A shot of orange

When planning your wedding, it can be fun to coordinate with your bar caterer to come up with a cocktail or two that match the colors or something specific to your wedding. Since BarBop is based in Tennessee, this month we’ll be looking at a few ideas for showing your love of the Volunteer State, starting with a few cocktail suggestions. Ask your bar staff if they can whip up one of the following for you to enjoy:

Think of Tennessee and alcohol, and you think of Jack Daniels, so what better way to celebrate matrimonial bliss than with a little Southern Harmony for the wedding party:

Mix 1 ¼ oz Jack Daniels with ¾ oz Southern Comfort and 4 oz of sweet and sour mix. Add a splash of 7Up and pour over ice. Serve with a lemon wedge.

Or how about a Tennessee Julep for those hot summer evenings:

Cover about 12 mint leaves with 1 tsp powdered sugar and a few drops of water. Smash the mint up a bit and put half of the mint in a julep cup. Half fill the cup with crushed ice. Add 1 jigger Tennessee Whisky and 1 jigger Apricot Schnapps. Add the rest of the crushed mint and some more ice.

You’ll notice one more thing these have in common. That’s right. A Tennessee cocktail has to have something orange in it if you’re a Vols fan.

One drink that looks bright and sunny and would be perfect on a sunny day is a Tennessee Peach:

Blend 5 oz canned peaches in syrup. Add the juice of 2 limes, 3 oz Tennessee Whiskey, 2 tbs sugar and some ice. Blend together and pour into 2 tall glasses. Top with whipped cream.

Finally, if you want something orange, not featuring whisky, but still a little different, try a Red Surf:

Shake together the juice of 1 orange, 1 measure Vodka, ½ measure Noilly Prat Red, a dash of lime juice and 1 tsp Grenadine. Serve over ice with a cherry.

Of course, these are just a few ideas. Talk to your bar caterer before your special event and they will be able to work with you to come up with something different for your celebration.

Fiona Young-Brown

An Alternative to Wedding Favors

Wedding favors – pricey little things aren’t they? And how many weddings have you been to where, at the end of the evening, little bags of candied almonds or books of personalized matches are littered across the tables, destined for the trashcan?

I went against the grain and didn’t have any favors. Guess what – no one even noticed. When people are having a good time at your wedding, the last thing they are interested in is whether you’ve given them a small container of bubbles.

I know there are lots of brides who want to have favors for their guests, but they want something a little different. So how about some of the following ideas:

If you’re having a themed wedding, choose a favor to match the theme instead of something generic. Even candy can be a little different. Beach wedding? Chocolate starfish and shells. Halloween? Choose little candy skulls. A Japanese themed wedding can have mini cherry blossom dishes. You get the idea.

Are guests going to be fighting the heat of an outdoor summer wedding? Give fans as favors. Not the usual, cheap ones you see being handed out for free at festivals. Go for something elegant that guests will be pleased to use. Alternatively, if it’s a beach wedding, use palm fans. The design can match the wedding party colors.

Will you have a lot of guests coming from out of town? Think of a local product you could use - miniatures of bourbon for a wedding in Kentucky. Tiny bottles of bbq sauce in Texas. Trust me – there won’t be any of those left on the table.

Instead of given the guests a small gift, use the money budgeted for favors and make a charitable donation. You can then make little tags for each place setting letting them know that a donation has been made in their name to your favorite charity.

The trick with wedding favors is to be creative. Have fun with them and give guests something that matches your personality.


Fiona Young-Brown