Non-Traditional Wedding #4: Sunday Brunch

As we navigate the inevitable changes to the wedding landscape forced by postponements due to the Covid-19 epidemic, there will invariably be weddings that can't happen on a Saturday, and won't follow the traditional structure of 'ceremony, cocktails, dinner, dance'.  My goal with this blog series is to help you imagine how your wedding could look if you need to change the structure or format, particularly if you must postpone it to a non-Saturday.  Hopefully through this series, you'll find or adapt an idea that will work perfectly for you.  My wish for you is that you can get excited about your wedding again!

Sunday Brunch?  Isn't that super boring? 

Not at all!  If you're postponing your wedding to a non-Saturday, a Sunday is the perfect option for anyone who isn't terribly set on having a dance (though, let's be honest, if you have a party crowd, they'll dance anytime!!).  The options for brunch food are limitless, there are super fun 'brunch acceptable' drink options, and you'll have TONS of time to mingle with your guests.  And if you wrap things up by mid-afternoon, your guests have lots of time to head home if they have to work Monday morning.

Time of Day:

• brunch is usually held between 11 and 1, but you could certainly extend that timeline, depending on your overall structure.  (You can legally serve alcohol anytime after 9am)
• depending on when you and your partner want to see each other for the first time, you could structure your day in many ways:
• sunrise ceremony, brunch, photos
• brunch, ceremony, cocktail hour, photos
• mid-morning ceremony, pre-brunch cocktail hour/photos, brunch

Ceremony:

• you could, depending on your guests, opt for a bright-and-early sunrise ceremony, but consider the location and position of the sun.  Will the guests get the effect of the sunrise without the sun being in their eyes?  Depending on the time of year, will it be too cold early in the morning?  Is there an indoor option that faces east?
• to keep your guest count down for the meal, you could have just immediate family for the brunch, then invite more guests for the ceremony and a cocktail hour to follow
• you could follow the brunch immediately with the ceremony - you and your partner could join for brunch, then leave early to change into your wedding attire as guests finish eating

Entertainment:

•  because you may not have a dance, a full DJ or band is not necessarily required - recorded music would suffice
• live background music (harp, piano, guitar, strings, etc) would be lovely for brunch, and those musicians could easily play for the ceremony as well

Venue:

• anywhere you can have dinner, you can have brunch!
• if you're maintaining most of your vendors, including venue/catering and floral/decor, you can literally reuse every element, with some tweaks to the menu
• if your venue is outdoors, be mindful of the time of year and temperature, as it's usually cooler earlier in the day

Food & Beverage:

• brunch food doesn't have to just be eggs and pancakes! Think about offering:
  • a selection of breads and pastries
  • several protein options: eggs/quiche, sausage, ham, smoked salmon
  • pancake/waffle station with fruit, chocolate and syrup toppings, whipped cream, powdered sugar and cinnamon
  • hashbrowns, roasted potatoes, potato pancakes
  •  Cobb salad, waldorf salad, fresh fruit and veggies
  • depending on your venue/caterer, consider an omelette or eggs benedict station
  • where drinks are concerned, consider offering a mimosa bar with various juices, syrups and sparkling wine, a caesar bar with different pickled and spicy toppings, or a specialty coffee bar with liqueurs like Baileys, Kaluhua and your other favourites

Things to Think About:

• communicate the timeline to guests so that they know what to expect and when they'll be eating
• if you are incorporating a dance, try to darken the room as much as possible - people feel more comfortable dancing when it's dark.  If you and your partner are on the dancefloor, your guests will be too!