15 Wedding Food and Drink Ideas Inspired by Verona Sunset

Orange Cocktails on Silver Tray Next to White Flowers at Wedding Reception — Photo by Abby Jiu / Design by Brides

While we love a wedding full of soft, neutral shades, it’s hard to resist the allure (and the fun!) of a bright pop of color, particularly one that reflects the stunning beauty of the natural world. For example, a deep ocean blue or forest green adds cool and soothing tones, while a lilac purple or rose pink brings a whimsical romanticism, reminiscent of a field of flowers. However, this year, we’re focused on a particular sky-inspired hue: Verona Sunset, our Minted + Brides Color of the Year 2025.

This shade balances the dreaminess of a summer sunset with the brightness of an Italian aperitivo. Regardless of whether or not you’re planning to say “I do” as the sun dips below the skyline, there are numerous ways to bring this energetic shade into your wedding celebration. You may opt to add it into your ceremony with gorgeous florals, make it the focal point of your reception with bright table settings—or, perhaps, integrate it into your food and beverage service with the coloring of the meals and drinks themselves. Inspired by the famous Aperol Spritz, Verona Sunset can be easily incorporated into cocktails, appetizers, and even your cake. Here, we’ve rounded up some inspiration from weddings that did just that, showing how just a small pop of this color can go a long way on your food and drink menu.

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Pack an Orange-Inspired Punch

A Bowl of Orange Fruit Punch at a Wedding Decorated With Orange Slices — Photo by Alexandra Knight Photography

You don’t need to dole out individual cocktails for Sunset Verona to shine. Consider a punch (with or without alcohol), decorated with bright orange slices. We love how this couple, with the help of planner and designer The Hummingbird Event Co., paired their drink with small vases on either side, turning a beverage station into a visually-appealing tablescape.

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Turn Your Dessert Into Stunning Flowers

An Assortment of Orange Cupcakes With Floral Designs Made Out of Icing — Photo by Anna Krasovska

While much of the focus at wedding receptions tends to be on the cake, we love an alternative—or complementary—dessert. The brightness of the Verona Sunset shade shines through on these frosted cupcakes, as the tiny layers mimic the look of real petals. Pairing the energetic shade with a more white-inspired orange tone, this couple created the perfect balance between romantic and fun on their dessert plate.

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Etch White Designs Into a Sunset Cake

A Decadent Orange Cake With White Flowers and a White Design at a California Wedding — Photo by Joe + Kathrina

Decadence is never overrated, particularly when it comes to wedding cakes. Designing a cake that incorporated two hues of orange with intricate white designs and florals, Maison de La Fork brought a desert-inspired look to this couple's California nuptials.

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Float Flowers on the Tops of Your Cocktails

An Assortment of Orange-Hued Cocktails in Martini Glasses, Topped With a Range of Different Flowers — Photo by Philip Casey Photography

Even if you opt to bring Verona Sunset into the color of your cocktail, you can still use other shades to garnish the drink. We love how this couple added a floral touch to each individual glass, while keeping the base drink the same, mixing and matching in the most aesthetically pleasing way.

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Up Your Toasts With Some Melon

Toasts on a Platter Topped With Prosciutto and Melo — Photo by Anna Krasovska

While prosciutto and toast is delicious on its own, adding melon to the dish sprinkles in some sweetness that takes the appetizer to a new level (plus, it's an Italian signature—yet another nod to Verona Sunset's origins). The orange tone of the fruit also brings a tinge of brightness to the neutral shades of the cured meat and bread.

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Combine Earth Tones

A Bartender Holds a Tray of Orange Cocktails Topped With Some Sprigs of Greenery — Photo by Clay Austin Photography

While you may assume that orange and green can’t possibly be mixed without creating a pumpkin-inspired look, think again. The two earth-toned colors complement each other, and when paired together, they create a surprising—and stunning—aesthetic. We love how the team at Patrick Properties Hospitality Group kept it simple, yet beautiful, for this couple's nuptials by adding a touch of greenery to their warm-toned cocktail.

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Add Some Orange Florals on the Side

A Caterer Holds Out an Assortment of Crackers Topped With Cheese and Tomatoes and Decorated With Orange and Purple Flowers — Photo by Tamara Gruner Photography

Integrating sunset-inspired tones into your food and drink service can be as simple as adding them to the side of your dish. This couple made sure that their appetizers weren’t lacking in color, pairing their crackers topped with feta and tomato with small purple and orange flowers.

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Top Cucumbers With Raw Fish

Cucumber Slices Topped With Cream Cheese, Chives, and Salmon On a White Platter — Photo by Anna Krasovska

Regardless of whether or not you're hosting your big day in a seaside environment, bring the freshness of the ocean to your reception by offering sliced cucumbers topped with salmon, cream cheese, and chives. Your guests will feel immediately transported to a tropical paradise just from looking at the platter.

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Add a Sprig of Greenery

Bottles of Topo Chico Filled With an Orange Cocktail and Topped With Greenery and Orange Slices — Photo by Alexandra Knight Photography

Reduce, reuse, and recycle! Instead of putting their orange-inspired cocktail into new glasses, this couple and their planner, The Hummingbird Event Co., decided to spruce up a Topo Chico bottle with a sprig of greenery and an orange slice. These simple additions turned an everyday drink into an Instagram-worthy snapshot.

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Personalize Your Drinks With a Subtle Twist

A Few Alcoholic Orange-Hued Drinks on a Platter, Garnished With Orange Slices That Include the Couple's Initials — Photo by Larissa Cleveland

Small touches make a big difference during your wedding reception. Instead of keeping their cocktail as is, the team at Meadowood added this couple's initials to the garnish of the drink, a bright orange slice. It made a classic cocktail (an old fashioned) a little more personal.

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Add a Fall-Inspired Option With an Orange Hue

An Array of Butternut Squash Bites Topped With Smoked Collards On a White Platter — Photo by Mikkel Paige Photography

Even though Verona Sunset is reminiscent of the summer Italian landscape, showcasing this color through fall-forward foods, such as butternut squash, brings an understated coziness to the bright tone. We love how the catering team at Highgrove Estate kept it easy by just adding a touch of smoked collards to the top of the squared squash.

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Bring Candied Orange Slices Down the Side of Your Cake

A White Cake Decorated With Orange Slices and Flowers Cascading Down the Side — Photo by Adrian Steinbach

Is there anything more beautiful than a colorful cascade down the side of a wedding cake? The warm glow of these candied slices, paired with orange and white flowers, pops against the pure white covering of the two-tiered cake by Aunt Mona's Cakes, bringing a fresh and slightly rustic feel to the stunning dessert.

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Create Individual Portions of a Fruit-Forward Dessert

An Array of Orange-Colored Individual Dessert Portions in Glass Cups, Topped With White Cream, at a Wedding Reception — Photo by Sotiris Tsakanikas

Guests love individually-portioned desserts—and clustering these small bites together always makes for a beautiful photo. This couple balanced the punchy orange hue of their dessert with a dollop of cream and small orange toppings, and displayed the on a series of trays nestled into beds of rosemary.

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Place Some Citrus Slices on the Side

A Lightly-Frosted Wedding Cake Decorated With Slices of Citrus Fruits — Photo by Bramble & Vine

Combine a hint of Verona Sunset with other citrus colors, as this couple did at their wedding. We love how they kept the icing on the cake rustic and simple to allow the color on the slices of fruit to be that much more vibrant.

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Add an Orange Rim

Peach-colored wedding cocktails served in rocks glasses on a silver tray at an outdoor reception — Photo by Lauren Fair Photography

Even if you integrate Verona Sunset into the color of your cocktail, there's no rule stopping you from also incorporating a shade of it onto the rim of your drink. At this couple's Aspen nuptials, they used the natural color of the chili salt to add a punch of brightness to their spicy margaritas.

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