13 Creative Ways To Elevate Your Wedding Bar

We all know that a great party is fueled by an endless flow of drinks. It’s no wonder then that couples are choosing to celebrate their big day with a statement wedding bar. Not only a watering hole serving signature cocktails to instigate those late night dance offs, the bar serves as a focal point of your reception while establishing cohesiveness throughout your weddingscape, creating unity with style, color scheme, and personal touches. As you will see, it’s also a great spot to repurpose florals from your ceremony.

Now we don’t like rules that take the fun out of drinking (unless we are playing a game), but some considerations should be made before setting up your bar station. Most importantly, you’ll want to give attention to how the bar and decorative accents will look within your venue – a bold, neon sign looks cool in a modern industrial setting but may seem out of place in a classically formal ballroom. With that final thought out of the way, here are creative ideas to elevate your wedding bar while keeping the libations buzzing all evening long.

Get Festive With A Mosaic Tile Bar

So the cost and logistics of a European wedding exceed your budget and resources. Don’t give up on the dream just yet – you can still bring the old world charm of Italy to your party by setting up a bar decorated with blue and white mosaic tiles. Not just for garnishing drinks, lemons offer a bright pop of color while underscoring the Italian coast theme.

Show Off A Custom Newlywed Neon Sign

Neon signs are a modern and fun way to personalize your reception decor. The front of the bar is a great place to hang a glowing sign that spells out your names.

Celebrate With A Floral Embellished Bar In-the-Round

A bar design that incorporates posts offers extra opportunity when it comes to floral embellishment. This beautiful setup is marked by natural cascades of vibrant pink blooms and greenery.

Top the Bar With Distinctive, Eye-Catching Floral Arrangements

From the start, Real BB Weddings couple Lauren and Lou knew they wanted their reception to have a chic cocktail air about it. They carried the theme over to the bar by marking it with eye-catching floral arrangements holding crisp white roses, hydrangeas, and calla lilies.

Stick To A Classic White & Green Palette

Inspired by the classic white floral and greenery combination, this design features a sage colored base decorated with organic florals and hanging greenery. Crystal lighting and black accents add a luxe touch to the display.

Install A Living Floral Backdrop with Hanging Blooms

‘Living’ decor is having its moment right now and we are obsessed with this bar setup that pairs a lush floral and greenery backdrop with a canopy of blooms overhead. Pro Tip: Ceremony decor such as aisle arrangements and archways can often be repurposed to highlight focal points of the reception. Be sure to ask your florist and planner if any decorative elements can be reused to elevate the bar area.

Incorporate A Cascading Arrangement

We love the look of an organic, table-to-floor arrangement – this floral design is a great choice to accentuate a simple bar base. Note: Be sure that the arrangement is placed well off to the side of the serving area so guests don’t accidentally step on it.

Go Big With a Four-Sided Bar With Floral Murals

You are planning a large, outdoor reception and the last thing you want is guests waiting in line for their drinks. Keep the cocktails streaming while avoiding crowd congestion by setting up a massive four-sided bar with floral murals in the center of the festivities. 

Set The Tone With A Humorous Bar Sign

Sure, you can hang a sign on the bar with a sentimental thought about love, romance, and forever after. But we promise everyone will be laughing about how your bar encouraged their ‘pour’ decisions long after their wedding hangovers wear off.

Choose A Modern, Geometric Bar Front

Think of the front of your bar as a blank canvas full of creative possibilities. Tie together your wedding theme by decorating the facade with a motif such as the modern, geometric design used for your invitations and table numbers.

Treat Guests To A Cute Mobile Bar

Adding charm and whimsy to any special occasion, mobile bars are an ideal choice if you are planning a laidback outdoor reception. From vintage campers to Italian Piaggio Apes to renovated horse trailers (see above), catering companies specializing in mobile cars offer an array of styles from which to pick. Bonus: They double as a fun, Instagrammable backdrop for photos.

Reimagine Vintage Furniture As A One-Of-Kind Bar

Here’s your chance to make good use of that chest of drawers that has been in your family for generations (aged pieces can also be rented from event furniture companies). Vintage furniture such as a table or dresser brings romantic delight to reception decor, offering an ideal structure to set up a drink station. 

Serve Drinks From A Tent

Many rental companies offer tents specifically made to cover the bar area. This is a great idea if you are planning a formal outdoor reception and want your bar atmosphere to feel sophisticated yet welcoming.

After the formal champagne toasts, guests will be heading to wherever they can get a signature cocktail, beer, or glass of wine. A place to mingle while replenishing drinks, the bar is going to be a popular spot during your reception. We hope these ideas inspire you to explore decorative options, be creative, and fully embrace the concept of a statement wedding bar.