25 Instagram-Worthy Wedding Bar Ideas Your Guests Will Love
From self-serve stations to stylish outdoor set-ups, here are the best wedding bar ideas to keep your guests happy until the end of the night. Our edit shows you the decor you need for a bar to remember, including cool signs and easy DIYs
Where's the social focal point of a wedding reception? Some say the dance floor - we think it's the wedding bar. That's why we've put together an edit of the coolest ideas for serving those drinks!
Whether you're planning a staffed service or a self-serve station, going DIY or using your venue's existing bar, it's worth making an effort with your wedding bar décor. As established, this is where guests are going to be spending a lot of time - they may as well enjoy their wedding cocktails in beautiful surroundings.
Of course, if you're already décor-ed out, you could always look into hiring a mobile bar that comes pre-loaded with personality. You can find some amazing services these days, from vintage caravans to converted horseboxes - check out our directory of mobile bar services for ideas in your area.
But if you are ready to get creative, these are the wedding bar ideas you need to know about.
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1. Rustic Outdoor Wedding Bar
This rustic-luxe bar is all about the natural, earthy tones enhanced by fresh greenery, which means it's perfectly suited to its outdoor setting.
2. Wedding Beer Bar
Serving beer at your wedding? Let guests serve themselves (if you dare) and have your favourite craft varieties on tap.
3. Illustrated Wedding Bar Sign
Whatever your style of wedding bar, it helps to have a menu that's immediately understandable, to help avoid queues - which is where illustrations come in! This Etsy template can be edited with 90 different types of drink.
4. Elegant Wedding Bar
We love the chic simplicity of this outdoor bar, which is enhanced by some subtle floral arrangements, modern overhead draping and the couple's wedding monogram.
READ MORE: 63 Outdoor Wedding Ideas You'll Fall in Love With
5. Wedding Beer Bath
When it comes to individual bottles, grab-and-go is a good approach, as with this beer bath. Of course, you don't have to limit yourself to beer - you could have a bathtub full of soft drinks, too. However you choose to fill it, having a separate self-serve bar like this takes some pressure off your main wedding bar during the drinks reception.
6. Wedding Bar with Light-Up Sign
A light-up bar sign is a great way to steer guests in the right direction. Festoon lighting adds to the atmosphere.
7. Wedding Bar with Greenery Garland
A greenery garland can totally transform a wedding bar, whether indoor or outdoor. Just add a couple of flower arrangements if you want extra colour.
READ MORE: How to Make a Greenery Table Garland
8. Living Bar
Of course, you can take your greenery even further and have a 'living bar' - that is, a bar overflowing with foliage, so it almost looks like a natural entity.
9. Open Bar Sign
If you're treating your guests to an open bar, let them know with a sign, like this witty Etsy design. It's a downloadable template, so you can edit and print it at home.
10. Monochrome Wedding Bar
A black and white colour combination is unfailingly stylish, and is a perfect choice for serving Champagne.
11. Wedding Bar with Mason Jars
Oversized Mason jars are a lovely way to present your soft drinks, for a laidback-cool feel.
READ MORE: 17 of the Best Outdoor Wedding Venues in London
12. Funny Bar Sign
Not all wedding bar signs have to be about giving information - like this Etsy design, they can also be about setting the mood through humour!
13. Wedding Bar Drinks Trolley
Having a small wedding? Rather than a full-size bar, use a drinks trolley kitted out with gorgeous glassware and all your favourite tipples.
14. Overhead Décor
If space is at a premium - or you just prefer a pared-back look - consider hanging decorations for your wedding bar, like this foliage installation.
15. Tassel Garland
For a simple yet effective way to transform a wedding bar, use a tassel garland, like this romantic design from Not On the High Street. The ombré tassels are made from tissue strung on silk ribbon. You can arrange the garland along the edge of the bar or across the wall behind.
16. Wedding Bar Lighting
Add some sparkling romance by filling a few Mason jars with LED fairy lights and placing them at intervals along the bar. Real candles are a nice idea, but let's be realistic - candles and open flames are not a happy combination.
READ MORE: 50 DIY Wedding Centrepieces
17. Wedding Bar Balloons
Have a balloon arch at the entrance to your bar to brighten up a plain space - and to let guests know where to get their drinks!
18. Mixed Furniture Bar
Bringing together different items of furniture - as here, a shabby chic cabinet, a stand and a drinks trolley - to create your bar will give you a beautifully boho effect.
19. Champagne Wall
A Champagne or prosecco wall is one of our favourite self-serve wedding bar ideas. It's easy for guests to help themselves and, with the right styling, the wall can look so chic.
READ MORE: 19 Alternative Food and Drink Ideas for Couples Looking for Something Different
20. Tropical Wedding Bar
Want to give your bar a tropical feel? It's all about the flowers and greenery. Add a modern edge with a neon sign.
21. Rustic Bar with Chandelier
Adding a chandelier to an otherwise rustic bar adds a note of boho glamour.
22. Light Up Letters
When it comes to wedding bar décor, light-up letters are an easy win. You could go with a straightforward yet stylish bar sign, or choose something bar-related like 'Cheers!'
23. Hay Bale Wedding Bar
For a country-perfect wedding bar, use hay bales as the base, topped with planks of wood for stability.
READ MORE: Why Dried Wedding Flowers Make the Coolest Wedding Décor
24. Ladder Wedding Bar
If you're going DIY with your wedding bar, think abut which everyday objects you can repurpose to save some money - as this shot shows, even an old wooden ladder can look chic with the right styling!
25. Whiskey Bar
In addition to your main wedding bar, it's a lovely after-dinner idea to unveil a satellite bar that specialises in a particular spirit, like this cool whiskey self-serve station.
As well as providing a flow of drinks from a beautiful bar, we think it's a lovely touch to include some wedding entertainment - check out our top 48 entertainment ideas (that won't break the bank!).
