Wedding Blog
I have become obsessed with Mexican coke. No, not the drug, though I suppose the beverage could also be construed as a drug in certain circumstances. I am talking about classic glass-bottled, cane-sugar-sweetened, cola from our neighbors to the south!
Why am I obsessed? Because I must have it at our wedding! I might be crazy, but I think glass-bottled coke plays delightfully into our “rustic” theme, while being classically tasteful.
I thought my best bet would be to visit the Mexican grocery in Pike Place Market and ask them to sell me a few crates. At worst, I figured I’d have to purchase a couple cases online.
But no, it’s easier than that! Mexican coke is sold at Costco for far cheaper than I could get it elsewhere. Glee!
I first read about mexi-coke being sold at Costco in blog posts dated this time last year. But friends and family who have visited the retail giant more recently than I have confirmed that it is indeed still for sale.
Sadly, it looks like Costco slaps nutritional information stickers on the bottles. I am imagining many evenings of soaking off stickers and wiping off residue with rubbing alcohol. Joy of joys.
Oh bottled coke, what is it about you that I love so much? Perhaps it is images like these that tickle my fancy and invoke a sense of nostalgic Americana:
Perhaps it is your cool and refreshing taste on a summer’s day. I don’t even really like regular coke but mexi-coke is somehow infinitely more palatable.
I am envisioning mexi-coke’s role in our wedding as the following:
As guests cross the sun-drenched field to get to our ceremony site in the creekside wedding-circle, they will reach a small wooden table. On it, an offering of ice-cold lemon water served in a vintage infusion jug and galvanized steel pails (perhaps weathered wooden crates lined with plastic) filled with fresh ice and glistening glass bottles of Coca-Cola. As they wait for the ceremony to begin, they sip their beverages and reminisce about the way things used to be and how good they still are.
Ahhhh.
I really don’t know why bottled coke makes me feel so completely sentimental; it hasn’t played any significant role in my life… until I saw the above photo in an inspiration board. Now I sound like a shill for the Coca-Cola Company!
And in case you’re wondering what five flats of mexi-coke looks like, here are the fruits of Saturday’s trip to Costco:
( Don’t worry, bottled coke stays fresh and fizzy for over a year! )
Well, it’s details like these that make me love wedding planning. And I have plenty more to share!
I’m curious… Is anyone else providing refreshments to their guests before the ceremony?
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I was going to do something similar, but then I found out that my venue doesn’t recycle–So that plan went out the window. No way was I going to let all those bottles go in the trash.
Anyway, I hope you have a recycle plan in place, because it’s a very cute idea!
We’re serving lemonade to people as they enter for the ceremony, but I love your vintage coke idea!
you’re right, whether it’s psychological or not, it does taste better out of a glass bottle in my opinion. if i had done this at my wedding, my mother would have thought she had died and gone to heaven. great idea!
I love your vintagesque coke bottle idea! very cute and perfect for our theme! Since we are getting married on a mountaintop in Colorado, it’s important for guests to stay hydrated or they can get altitude sickness! To this end, we are placing water bottles, fan programs and bubbles on each chair pre-ceremony to add to the finished look and to keep guests refreshed (well, at least the water/fans) 
The reason why you see the Mexican coke at this time of year is because people drink it during Passover (cane syrup is kosher for Passover, corn syrup in regular US coke is not).
It is a good idea though, very cute and nostalgia inducing 
I’m getting married on a goat farm and also thinking of having beverages available for guests prior to the ceremony. Where did you get your glass vintage infusion jug thing?
Just wanted to mention also that depending on where you live it may be easier to get “kosher coke”…it is also made with pure sugar instead of corn syrup.
http://www.nypost.com/seven/03192007/news/regionalnews/kosher__coke_a_big_hit_regionalnews_rita_delfiner.htm
this is such a cute idea! i might have to borrow it my mom was an avid coca cola from a bottle fan when i was a kid and this does seem so nostalgic to me…
i believe the label is slapped on all the mexican coke bottles b/c they are imported. and yes they do taste better in a bottle, but THESE are fantastic because they contain real sugar not corn syrup! yum.
If my hotel already gives us unlimited mexican cokes and coke lights in the mini-fridge….do you think people will be as excited that it’s also at the ceremony?
I am planning to do this, too. Thanks for the Costco tip! I am adding small cans of Izze soda as well because it is made in Boulder, CO (and I’m getting married in Boulder). I love everything about your wedding so far!
I am a destination bride like you - and I’m surprised you bought all of these at a Costco in Seattle. Montana has Costco too. We are arriving at our destination a few days early to make the Costco run for welcome bags, etc. to try and minimize all the stuff we need to haul with us to the wedding. We are flying - perhaps you are driving - but that is still a lot of things to pack and haul to Montana. Maybe you can discuss the logistics of getting all your DIY to you DW.
What a cute post. I just love your enthusiasm! And it is so true that it tastes better out of a glass bottle
Quick Tip: be sure not to emerse the entire bottle in water when you soak the nutritional labels off… Rusty metal bottlecap flavored coke is ‘no bueno’
We’re not doing anything for the ceremony, but we’re having a sparkling lemonade toast (Lorina Lemonade - so delicious) instead of a champagne toast. Neither my fiance nor I drink, so it would be weird for us to do that, and the lemonade goes with our outdoor picnic-y vibe.
These are so cute!
Try using “Go-Gone” solution to get the label off- you can just peel it off yourself, and then rub the glass with go-gone on a cotton- ball (no need to soak each bottle)
Congrats on your find
i’m confused… are you looking for coke from mexico because of the glass bottles or because it’s made w/ cane sugar? i’m in virginia and we have coke in glass bottles that i’m pretty sure is just regular coke, though they aren’t at every single grocery store most convenience stores have them. is that not true everywhere in the US?
Don’t forget to provide fun little bottle openers? If I rememeber correctly these aren’t twist tops. And even if they are how fun would bottle opener’s be?
I had those cokes at our wedding!! They were one of the “stations” at our reception (Ok, so I’m a teacher and the whole station thing kind of slipped into other areas of my life). We had bottled coke, sparkling lemonade, and all sorts of flavored syrups so that people could make their own drinks. It was a huge hit with the kids and also with the adults! Our photographer had a great time taking pictures of people with their bottled cokes. So cute!
Yay for Mexican Coke! It is actually cheaper in Mexico than at Costco…but unless you live 45 minutes away from Mexico (like I do) Costco is a good option! I am serving Mexican Coke late in my reception along with Sonoran hotdogs and a live Mariachi band! mmm!
i second the suggestion to use “goo-gone” for the labels.
and boy do i love cane-sugared coke (from any country but the us, really). darn american and our cost efficient, mass produced, corn syrup.
i love the idea, and yes, i think we’ll include beverages (probably lemonade) for our ceremony too.
I wish I could find Diet Coke in these cute bottles. I’m a HUGE diet coke drinker…its my absolute favorite drink. Anyone know?
I think I might have to pick up a case of the Mexico Coke and see if I can tell the difference.
I really wanted to get those cokes as well. But FI thought it was unnecessary. boo! =(
Hee! The FI and I have been to Costco twice and see this each time.
Dammit! We’ll get it next time!
Did you see the knottie bio where she did a coke bar. They had peanuts and cherries and limes to add to your coke, it looked like so much fun!
i LOVE mexican coke! everytime my husband and i are across the border, i chug the stuff in unhealthy amounts. i just can’t get enough and had no idea you could get it in the u.s.! thanks for the tip! i’m going to costco!
did anyone else immediately get that song in their head, “the stars will always shine, the birds will always sing. as long as there is coke, there’s always the real thing. coca-cola classic is always the one! whenever there is fun, there’s always coca-cola!” Ah, the commercial jingles of my childhood…
We’re going to serve refreshments before the ceremony by a drink cart. I need to recruit a friend to play mock-flight attendant (FI and I met on a plane and love to travel, plus the venue feels a bit like a hangar). I haven’t yet decided what’s going to be on the cart, but I think it will be fun.
i love the new izze line of sparkling drinks and the apple and pear flavors both have a bright green logo that matches our color scheme, i think i want to have buckets of those or a table. i love bottled drinks with cute labels!
http://community.theknot.com/cs/ks/user/page.aspx?username=mrs.donkey
I you haven’t already seen this bio… you should check it out! She has an entire coca cola bar with different flavorings and such
if you want some cute inspiration for an americana theme wedding… take a look at this wedding my photographer shot which turned out SUPER cute!
In my recent trips to Costco I’ve seen it sold there- not necessarily from Mexico, but in the original classic bottle.
Thanks for the feedback everyone! And yes, I realize that mexi-coke taste best because of the cane sugar. That’s why I love it! Mr. Cherry Pie and I avoid high-fructose corn syrup whenever we can.
@Cricket: Yes I really hope we can recycle them. Polebridge is a very earth-friendly locale, so I believe they should be able to take care of us. Recycling in Montana is definitely difficult in places, but I THINK glass shouldn’t be a problem.
@Jessie: Our wedding coordinator has several infusion jugs we can borrow, but we are also thinking of buying some from Infusionjars.com. They have good prices and a wide selection. But I will check eBay first, of course!
@Miss Lovebird: Your hotel sounds AWESOME. Where is it? 
@enmoore66: You’re right! There IS a Costco in Kalispell and we ARE going to MT a week before the wedding. Buuuuutttt… I don’t want to be soaking off the ugly nutritional info stickers in our hotel room. I want to get all that work done beforehand so we can enjoy our time in Glacier with friends and family. We are, in fact, driving from Seattle to GNP, as we do every year. It’s a wonderful drive! I will address the amount of stuff we are bringing and how we distribute it in a later post. Most likely other friends driving from Seattle will ferry some things for us.
@Karianne: Thanks! I will remember that!
@Coconut: Good tip! I will do this instead of soaking, I think.
@alexinwonderland: hanks for the link! I might try to include “flavors” as well!
@Birdy: It’s true, glass-bottled coke is pretty rare around these parts. I wanted mexi-coke both for the look AND for the cane sugar. Yay!
Brilliant. This is going to be so cute in that setting — all the iconic images and fun photos. Promise me you’re not giving them glasses or straws, either?
@Miss Lovebug: Oh heck no! Ya drink mexi-coke from the bottle, all icey-coldy from the bucket!
I use to be an employee of Coke. If you’re an extreme coke fanatic… something we did at rallies were to have everyone with a bottle opener…. Toast and everyone opens their coke at the same time. It has to be quite quiet in order for it to work but the hissing sound from all the cokes being opened is pretty cool and maybe you can have bottle openers as your favors. Just a thought
that reminds me of this pic:
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b6cf31b3127cce8efd82e9396e00000016100AbuWLds5cMWJA
on this knottie bio:
http://community.theknot.com/cs/ks/user/page.aspx?username=mrs.donkey
there’s a little product called “goo-gone” that will be your best friend. it works a million times better than rubbing alcohol and will make your job go much quicker
Since we were having a late-ish ceremony, we served refreshments outside our country chapel before the ceremony. We pulled some of the extra pews outside and had a cellist provide the music. The food was lovely fruit kabobs with sparkling cider. Yum!
I saw this Charleston beverage dispenser today, May 2, 2008, at the Sam’s Club in Baltimore for $29.99. It is clear glass and 2- 1/2 gallons with spigot.
http://www.amazon.com/Charleston-Beverage-Dispenser-Gallon-Capacity/dp/B0015IVPHI
[...] vestibule of our apartment. But really, I got it to bring to the wedding to decorate our table of bottled coca-cola. We can either set it on the table, stand it upright, or hang it if there’s anything nearby to [...]
[...] the price stickers on them, which I’ll have to take off with some Goo Gone. Between these and the Coke bottles I have so much work to do with that stuff that I seriously hope it isn’t [...]
awww that is such a sweet idea! ahh this brings back memories =) and its given me a great idea! The company in Mexico who sells these also makes soda pop in different flavors and its definitely a happy childhood memory of mine from all my trips down south. Whenever my family and I go visit we always buy a whole bunch to bring back when and then when we go back we take the bottles back because they recycle them and we get a discount on our next batch!
[...] menu that will hang by a ribbon near the cocktail table. It has all of our beverages, including the bottled coke (!), infused liquors (which I forgot to tell you about!!), and suggested [...]
[...] menu that will hang by a ribbon near the cocktail table. It has all of our beverages, including the bottled coke (!), infused liquors (which I forgot to tell you about!!), and suggested [...]
[...] but I’m sure we’ll be able to use all 3. As you can see, we plan on filling them with water, Mexi-Coke (our FAVE since I can’t tolerate high fructose corn syrup), and Shiner (Mr. Lemonade’s FAVE for [...]
[...] can see one of our bottled Mexican cokes in the background of that shot. Those were a big hit, though we did end up taking a few cases home. [...]
[...] reading your post about how bottled coke makes you feel a sense of nostalgia over historic & traditional Americana, I thought it only [...]
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Miss Cherry Pie, Seattle/Polebridge, Montana
Age and Occupation: 25, Marketing Communications Specialist
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Nurse Practitioner
Engagement Date: August 26, 2006
Wedding Date: September 2008
Blogging Since: April 1, 2008
Venue: A tiny town just outside of Glacier National Park
About Me: I think of life as a journey and I love the places it's taking me! I went to school to study Magazine Journalism, ended up with a second major in Japanese language, and now work at a company that makes software for libraries. I love writing, computers, photography, and the great outdoors. I spend most of my time playing Guitar Hero and Rock Band or geeking out online with Mr. Cherry Pie. I'm happiest when I'm on the road, especially traveling abroad, or just nesting quietly at home with my sweetie, who is a fabulous cook and bakes a delicious rendition of a certain cherry-filled dessert!
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