6 Cool Food and Beverage Ideas For Your Summer Wedding

Happy July! We’re in the heart of summer, and today we wanted to offer up some of our favorite food and beverage options for summer weddings. Think light, think refreshing, think fruity . . and have fun with it! Here’s a list that’s sure to whet your appetite:

1. Iced drinks (nonalcoholic). Whether you have an indoor or outdoor wedding, the heat is sure to be a factor. Offer a selection of cool, thirst-quenching drinks such as iced tea, fresh juice, and fruity spritzers. I’ve even seen couples create whimsical lemonade stands featuring different colors and flavors of lemonade. Truly fun and adorable!

2. Iced drinks (alcoholic). Summer is the time to offer bar options that aren’t suited to the rest of the year. Some of the most popular summer cocktails are sangria, mint juleps, mojitos, rum punch, tequila coolers, limoncello, pina coladas, watermelon martinis, and peach bellinis.

3. Cool appetizers. Consider offering a raw bar, or individual shrimp cocktails on shaved ice. Gazpacho shots, mixed fruit kebobs with dip, crouton cups filled with mini Caesar salads, or sweet watermelon bites paired with feta and mint are among our favorite cold appetizers.

4. Bring the grill indoors. For your main meal, consider offering guests an elegant summer picnic theme. Pair grilled steaks, chicken, and/or fish with fresh and bright salsas and sauces, or go the barbecue route with pulled pork and beef brisket.

5. Keep the sides light. Some of our favorite summer side dishes include pesto pasta salad, succotash, cucumber salad, summer herb potato salad, tomato and goat cheese salad, and zucchini salad with yogurt-dill sauce.

6. Incorporate summer fruits in your dessert offerings. Whether you intend to offer only wedding cake or a wide variety of dessert options, keep flavors light and/or tart to infuse summer into your menu. Popular summer flavors are lemon, strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, melon, pineapple, apricot, and mango. Among the most popular summer desserts are sorbets, shortcakes, dessert “pops,” mini fruit pies, tortes, mousse, and cobbler.