On cocktails...

As an event planner who is married to a former bartender, I take my cocktails very seriously. Yes, I’m the girl who takes 15 minutes to commit to a drink on a cocktail list when I go out with my friends (sorry, friends!). But honestly, since the art of the cocktail has made such a comeback these past few years, with establishments around the country taking as much care with each glass as they do each plate, how could you not? A cocktail can be every bit the experience if you let it, both taste-wise and aesthetically.

So on that note, one of the things I like to do with my clients is work with what they’ve already paid for. That means if you’re already paying for an open bar, I advise you to utilize it! I tell you what, if I have learned anything from my job, it is that the open bar is one of the most important things at a wedding. It is what allows your very “diverse” (read: totally different) guests to feel completely comfortable with socializing and dancing with one another, people they’ve known for all of an hour. But at the same time, it is also an opportunity to make an impression while you’re at it.

That, my friends, is a hibiscus champagne cocktail.

What is hibiscus? It’s an edible flower that tastes like a raspberry; but in my opinion, it’s also a perfect excuse for relatively inexpensive eye candy. The great thing about it is it doesn’t take a lot to make a statement. You don’t have to order 7 different obscure liquors, or muddle, or switch out the banquet bartender for a mixologist. You literally drop a flower into a flute (more about that here), fill it up with champagne, and voila! Simple, tasty, fabulous, and definitely something that will stick with your guests long after the event is over.

Cheers!