare the drinks that best match the style and essence of the particular wedding.

The portal Līgavām.lv was looking for an answer to the question of which drinks will best suit the upcoming summer wedding.

FIRST TOAST – WITH CHAMPAGNE OR CIDER?

Undoubtedly, it has already become a tradition that most often the first toast at a wedding is made by clinking champagne glasses right there at the ceremony site. However, especially for summer weddings in the open air, various alternatives will also suit, for example, some homemade cider or chilled white wine. Do not be afraid to think out of the ordinary and trust the advice of a professional bartender who will be able to suggest different solutions. It's true - you shouldn't just blindly trust the names of drinks. Regardless of which drinks you choose (wine, champagne, prosecco , etc.), you should taste them all beforehand to be sure that the quality of the drinks served to the guests will be high and enjoyable.

Light and refreshing drinks will suit summer weddings, which are often held outdoors. Wedding photographer Linda Lauva and her husband Mārtis, who got married this summer, wanted exactly the same for their wedding. Their wedding took place outdoors in the forest, and together with the bartender they had prepared a drinks menu consisting of four different summer cocktails, as well as wine, rum, gin and soft drinks. It is significant that each cocktail had a name that fully corresponded to the wedding concept. For example, HUGO (two in one – the name of the cocktail and the name of their pet dog) consisted of white wine, elderberry syrup, carbonated water and mint, while the BLOSSOMING EPIPHANY cocktail consisted of gin, apple juice, elderberry syrup, prosecco and fresh raspberries. There was no champagne at the wedding of Linda and Mārtiņas and it was a conscious decision. "None of us really likes this drink and we wanted something more interesting. That's why we chose Abavas cider produced in Latvia for the first toast, and various summer cocktails for the celebration," says Linda Lauva.

TOP DRINKS AT A WEDDING!

Omas Brilliant Room bartender Māris Liepa, who as a bartender participates in many summer weddings, points out that one of the TOP summer drinks is still Aperol Spritz , as well as the recent trend at weddings in Latvia – gin ​​with tonic and cucumber, as well as various cocktails with gin. "I always meet with the couple before the wedding and together we create a drink menu. To begin with, I recommend the lightest and most refreshing cocktails, including, for example, citrus fruits - orange, lemon, lime. In many weddings, champagne is replaced by prosecco , which is also sparkling, and it can also be mixed in various refreshing cocktails," he says. Maris Liepa.

SOFT DRINKS!

Bartender Māris Liepa advises couples to also think about those wedding guests who do not drink alcohol. The solution is a variety of traditional and non-traditional non-alcoholic cocktails. It can be both the non-alcoholic version of the always popular Mohito and slightly more original refreshing cocktails using different syrups (many bartenders make them themselves). "A refreshing non-alcoholic cocktail will be, for example, orange, lime, lemon, passion fruit syrup and red Schweppes . You can also think about healthier cocktails, for example, blended smoothies with strawberries and lemon juice. There are also different options for non-alcoholic drinks and you should definitely not stick to water and different juices," says the bartender.

TO THE BARTENDER – YES OR HOWEVER – NO?

If the couple is still in doubt and cannot decide whether they need a professional bartender at their wedding, then Māris Liepa points out that the bartender is most often not only a person who will take care of drinks from A to Z, but will also bring joy to the guests and the newlyweds themselves, serving them and decorating each drink beautifully. "With the presence of the bartender, the guests feel appreciated, while the newlyweds are relieved that the bartender takes care of everything - from the drinks list to the atmosphere. Besides, the bartender is often the one who implements some alcohol control - the guests' awareness of the amount of alcoholic beverages is much higher if they are served by the bartender," observed bartender Māris Liepa.