Coffee is one of the UK’s favourite beverages, with British bean lovers knocking back around 95 million cups per day – an increase of around 25 million over the past decade, says the Centre for Economics and Business Research. The inimitable aroma, taste, flavour, and stimulating effects of coffee make it the perfect way to start your day or celebrate a party – even a wedding! Just last year, one couple in the Philippines took their love for coffee to a whole new level by turning their entire wedding into a homage to their favourite drink. Everywhere you looked, you could see gorgeous bags and beans lending a warm and very fragrant element to their celebration of love. If you want to incorporate coffee into your celebration, the following tips may be helpful.
SETTING UP COFFEE TABLES
Weddings last long, with many so-called ‘lunch receptions’ actually lasting until sunrise the next day. As such, caterers often include post-meal delicacies into the equation and also offer warm foods and beverages (e.g. soup and coffee) to keep bellies full and bodies energised. One good idea is to create a rustic coffee bar in your hall or garden reception space, topping the bar with beautiful machines like the Elektra Micro Casa Lever S1 or S1CO, or (to make more than one cup at a time) the Faema E98 UP machine or similar. Decorate the bar with fairy lights, leaf and flower cuttings messily placed on stools, chocolates and candies, wooden signs (think ‘I Love Coffee’ or ‘Espresso’), messily stacked designer cups and plates, and of course, cakes and sweets that guests can help themselves through when they feel peckish.
STYLING UP THE COFFEE EXPERIENCE
You can also add a wedding theme to your guests’ coffee experience by aligning the presentation of your coffee with your wedding theme. For instance, if your chosen theme is diamonds, then you might choose to present coffee with swizzle sticks topped with an image (edible or otherwise) of your and your partner’s rings. The suitability of this idea will depend to a great extend on the shape and cut of your stones. Transparent candy can be shaped into round and emerald cut diamonds but if you are all about pavé, your rings may be a little harder to turn into a work of art. For pavé style cuts, a printed image on edible paper stuck onto a donut hole, and perched atop a swizzle stick may just do the trick.
COFFEE AND DÉCOR
Apart from coffee’s wonderful aroma, its beautiful appearance makes it a truly ideal addition to your wedding reception décor scheme. There are so many ways you can make the world more beautiful with beans. Think large crystal candle holders (fill the holders halfway with beans and put a beautiful white candle on top), small sack cloth bags filled with gourmet beans (as wedding favours your guests can take home), and rustic glass jars filled with coffee-flavoured sweets and candy.
If you are a self-confessed coffee lover and you are getting married soon, then making coffee a part of the experience will certainly please guests. From setting up a chic rustic bar to giving gourmet coffee away, you can espouse your love for this treat and share it with guests. Coffee makes an excellent choice to flavour any desserts you serve – including, of course, your wedding cake.
