Brunch vs Dinner

I think brunch is great for a Sunday afternoon wedding. You could choose to host an “after party” with friends and family, or go somewhere to continue the celebration in private with your new spouse.

I wanted a brunch wedding initially! I think the hardest part would be choosing the perfect start time and finding something to do after so your day isn’t just over. Maybe a wine tour? Bowling afterwards? Invite everyone out to a karaoke bar a little later? Trying to think of some fun stuff lol

I think bunch is so fun. I am going to have a brunch baby shower when the time comes! If it saves money and you are up for it, I say go for it. The only thing that concerns me is the time the wedding has to start for it to be brunch after. Other than that I see no negatives!

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Agreed Caytlyn! And I feel like guests wouldn't be bummed at the wedding ending mid-afternoon on a Sunday, since most people are getting ready for work the next day. It would work perfectly on a Sunday, and probably lower costs even further.

We’re doing a Sunday morning ceremony then brunch! We love breakfast and can’t beat the price

I don't mind brunch weddings! I think some of the negatives are getting up SUPER early to start getting ready. People also drink/dance/party less because it's still daylight & light outside so a little early for that. But the food is always fun because it's different and you save money most the time.

The biggest negative is how early you have to get up to start getting ready lol. Otherwise I love brunch and would be excited to attend a brunch wedding. I wouldnt hire a DJ or anything like that though, it won't be a dance party type wedding at all since it will be so early in the day.

So I'm having a lunch wedding (noon reception, 12:30-1:30 cocktail hour, 1:30-4:30 reception) so obviously I'm pro-early-in-the-day wedding, but I'm going to just give you the straight up facts about an earlier wedding, with the reasons why we either liked these things, or didn't care about these things. But these may be cons for you... an earlier wedding is great for us, but not for everyone, depending on what you want.

-There will be less dancing (we didn't pay for a DJ either, we're just using a playlist and having the best man emcee when necessary... this was a pro for me honestly because I'm not a big dancer anyway lol, plus saving money on DJ. But this may be a huge con for you if you care about dancing).

-There will be less drinking (can save you money if you pay for drinks on consumption)

-You can have fewer courses at your meal (we are serving an hour of hors douerves, a salad, an entree, and then cake)

-You will be done earlier in the day (again, a pro for us, we love that we can retreat to our hotel suite at 4:30 and spend a few hours alone together, and then maybe meet up with some guests that are still around later in the evening. I know a lot of people say they feel like they didn't get to spend enough time with their spouse on their wedding day... since we'll be done with the wedding at 4:30, my FH and I will still get the whole evening together!)

-It may be harder on your out of town guests (my friend recently had a noon wedding on a Saturday, and one of our mutual friends who lives across the country had to take a redeye after work on Friday to make it there, and showed up to the wedding completely exhausted because she had slept on a plane and then come straight to the wedding, since she couldn't miss work). To resolve this, if you are planning an earlier wedding, you may want to consider a Sunday, which is what we're doing. This way guests don't have to rush out after work on Friday... they can head out on Saturday, and then go back home Sunday evening after the wedding.

I am having a brunch after my wedding! Ceremony at 11 then reception until 2. I plan on resting then inviting everyone to do dinner and dancing that night.

I love brunch weddings. Meal cost and bar bill lower, great food choices, easier to accommodate at variety of diets and preferences. Time easier, and on Sunday, earlier weddings preferred. And you can start the actual meal part any time 11-2. Many breakfast foods are things people like all day and evening. You could start later than 2 but people up early for a drive want a meal no later than 2 pm, and you want a few hours before more expensive hours start around 5 pm. People love that they are out with the evening free. You do mot necessarily need anything to do except talk and music. People do dance in daytime. Where I used to work catering a lot, 2 Inns in NH White Mtns. Brides frequently chose a day and night wedding. Come dancing time, they lowered the lights, with spotlights in colors from 4-6 places round the dance floor. And people danced a lot, though none did what you would call late night dance music. But classic R&B, jazz, a little swing and modern big band, and classic rock, as well as lively waltzes for older generation and romantic dancers, rather than really slow stuff. I'd do it in a minute. Nice to serve coffees with coffee, chocolate, or hazelnut liqueurs as a prime choice, 3 oz most liqueurs = 1 beer = 1 cocktail. Wine coolers, apple wines, and light rosé wines go over well days, like Zinfandel and Grenache. Go for it. Rather than a photo booth, consider having a photographer set up a posed photo area backdrop. And taking any requested photo of any grouping of guests or family. Cheaper than a photo booth by far. Our photographer came with an assistant, and for 1½ hours, one did this. Our contract specified, for the fee we paid, photographer would send us all photo files. And we could send a copy electronically to everyone in the photos, licensed by that fee. But we or anyone could order prints after the wedding, once they saw the photo files. But many of FI family and mine started with photographer, we know we want these 6 shots you took, and ordered them on the spot. Posed shots are easier to edit, and only about 80 taken. So those he sent out, done in 2 weeks. We paid. Later parents and grandparents ordered multiple extra copies, and he got them out to all before Christmas. They paid. Our part still way cheaper than a photo booth. We did not do getting ready stuff pics, just candid smartphone,a few. And we did a photo shoot before the wedding for closest family and wedding party. But separate from the " Anyone " photo time, we left the dance floor for pics with special people not there for earlier group shots. This meant hubby and I only had 15 minutes after the ceremony when not with our guests, while beverages still being served, we were back. Photos: FFIL with his 7 brothers, and groom. All first cousins there, with groom. My Dad's sibs with me, my mom's family with me. And us with our parents and the older generations, great grandmothers,grandparents, great aunts and uncles. So no one but our parents and WP showed up 1¼ hour before the wedding for group shots. A good plan for an early or late wedding. People love to talk, you do not need activities. Though some daytime resorts and inns in summer and fall have lawn croquet, or wacky ball volley ball, using a large ball about ¼ filled with helium. So not a vigorous sport. And some do it with a little water in the balloon, then the air and helium, so sloshing water as tapped makes it's course unpredictable, and fun. Can be played by kids, families in semi-formal wear, no exertion. But a brunch wedding does open up some different possibilities, while cutting prices.

We are having a brunch wedding and so far I'm loving the decision. The menu is drool worthy for sure and everyone we tell is super excited because they've never been to one. It's on a Saturday in April and the ceremony starts at 11, so it isn't crazy early. We hired in a company that sets up a full coffee shop situation with a barista and all, so thatll keep everyone up (and of course bloody Mary's and mimosas). We will have a dj and dancing though I know it wont be a big dance party which I didnt want anyways. Also it's on my birthday so we will have a group go out for a bit afterwards. Also our flight for the honeymoon leaves at 6:30 am the next day sooooo I'm glad we wont be feeling super tired or hung over for that.

I'm having a brunch wedding in August ceremony starts at 10 followed by cocktail hour with yard games then brunch. I'm having a photobooth and DJ for dancing. It ends at 4 I'm adding little slider sandwich toward the end. I love breakfast food and the savings is awesome.

View Quoted Comment What is your wedding timeline? I’m having a hard time making the reception timeline since it’ll be kind of short