Wedding Sangria

Uncle Dan and Megan

This past summer I was very flattered when my cousin, Megan, asked for a sangria recipe for her wedding. She planned to have the drink available right as guests were arriving instead of making people wait until after the ceremony for a little libation. In my opinion, this is the most considerate choice. People come to weddings to celebrate, to rejoice, and to drink.

Megan chose my traditional red wine sangria with apples, oranges, lemons, and limes. She selected her own varietal, as well as the brand of the brandy and the orange liqueur. The beverage was placed right at the entrance of the wedding with moderate sized plastic cups and cocktail napkins.

Although I've shared my recipes many times, the stakes become higher when it's your cousin, and it's your cousin's wedding. I was nervous that the drink would meet her expectations and contribute to the sophisticated event I knew she'd be hosting.

A wedding guest enjoying sangria

Risking looking a little too eager to be the first to hit the sangria, I filled my cup halfway and returned to my seat with our family. After one sip, I was thrilled. Under Megan's direction, the catering company had pulled it off and made a wonderful drink. What made me even happier was watching guest after guest leaving their bench to fill their own cup before the ceremony began.

Megan was so stunning, the wedding ceremony so beautiful, and the dinner and dancing so delightful, that the sangria's success was irrelevant.  However, I was happy to know that the festive wine held its own, and contributed in some small way to a lovely evening.