A.M./Brunch Wedding

Hi, almost-date twin! We are having a Sunday brunch wedding the day after yours. I am sure it will be a different type of party, definitely not as wild and crazy as a late night reception. That being said, we are having an open bar (wine, beer, and brunch cocktails), a good DJ and MC, and a photo booth for added entertainment. I believe that if FH and I are dancing, other people will do so as well. But you know your crowd - those who like to dance will dance any time of day. As for catering, we are having a brunch buffet that includes typical breakfast foods (omelette station, French toast, etc). However, we are also having a variety of other foods in the buffet like chicken francese, a meat carving station (I think it's bbq flank steak?) and a variety of pastas and salads. This way people who don't like breakfast-type foods have other options. Our ceremony is at 11 am and reception 12-4. Let me know if you have any other questions :-)

Thanks so much! I like the idea of me and my FH having the evening to ourselves and our guests a chance to drive home that day! Thanks for all the wonderful ideas!

I've never been to one either, but love the idea of a brunch wedding. Endless mimosas?! Yes please. Like others have said, it might not be so much of a "party," but if that's okay with you, it'll be great! I'm assuming you're having a Catholic wedding, because that's often the only church that puts people in a tough spot who want to have a Saturday evening wedding. If you DO want more of a party atmosphere, you could also consider a Friday evening.

1. brunch is awesome (I could put a fried egg on almost anything).

2. I think youll have a nice time, but it might not be a raging party. At one early wedding I went to some people danced, but it was SO bright in the room it felt weird to me.

My ceremony is going to be from 11:30 AM-12 then cocktail hour 12-1 and the reception until 5. I love having an earlier wedding because we will dance and party no matter what time it is!

I love brunch. I rather have brunch than a 3 hour gap.

My ceremony is at 12:30. We choose it because it was 10K cheaper than an evening wedding at our venue. We are doing DJ, open bar, and a buffet. The buffet is not a brunch buffet. We will have a pasta station, prime rib, chicken dish, fish dish, etc. I've been to early afternoon weddings before that weren't brunch, so I'm confident we will all have fun. Plus this way we can hang out with some OOT guests after the wedding if we want.

Eta: there's nothing wrong with a brunch reception. I think it would be fun. My point is it's not the only option.

Just to second Julia - I'd also MUCH rather have a brunch wedding than have a gap between the ceremony and reception!

Elizabeth, havent been to a brunch wedding, but we're playing with the idea too. It's cheaper. And it would be memorable.

Have you looked for sample recipes for the reception? That can inspire you a bit with your decision making.

P.S. 1 PM is not too early to drink or party. Keep in mind it's 5 o clock somewhere! LOL

Are you absolutely set on that church? You will definitely sacrifice the "feel" of a party with a mid-morning wedding, especially on a Saturday. If you stick with the brunch wedding, you may want to consider doing something less formal after your reception ends, like an "after party" (unhosted) at a local bar, or a nice dinner with your families, or even just a romantic dinner with your new husband something like that so that you're not just hanging out twiddling your thumbs the rest of the day/night.

I third Julia. I love brunch-- both the food and the drinks, and I think that after some mimosas or blood marys, people will be ready to dance. It will help if you can control the lighting in the room so that it's pretty dark. Since you are having a long ceremony, it would be nice of you to offer guests coffee when they arrive at the church if you can swing it. You could even buy those big cartons of coffee from Starbucks or Dunkin and put those out.

Thanks for all your input! I definitely feel much more comfortable with an earlier wedding now! ☺

I've never been to one either but it could be nice depending on your personalities. My only concern is you wouldn't have near enough time to get ready/prepare everything. So all decorating would have to be done the day before.

We're having a brunch wedding. Complete with mimosas, bloody marys, and belinis People will probably still dance and have a good time, it will just be on a smaller scale.

So far everyone that we've spoken to loves the idea. We will be having a bonfire in the evening though so we won't get the the evening to ourselves, but we expect our guests to have a blast.

Ours is going to be a brunch, on a Saturday. I'm not worried about the party feel- my family will dance if there is music on. We're having a good DJ and an open bar, so I think it's going to be just as much fun as an evening wedding.

Elizabeth, you are living proof that the "gap" that is usually associated with church weddings is not unavoidable. You are choosing to have your reception immediately following your ceremony, and as a guest, I would really appreciate that. The alternative, four to five hours of downtime to wander around the area in dress clothes, sit in a bar, or go back to a hotel isn't something I'm prepared to do, so I skip the ceremony and just attend the reception (which isn't ideal -- I love ceremonies, but I can't do the hours of downtime). Thanks for putting more value on your guests than you are on your desire to have an evening reception.

Now, that early afternoon reception you're having? It can be great -- a real party. I come from a large Irish family, and they love their celebrations. They start in the afternoon, and everyone is still going in the evening. In June, we attended my cousin's daughter's graduation party. It was catered, had a top shelf open bar, and tables and chairs for everyone set up around the pool. That party began at 2:00 PM. It was great. We do a female cousin annual lunch reunion at a restaurant. Every year, attendance grows because the word is spreading that we have such a good time (now, even the daughters, who are in their early 20s to early 30s are beginning to attend). We usually meet at 1:00 PM and start with cocktails. We're still going strong three hours later. There's so much laughter and fun. We don't even have a dance floor or a DJ -- just a huge table. A party is not about the time of day -- it's about including the elements that make a party great. If you serve cocktails, it will definitely help (nothing wrong with Mimosas, Bloody Marys, Bellinis, Screwdrivers, and wine). Add a DJ to the mix, and you'll be good to go. Your reception will be terrific. Plan it the same way you would if it was starting in the evening (with the exception of the menu -- and your guests will love you menu).

Our wedding was at 11:30 with a lunch reception, and we partied pretty hard even in the bright daylight! it can be done. We didn't even have a full bar, it was a wine only reception

Wow!! I never expected so much input! What a wonderful community!!! Thank you ladies so much! I am so excited to start planning now!!

Elizabeth- WW is pretty awesome Looking forward to seeing all your plans!