Cake and Punch Wedding on New Year's Day?

Hard pass on all accounts. I would definitely go to a wedding NYE but NYD is a different story. Everyone is up past midnight drinking/partying the night before & unless your wedding is pajama attire, I'd be staying on the couch.

& please do not make anyone pay for their dinner to celebrate YOUR day.

Change "cake-and-punch" reception to "Vitamin Water and bacon/egg/cheese on a roll" and you might get more takers on New Year's Day.

If whats important to you is the 2 weeks in the Caribbean, elope and take your trip. If you invite, you pay! Doesn't matter if its your mom and siblings.

ETA: did not read ALL responses...

Just gonna mention that your cake cost for your cake and punch reception will be MUCH higher since it's a holiday and all. So a holiday is not the best cost cutting measure. At all.

I wouldn't travel out of town for this for sure, and 100% you should be paying for the meal afterwards. I really don't drink too much on New year's eve but I enjoy spending the day with friends and family, so unless you were a really close friend or family, I would be passing.

How does a cake and punch reception work? Tables? Only appetizers?

On a less snarky note, maybe a brunch reception would be solid compromise. Bloody marys and dishes belonging to the Benedict family would be appealing to the lesser- and moderately hungover.

EDIT: multiple posts

None of this is ok. I wouldn't attend anything. I, like others, spend New Year's Day on the couch. Even if people don't drink on NYE, they don't want to attend a quick cake and lunch reception on their day off work.

Why would you have your wedding on the most hungover day of the year? Personally I probably wouldn't want to go to your wedding and I would just send a card because I would be hungover AF.

On a side note, my parents got married on New Year's Eve at night and it was a blast according to them and everyone else that was there. But expecting people to wake up the next day with smiles on their faces, and not getting a dinner or something that they have to pay for they are not going to be happy.

Ok so I may get torn apart for this but IMO big fancy honeymoons after minimal effort weddings are dumb. Whether everyone agrees or not, weddings are stressful and it's a nice treat to take a little vacation afterwards. However, if you aren't willing to provide an average priced meal for a handful of people and then want to go blow thousands on a vacation I think it's dumb. Just go on the trip and elope. It makes more sense. Plenty of people put off their honeymoon until later on so they can use that money to provide their guests with a nice experience.

Why don't you do the nix the cake and punch and only invite those you want at the dinner anyways. Regardless of its 10 people or less or invite 10 people if its less. Use the money from cake and punch towards a proper dinner and maybe take 300 dollars from your honeymoon fund and spend it on the dinner as well.

I know you said youll host the guest with cake and punch and that is proper hosting, however bringing the dinner into makes it HELLA rude if its only gonna be mommies and sibilings and making them pay. You know your other guest will find out about it and be pissed.

Skip cake and punch make your list 10 people bring them to dinner or elope if your more concerned about your honeymoon because if I went to something like this I would feel cheated and uncared for as a friend/family member knowing you were doing 2 weeks anywhere. Id take my gift and go back home or never show up in the first place.

My oldest daughter was married on New Year's Day 2012. We have a big family (68 if we go 1st cousins deep) and our son in law didn't want a big wedding, especially since there are literally only 3 people on his side. They opted for immediate family only which was 11 total. The ceremony was later in the day and we had a reserved room at Ditka's restaurant in downtown Chicago which we paid for. There were aunts and uncles wanting to attend and offered to pay for their meals, but we held firm. My point being, host the number you can afford and pay for everyone's dinner.

Hard pass for all the reasons listed above. Elope, or skip the cake and punch, have a tiny ceremony with just your immediate families, and pay for lunch or dinner afterwards.

If you are hosting, you are paying - it doesn't matter who the specific people are attending the dinner.

In terms of cake and punch and NYD, expect declines. My sister got married on NYD and everyone was hungover from NYE. Obviously I (her MOH) made it to the wedding but I had I had the option of laying in bed with some greasy food - I 100% would have. They served some baller food and I still would have skipped it to nurse my hangover. Not to be rude, but as a guest, I wouldn't drag myself out of bed or off of my couch for cake and punch on NYD.

No words. Except, PREACH @Blair Waldorf

Just skip cake and punch and do a family only dinner.

I think a NYD wedding is what you want but probably the last thing your guests want. A lot of people celebrate NYD more than NYE with a big family dinner. I would really really consider going with a different date. Cake and punch is okay on almost any other day of the year. You could also elope that day and do a reception a different day as like a night thing. "We're married! Come celebrate with cake and punch Friday, January (not 1st) at 8PM!"