Sterling mobile bar is a wedding solution

STERLING —The “I do’s” have been exchanged, the groom has kissed the bride, and the big celebration afterward brings everyone together to raise a glass and make a toast. Love is in the air and spirits are high — and if Lindsay Hardt is there, the spirits are on wheels, too.

Hardt is the driving force behind her Sterling-based business, Roaming Mare, a mobile bar that she’ll set up for weddings, special events and other functions. And if her trailer looks a familiar, that’s because you’ve probably seen ones like it — hauling horses down the highway, which is what it used to do before being upgraded and upscaled into a rustic-styled bar on wheels. It’s equipped with counter space, sinks and fold-out windows, all inside a white trailer with knotty pine accents inside and out, looking right at home at any special event.

She was inspired to put her shoulder to the wheels and start the business after hosting her own special event.

“I had this idea when I was hosting a reunion, and I thought, ‘No one ever wants to be stuck behind a kitchen, always cooking and serving,‘” Hardt said. “The host always gets stuck cooking and serving their guests, and never actually gets to enjoy their own party. So I thought, what better thing to do than to have a mobile bar that you can cater to any event?

“Who wants to be stuck doing all of that and serving their guests, and not actually being a part of the party? This would be a great idea to do it,” she said.

When it comes to serving wedding guests, Roaming Mare isn’t Hardt’s first rodeo. The licensed bartender has been on the clock at many wedding receptions, having worked for local event venues for nearly 20 years, and that’s helped her develop the skills it takes to be a top-notch tender behind the bar: mastering mixed drinks, slinging suds, and developing the art of conversation — all with a smile on her face. When it comes to weddings especially, she knows how important the day is for the happy couple, so she does her part to make sure they stay happy during the reception.

“I’ve been in the event planning business for years at different venues in the Sauk Valley area, and I just love doing events,” Hardt said. “I just love the people, meeting new people, making people’s days perfect, and I love the details of all of it. It’s just exciting, and something’s always different; it’s never the same thing twice, which I love.”

Hardt started thinking about having a mobile bar business in the early spring of 2024. First, she had to nail down the “mobile” part. A truck or a food trailer would have been fine, but how about something a little different — a horse of a different color? Hardt found it in Indiana, at a business that remodels and customizes old horse trailers. Since starting Roaming Mare, she’s hauled her 6-foot-by-11-foot bar to weddings, private parties, community events and corporate functions.

When you hire Roaming Mare, it’s BYOB: You bring your own beverages, and Hardt brings her own bar. Customers supply the drinks they want — Hardt can help plan the drink menu — and she’ll take care of the rest: drinkware, napkins, straws, ice, drink garnishes. She also needs a hookup for electricity; and if there’s a place to hookup for water, that helps, too.

“They don’t have to worry about bringing cups or ice, all they have to be concerned about is providing the alcohol, and we talk about that ahead of time,” Hardt said. Hardt makes a point to contact clients on the day of the event to assure them that everything’s under control to give them one less thing to worry about on their big day, she said.

“As soon as I show up, I’m ready to roll. I like getting to see what drinks they want to use. Some people are low-key — beer it is and that’s it. Some would really like to have old-fashioneds, margaritas or Palomas. Every event is customizable to their liking.”

The basic rental will get you five hours of bar service for your buck, but if the event runs long, extra time can be arranged for an additional fee. Add-on options include additional bartenders, signage, bistro-style seating and a signature drink of her choice — she’s served summer sangrias in the summer and caramel apple sangrias in the fall.

If hosts want to decorate the trailer in a certain motif, that can be arranged as well.

Hardt’s first year has been a good one, and once word of mouth spreads about her mobile bar service, she expects things to really take off.

“I hope to be a part of people’s special days,” Hardt said. “I hope that people who want that intimate, customizable wedding package can have [the mobile bar], and it makes for a really cute photo op, too. People love going inside it and taking pictures of it. It’s just so versatile that is so different from a traditional venue where you can’t really change a lot of the things.”

Find The Roaming Mare on Facebook, email theroamingmare@yahoo.com or call 815-501-3873 for bookings or for more information.