D.C. Post Wedding Brunch

What kind of budget are you thinking of, and for how many people?

DC is tough, but if you can find a place where you can get a sort of bulk discount - e.g., a buffet or limited choice menu - it would help. Based on your answer about budget and # of people, I may be able to make a recommendation.

BTW, we're in the same position. We'd like to have a brunch at our DW the day after our wedding, but we can only do it if the money is there in the next few weeks. Hmm....

Hi JR

That is part of the problem we have a lot of oot guests and my family is large. If we invite immediate family, aunts, uncles and first cousins we have almost 50 people. I love my family but id like to invite friends. I wish I could do it for 60 folks max. Thoughts?

What kind of budget are you thinking of? How much per person?

Hmm...the cheap options that come to mind would be difficult for 50-60 people. FH and I have enjoyed going to Eastern Market on weekend mornings and getting a crepe, or going to Le Bon on 2nd St. SE - which is very reasonable, but can't accommodate 50-60 people.

http://www.crepesatthemarket.com/

http://www.leboncafedc.com/

If you're all staying at the hotel, maybe you can eat there but bring in some food from le Bon? Their fruit crisp, quiches, and French toast all rock. While it's all from scratch (I think), Le Bon seems to have everything made (or mostly made) ahead of time, so much of what they do when you order is heat it up. If you contacted them (try them first, if you can!), I bet they would make up whatever quantity you needed if they could.

I'll try to think of other options. Our current fave is Ben's Next Door (next to Ben's Chili Bowl on U Street). Their brunch is great, but their brunch (cont'd)

Is still $10-15 per person.

If your guests would like a true DC experience, why not lunch at Ben's (the original) next door? The veggie chili is great - and the original chili is legendary. Not sure this is your thing, but they have a lot of tables in the back room, and it is a DC landmark. VERY casual. (Ben's next door is more of a hardwood bar decor. Ben's original is sort of diner casual.)

Will keep thinking...

My 2 favorite places for brunch in DC are the Old Ebbit Grill and The Kennedy Center.

The Old Ebbit has an open atrium that is behind the actual restaurant. It's like a courtyard for the entire office building that the restaurant is in. Maybe you could have your brunch back there?

The Kennedy Center is a buffet- they open the kitchen and set up the buffet in there- it's really cool.

SailingnurseMD gives great suggestions! but not super cheap.

What is your budget - $10-15 a person, or $30-40 a person? And whereabouts in DC? Are we talking DC metro or inside DC? Are you willing to drive a bit? There are many choices for a Sunday brunch, especially if it's an off-season weekend.

The Kennedy Center is a great idea but a bit expensive - about $100-140 a person including food and drinks.

Bucca di Beppo in DC - family style

Maggianos, in Tysons

http://www.maggianos.com/EN/pages/SpecialOccassions.aspx

(Look on left for pricing.)

Dinner cruises on the Potomac

Look on opentable.com in the area you want to hold it in, and call around to see what deals you can get.

We kept it really, really simple. Our hotel where we had a block put out a breakfast buffet in the lounge from 8 am -12 pm, and everyone just dropped by on their way out of town.

I also have to admit I'm not a fan of Ben's. It was serviceable late-night drunk food to me, and then Obama went and now it's a gaudy tourist trap. The chili isn't that great and it's always crowded. Bleah.

In my family, we've had some weddings with a day after (usually Sunday) brunch, though guests who choose to come actually pay for their own meals. I know in general that if you invite, you pay, though in our case the couple/parents have already paid for a pretty inclusive rehearsal dinner and for the wedding reception itself, so we've never cared about paying for our own brunch as guests. I'm in the DC area myself, and that'll be my plan since I know I cannot afford to pay for brunch for everyone.

Hi all thanks so much for your tips. @Indianbride the suggestion of open table was brilliant, I had not thought about that. @rachel I had thought about setting something up where folks would pay for themselves, but this has not been done before in our family. While I am not poor, I'm getting married in a high cost area and have a smaller budget than my other cousins that have married.

Shannon, FH would call that sacrilege, or fighting words, lol. He LOVES Ben's chili.

Have you tried Ben's Next Door? We've only had the brunch but it's a totally difference experience.

We haven't been, but the Tabard Inn in Dupont Circle gets great reviews for brunch - for groups, too. Unfortunately, everywhere else we've been and loved tend to be smaller places that couldn't accommodate that many people.

Dude, I have to be WASTED before I contemplate that chili. Also, they should stir some Maalox or something into the beans.

Tabard Inn is amazing, but it will be $30-50 per person. Peacock Cafe has a great brunch in Georgetown, but it will probably be $20-30 per person. What part of DC will everyone be staying in?