Weddings · Corporate · Private Events

Cocktail hour,
served by hooves.

Friendly Highland cattle and mini donkeys deliver drinks to your guests — a warm, unexpected moment for the part of the day when everyone’s ready to mingle.

Plan your cocktail hour →

Gravot Hill Farm · Millstadt, IL & the St. Louis metro

Rupert, a halter-trained micro cow wearing a rose floral drink basket, standing in a green pasture.
Rupert Micro cow

My Story

From the classroom to the pasture.

After a career in the classroom, I turned my focus to the animals that were always my favorite part of the day — the Highland steers and miniature donkeys of Gravot Hill Farm. I raise and halter-train each one from day one, so by the time they reach your celebration they’re gentle, confident, and at ease in a crowd. This began for one reason: to share the animals I love with people on their most special day. My husband shared that love, and Gravot Hill Farm carries it forward in his memory. So we turn them out in florals, fit them with drink baskets, and let them do what they do best — charm every guest in the room.

100% Halter-trained & people-friendly
1hr On-site beverage service window
Year-round Outdoor & covered-venue bookings

The Crew

Meet the servers.

Romeo, a halter-trained Highland steer with a shaggy ginger coat and sweeping horns in a green pasture. RomeoHighland steer

Highland Steers

Shaggy, gentle giants with ginger coats and sweeping horns. Our steers wear floral drink baskets and hold court at the cocktail hour — calm, photogenic, and always the centerpiece.

Stoney, a halter-trained micro cow wearing a floral garland, facing the camera in a green pasture. StoneyMicro cow

Micro Cows

Compact and impossibly sweet, our micro cows bring the same gentle, halter-trained presence in a smaller frame. Camera-ready and crowd-friendly, they’re a charming, photogenic addition to any lineup.

Ralph, a halter-trained mini Highpark cow with a distinctive spotted coat, facing the camera in a pasture. RalphMini Highpark

Mini Highpark

A rare heritage mini breed with a distinctive spotted coat. Ralph is calm, curious, and halter-trained from day one — a one-of-a-kind face your guests won’t stop photographing.

Beethoven, a halter-trained mini donkey with a spotted coat, ready to serve beverages. BeethovenBeverage burro

Mini Beverage Burros

Pocket-sized donkeys decked in florals and fitted with custom drink baskets. They roam the crowd passing out beverages, mingling with guests, and stealing every heart in the room.

The Herd

Meet the crew by name.

Every one of our animals is halter-trained, gentle, and at ease in a crowd. Here’s who you might meet at your event.

Rupert, a halter-trained micro cow wearing a floral drink basket.
RupertMicro cow
Romeo, a halter-trained Highland steer in a green pasture.
RomeoHighland steer
Ralph, a spotted mini Highpark cow wearing a floral drink basket.
RalphMini Highpark
Stoney, a micro cow wearing a floral drink basket.
StoneyMicro cow
Bach, a mini donkey with long ears and soft cream fur.
BachBeverage burro
Beethoven, a spotted mini donkey in a green pasture.
BeethovenBeverage burro
Blaze, a mini donkey with a white blaze marking.
BlazeBeverage burro

Packages

A curated one-hour experience.

Every package is a one-hour signature cocktail-hour moment with professional handlers, polished presentation, and seamless venue coordination. Beverages are provided by the venue or client — we bring the charm. Travel beyond the St. Louis metro quoted separately.

Every package includesProfessional handlers · Styled drink baskets · One-hour signature moment · Seamless venue coordination

Signature Experience

Starting at

$1,200

  • 1 hour on-site
  • 2 mini beverage burros
  • Professional handler
  • Styled drink baskets
  • Basic floral styling
  • Local travel included
Most popular

Estate Steer

Starting at

$1,800

  • 1 hour on-site
  • 2–3 animals, incl. a Highland steer or mini cow
  • 2 handlers
  • Premium florals & custom signage
  • Planning call, setup & breakdown
  • Local travel included

Private Reserve

Starting at

$2,500+

  • 1 hour on-site
  • 3+ animals / curated cattle lineup
  • 2 handlers
  • Luxury styling & monogrammed details
  • Priority booking
  • Custom travel arranged

Build your own

  • Additional beverage burro$300–$400
  • Additional steer or mini cow$450–$600
  • Extra 30 minutes$250–$400
  • Premium floral styling$150–$350
  • Custom signage / monogramming$75–$200
  • Travel outside core area$100–$300+
  • Venue walkthrough or planner meeting$100–$250
  • Peak date / Saturday premium10%–25%
  • Exclusive venue date hold$250–$500

Final pricing is tailored to your event — your date, guest count, travel, and add-ons all shape the quote. Reach out for a detailed quote.

Custom packages available — elopements, rehearsal dinners, brand activations, and festivals welcome. Champagne & signature-cocktail coordination quoted on request.

Sip & Steers does not provide, sell, or serve alcohol. Our animals carry beverages for guests to retrieve themselves; the client or event host is responsible for all alcohol service and compliance with applicable laws, including not serving minors or intoxicated guests.

Scan to visit sipandsteersevents.com

Take it with you

Grab our brochure

A one-page overview of Sip & Steers — packages, the herd, and how it works. Scan the code to pull up our site on your phone, or download a copy.

Download brochure (PDF) For venues & planners

Good to know

Thoughtful details, handled.

The little things that make animal service effortless at a formal event — and the questions couples and planners ask first.

Clean & tidy, guaranteed

Our animals wear discreet containment — saddlebags and potty bags — and handlers stay on watch, so your venue stays spotless. We leave no trace.

Arrival & parking

We arrive 30–45 minutes early to settle in and bring a roughly 35-foot truck and trailer. Please reserve an accessible parking spot near the service area.

Venue requirements

A flat outdoor or covered area with shade and water for the animals, and supervised children. We ask guests not to feed the animals or use flash photography.

Weather & animal welfare

The animals always come first. On extreme-heat or storm days we add shade and water breaks, or reschedule — no exceptions.

Custom theming

Florals, hats, and monogrammed details matched to your colors and theme. Tell us your palette and we’ll style the herd to fit.

Booking your date

A 25% deposit holds your date, with the balance due two weeks before the event. Reach out early — peak-season Saturdays fill fast.

Gravot Hill Farm logo

Bookings

Let's pour something memorable.

Tell me about your event and I’ll send availability and a tailored quote. Dates fill fast in peak season — reach out early.

I typically reply within 24–48 hours.