Ever wish you could bottle your love? This couple found a way to do it—they brewed their own beer, cider, and wine for their wedding reception!
As an Hill Country wedding officiant, I see many unique commemorations. Like many Austin couples, this couple loved home brewing, so they turned their hobby into a gift of love for their guests.
Brew your own beer and wine for your wedding reception!
Each bottle was also uniquely labeled — Hoppy Ever After, Just Berried, White Flowers, Till Death Do Us Part, Nine Years Aged—with a pun or sweet reference to the happy day. Each bottle also had unique artwork on the label that complemented the name.
Moreover, since the couple had shared their plan with me, we worked it into the ceremony. Brewing is a great metaphor for marriage: it requires patience, dedication, careful attention—and each batch is completely unique depending on the ingredients! By sharing the symbolic meaning of this gift with the guests, not only did we heighten their anticipation, we also deepened the meaning for them—and the couple themselves will now always associate their beloved hobby with their dedication to their marriage.
One of the most memorable ways to make your wedding ceremony unique is to find the metaphor in your relationship: there’s a story or a passion you share that is somehow emblematic of the bond you share. A good wedding officiant can help you find this golden moment and weave the theme through your ceremony—or in this case through the entire day. These themes and symbols are often universal values that many people can connect to: If you love to travel, the theme might be the adventure of love. If you connect over extreme sports, the theme might be taking a chance on love.
Finding the golden moments in your relationship will reveal something about why you love each other and what your marriage is about.
And you’ll create a deeply meaningful, personal ceremony that connects you to your guests: During this reception, guests were talking about the different varieties of beer and wine while snapping pictures of the artful labels. It’s clear this is a wedding, they won’t forget!