How to Do a Breakfast & a Brunch for a Wedding

Breakfast or brunch weddings are cost efficient and different from the usual dinner wedding.

Not all weddings have to occur in the late afternoon or evening. Some couples choose to save money by booking a morning or early afternoon wedding, which is generally cheaper than the prime evening times. If you are considering going this route, a dinner menu won't really be appropriate for the reception. A breakfast or brunch menu can be just as elegant as a dinner. Include both typical and more upscale menu items to satisfy and wow your guests.

Instructions

1. Choose between breakfast and brunch. If you are having a very early morning wedding, around 9 or 10 in the morning, a breakfast reception is appropriate. If the wedding is going to be in the late morning, a brunch is a good idea as you can offer both breakfast and lunch items, giving people a choice.

2. Choose a buffet or sit-down reception. If you choose to have a buffet reception, you can emulate the style of restaurant brunches, which typically have several different stations of food placed around the dining room. That way there is not one long line waiting to go through a long buffet table. You can also opt for the more traditional sit-down dinner and serve pre-chosen breakfast platters or allow the guests to select their items from a small menu provided at each place setting.

3. Choose the food. There is a wide variety of breakfast and brunch foods to choose from. Include breakfast pastries, muffins and bagels, assorted fresh fruit, french toast, pancakes, hash browns, sausage, bacon and eggs. You can have an egg station where the eggs are cooked to order in any style from omelets to eggs Benedict. For a brunch reception, some lunch items should be included such as salads, pasta, potatoes and a meat station, where a carver slices beef and chicken and places it directly on guests' plates. You should also have a dessert station at a brunch reception that includes items such as fruit tarts, light cakes such as angel food cake, lemon and strawberry shortcake, macaroons, chocolate covered strawberries and, of course, the wedding cake.

4. Serve breakfast cocktails. Instead of a full bar of heavy liquors, serve lighter cocktails associated with breakfast and brunch. Mimosas, which are orange juice and Champagne, and Bloody Marys, made with tomato juice, vodka and hot pepper spices, are the most common morning drinks. Other appropriate cocktails for a brunch or breakfast wedding include Bellinis, made with sparkling wine and peach puree, and variations of the Bellini made with other fruits such as grapefruit, pear and raspberry. You can come up with your own creation and offer it as a special wedding cocktail. Offer non-alcoholic breakfast juices such as orange and cranberry juice, as well as assorted teas and coffee.

Tips & Warnings

• Give the reception hall a brunch atmosphere with fresh flowers at each table and light or white linens. Choose a room with a lot of windows to use natural sunlight to light the room.

References

• The Knot: Reception Food: Throwing A Reception Brunch
• Modern Hostess; Inspiration: Breakfast Wedding Reception; May 2011
• Austin Wedding Blog; 46 Menu Ideas for a Beautiful Breakfast Wedding; March 2011
• Redbook; Planning a Wedding Brunch; September 2008
• Breakfast and Brunch Recipes: Breakfast Drinks and Smoothie Recipes

Resources

• Intimate Weddings; The Brunch Wedding Reception: Elegant and Affordable; February 2009
• Elizabeth Anne Designs; At Home Brunch Reception; June 2010