Winter Warmers

By The Celebration Team 21 May, 2012

With winter on its way, it’s a good idea to get creative with ways to keep your wedding guests warm while they celebrate your big day with you. Even an autumn or spring evening can become quite nippy. Serving hot comfort food is always a winner on a chilly evening, but here are some more ideas on drinks and treats to serve that will keep your guests feeling cosy while you celebrate this fun and exciting time together:

Make a hot veggie soup and serve this in shot glasses to your guests as they mingle with one another before the reception begins. This can be in addition to or in place of your welcome drinks. Popular options include Cream of Tomato, Butternut, Broccoli and Feta as well as a traditional Brown Onion soup. Serve some or all of these for fun colour combinations.
Glühwein is heated red wine flavoured with cinnamon, cloves, star anise, vanilla, citrus and sugar. Because it is tasty and really heats the body up from the inside, guests may drink it far faster than they would ordinary red wine. So, as per the tradition, serve your glühwein in small glasses.
Chai tea has been described as liquid milk tart and rightly so. This creamy, sweet drink is non-alcoholic, tasty, rich and just plain delicious. Sachets are widely available and simply need to be mixed with hot water and / or milk.
Horlicks is another South African favourite. This malty drink is a real treat for young and old. Bear in mind that Horlicks is rather filling, so limit the servings so as not to fill guests up too much before your meal.
Tea, coffee, cappuccinos and red cappuccinos (made from Rooibos tea) are all popular favourites. Add sprinkles, marshmallows and cream to make these extra special.

Here are a few novel combinations for warm cocktails, courtesy of Martha Stewart: