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food + drink personalize your wedding by WPersonalizing Your Bar hen it comes to planning a wedding reception, the last thing you want as a bride is for yours to be a cook- ie-cutter version of someone else’s. Every choice that you and your groom make is an opportunity to per- sonalize the party. If you enjoy Thai food, spring rolls might be served as appetizers. If you enjoy traveling, the cake topper could feature the words, “Fly Away with Me.” When it’s time for dancing, the music might include the song that played the night you met or the night you became engaged. And lately, another way to person- alize your reception has become popular: the sig- nature cocktail. If you will be serving alcohol at your recep- tion, the signature cock- tail will be the statement piece of the bar. While you may choose to serve one signature cocktail that is representative of you both, many couples choose one drink to rep- resent the bride and one to represent the groom. Signature cocktails can be served in addition to your full bar service, or they can be served along with beer and wine, taking the place of other spirits. In either case, offering signature cock- tails is another way of per- sonalizing a reception. Jake Johnson, a bar and catering manager from Charleston, South Carolina, is a big fan of the signature cocktail. “From the standpoint of the bartender, signature cocktails are not only impressive, but they’re easy to make,” he says. “They can be batched out in advance and indi- vidually poured on site, you won’t need an army of bartenders, and your guests won’t wait in long lines.” And choosing a signature cocktail doesn’t mean totally reinventing the wheel. “When choosing a sig- nature cocktail, think of your favorite drinks and adapt from there,” Johnson says. Chris Glenn and Kasey Walters are fans as well. As owners of the Typsy Gypsy Nomadic Bar, they provide bar service for weddings and events across South Carolina, and signature cocktails are a frequent request. “When it comes to specialty cocktails, it’s all about seasonal fruit, juices, spices, and herbs if you are wanting to WOW your wedding guests,” says Glenn. “When planning your wedding bar, we create the perfect signature cocktail for the big day by taking into consid- eration not only your palate, but the theme, decor, location, and time of year of your wedding to develop his-and-hers cocktails.” Typsy Gypsy custom- izes its cocktails by using their own homemade ingredients. “In addition to simpler cocktails, we also create customized drinks by infusing one of our different simple syrups, such as rose- mary, lavender, sage, or mint, along with our homemade purées, such as strawberry, mango, mango/jalapeño, water- melon, blackberry, rasp- berry, pear, or cran- apple,” he says. “No matter what you choose, the goal is to create the best cocktail for your guests and, most impor- tantly, for you and your groom.” And have fun with the name of your wedding’s signature cocktail. If you’ve used a wedding hashtag, use it to brand your drink. Name your drink after yourself, your new spouse, or even a beloved pet. “When my husband chose a nonalcoholic signature drink for our reception, we offered an alcoholic version and named it after our dog, Grumps,” said a recent bride. When it comes to per- sonalizing your wedding, the key is in the details. Consider using the sig- nature cocktail as just another way to make sure your reception rep- resents you and your new spouse. Cheers! For more information about the Typsy Gypsy, contact Chris Glenn or Kasey Walters at 864- 634-4300. 22 | TOWN BRIDE SPRING 2020