Breakfast for dinner?

Oliv, the reception is not "all about you". The ceremony is all about you. You can do whatever you want during your ceremony. You can choose Dr. Seuss readings and a wedding party dressed as Star Wars characters, or you can choose a lengthy, highly religious ceremony with your wedding party in tuxes and gowns. You can walk down the aisle to the Bridal March, a country tune, The Beatles, or the theme from Game of Thrones, or you can dance down the aisle to some hip-hop song. For an officiant, you can have a priest, a rabbi, someone you hire who is licensed and a member of a celebrant organization, your uncle who's a pastor, or your best friend who was licensed online the week before your wedding. You and your attendants can carry gorgeous live bouquets that mimic your pinterest dreams, silks from Etsy, lanterns from Pottery Barn, clutches, or parasols. That part of the day is all about you.

The reception is different. It is a thank you to your guests for attending the most important 40 minutes (or so) of your life. If YOU love breakfast food, serve it to your attendants during the getting reading time. However, if your guests have taken the time to attend an evening wedding, you should be thinking about them when you plan the reception meal. Decorate the reception any way you want, but beyond that, think about your guests. If you want to serve cream cheese, bacon, and sausage apps during cocktail hour, tell your caterer to come up with some options that include those elements. However, scrambled eggs. toast, bagels, hash browns. and pancakes with maple syrup are not going to appeal to guests who have dressed up to attend an evening wedding and dinner reception. Like it or not, that's the truth.

I personally hate breakfast. If you go with this idea, please let your guests know ahead of time

Both my husband and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE breakfast for dinner. I would not serve it for an evening meal. We did have an early afternoon luncheon with stations. One was chicken and waffles. You could sweeten it up with fruit, whipped cinnamon butter and nuts or go savory with a chipotle sauce and cole slaw. People loved it, but it had it's place....like Centerpiece said.

Hi Renee, (Or is it "Oliv?")

My go to answer for almost every questions is "Do what you want. It is your wedding." I will say the same thing here. If people are coming to see you get married, they should be content to eat whatever you serve. There are weddings nowadays that do not serve anything except a cocktail hour menu.

My next request is that you explain to us what you mean by "breakfast food." What I eat for breakfast is very different from what most of the posters are describing.

You have time to research your menu and plan your theme. My advice is to include very heavy items as appetizers and side dishes. If you are having a cocktail hour, try to fill up your guests at that time in order to make a lighter dinner more appropriate.

It will also be good if you have a theme that supports your breakfast for dinner plan. Someone suggested that you let people know in advance. I think that the menu should always be included in the invitation even if people do not have to choose in advance so everyone will be prepared.

You can also have one breakfast option with other standard options for meals.

If you get a lot of pushback on this idea, consider doing it for just yourself and your husband to be. A big brunch for the two of you and traditional items for your guests.

I wouldn't do this. My DH refuses to eat breakfast for dinner and would be pretty upset if that was served for dinner. I don't mind, but it just isn't really something all your guests would like.

I think either move the wedding to brunch time...or have a late night snack of waffles or crepes or something like that. I wouldn't mind a crepe for dessert!

It's only "all about you" if you get married at a Starbucks, with two paid witnesses. (And yes, we do plenty of these, or similar...)

Even the ceremony isn't truly AOY....if you think that parents, friends, close family don't have some kind of expectation of what will happen, guess again. Side eye starts at the door. Does that mean you should abandon all your interesting personal ideas? No, but it's good to keep that in mind. If your parents were always expecting a church or a temple, there is probably some reasonable compromise that doesn't include light sabers. Last weekend, I walked down the aisle to the Theme from Sunday Night Football one night, Jurassic Park the other, and recessed to 'At Last" twice. We had Jack Daniels toasts, two dogs, a full costume wedding with a fairly traditional ceremony, and multiple personal stories. Great compromises all; happy, expressive couples and happy entertained guests.

But I digress.

Don't ask your guests to travel, get dressed up, bring you a present (I know, I know, you're not specifically asking but it's pretty tacit....) and then give them an omelette. It's just weird, and it won't be 6.00 pp, guaranteed.

The hors d'oeuveres idea is the best; if they don't like one thing, they'll eat the other five, but honestly, the morning invite thing is the best idea in many ways. Even at my early weddings, there is always a smattering of carving stations, pasta; the actual breakfast kind of food isn't really the focus.

Thanks everyone! FH and I appreciate all of your thoughts!