Brunch / Daytime weddings

I’ve been to one brunch wedding. I enjoyed it! But, brunch is also a huge thing with our friend group – we do it pretty much every Sunday. It definitely was not the same vibe as an evening wedding though. It was much more laid-back and chill. People didn’t get up and dance or party or anything like that. We mainly just ate, drink mimosas and bloody Marys, and chatted. If a wedding is on a Sunday, I definitely prefer the afternoon/brunch wedding because it doesn’t require you to take off work Monday, and gives you enough time to get home, get things done, and get to bed at a normal hour.

We’ve attended daytime weddings (together and separate) and they are generally very laid back. They are fun to socialize with guests you haven’t seen in awhile but they aren’t the same party vibe as an evening wedding. They definitely don’t last as long, maybe 3 hours tops, and the ones we went to didn’t have any cocktail hour because guests didn’t drink , both for religious reasons and way too early.


Only one had dancing, and even then it was a first dance only because the venue (the bride’s parents’ church) didn’t allow dancing for religious reasons. The couple’s parents got platters from Costco along with sherbet punch and a grocery store cake, so everyone was fed appropriately.
Another wedding I attended in high school was a religious ceremony at 9am that no guests could attend who were not current members. That was followed by a delicious lunch at a local restaurant for all guests that was the highlight of the day. A very late afternoon reception followed that which was a train wreck on its own that very few guests attended because they were not allowed to attend the ceremony. We (the bride, bridesmaids and family who was staying at the couple’s house) had to get up at 4am to get ready so that was rough. But otherwise it was eh.
12:30 is fine for a ceremony. Do what works for you and guests will arrange their day to accommodate you.

My daughter had a brunch reception (ceremony started at 11:30). There were a lot of people up and dancing! She also had lawn games for those who didn't want to dance.


Most favorite:-a lot less expensive than dinner-less alcohol needed (mimosas, Bloody Marys) and fewer drunk guests-still have evening free for "after party" (bridal party and friends rented party bus and went into the city; older guests were appreciative of getting home by 5-6:00 to relax)
Least favorite:-Timeline starts early to get hair/make-up done (6 am)

View Quoted Comment Those are great ideas! Especially considering the older family members. And even us, we don’t like staying out too late. 😂 we’re old people at heart. Thanks for your input!

Yes I went to a brunch wedding earlier this year. It was lovely except it was on a weekday at like 10 am so a bit of hassle for the guests but this also kept it pretty small. It was very laidback but lots of fun. There was not a dj but there was music and special dances. The venue had a huge front yard and there were some fun yard games out there. There was no cocktail hour. The food was delicious there was a made to order waffle station (also fried chicken was available for chicken and waffles), an omelette station, silver chafing dishes with pasta, a vegetarian rice dish, as well as avariety of fresh fruit, quiches, breakfast pastries, bacon, sausage, muffins, a donut wall, and bagels with lox and cream cheese. The couple had crosswords on the tables which was cute because they are both English teachers. It was not an open bar but mimosas and Bellinis were available. There was also a coffee bar and a variety of fresh juices.

We had a 2pm ceremony and the reception ended by 7pm. All of our guests had a blast! Yes, they still danced. The best parts for us were that it was a little more casual and allowed us to serve a late lunch instead of dinner. We also had some quite time after the ceremony to spend together before we went to bed.