What is a Post-Wedding Brunch?

A wedding can be one of the most magical moments of a lifetime: celebrating your love with the people closest to you. But one thing you may not think of when planning the wedding of your dreams is how it could be overwhelming to try to have meaningful conversations with every guest in attendance. You want to make sure you get a chance to connect with family who flew in from across the country and catch up with friends from grade school whom you haven’t seen in ages, all while staying present with your new spouse and enjoying all of the festivities. 

Finding the right balance between intimacy and revelry can be challenging, and you don’t want to stress about covering your bases all in one night–that just so happens to be one of the most important nights of your life. That’s why a post-wedding brunch can be just the ticket to extend the celebration and spend extra time with your guests. 

What Does A Post-Wedding Brunch Look Like?

Also known as an after-wedding brunch, a farewell brunch, or a day-after-wedding brunch, this wedding event is exactly how it sounds: a late morning meal shared traditionally the morning after the wedding. This could be turned on its head depending on if you’re planning a destination wedding or a multi-day luxury wedding, in which case the brunch wouldn’t necessarily need to take place the morning after. 

While you could certainly invite all of your wedding guests to this brunch, it’s fairly common that invites are limited to immediate family and the wedding party. There’s no wrong answer, but what’s most important is that you invite whoever you feel like you want more time to connect with after the wedding. Just remember–if you aren’t inviting everyone from the wedding, don’t post it on your wedding site. 

How To Plan A Post-Wedding Brunch

The newlyweds are customarily the hosts of the post-wedding brunch, but planning so many different events in such a short time frame can be mind-boggling. That’s why it’s important to plan ahead, divide and conquer the planning with family or the wedding party, hire a wedding planner, or all of the above. There is no need to worry. We have some quick tips for planning a memorable, seamless post-wedding brunch that ushers in the perfect first day of wedded bliss.

Decide On Timing

Timing is everything, especially if your post-wedding brunch occurs the morning after your wedding reception. The key is to find the balance between relaxation and celebration. If your reception goes until late at night, it may be best to plan the brunch for early afternoon. However, if you have several out-of-town guests, an earlier morning brunch between 9 and 10 AM may work best. Generally, a post-wedding brunch lasts about two hours–plenty of time to eat and enjoy each other’s company, but not keeping guests too long so they can start heading home after an exciting weekend. 

Find The Perfect Venue

The venue options are vast for a post-wedding brunch and will set the tone for the kind of event you want it to be. You could rent an event space for more privacy. Or, keep it casual and opt to host at a restaurant or a public park. Whether you decide to go for an elaborate event or keep it more lowkey, the most important thing is to find a convenient site near the wedding venue.

Plan The Menu

There are many directions you can go in terms of the menu. Keep in mind that brunch is considered a combination of breakfast and lunch. Your options are endless. You could have a buffet-style brunch, an interactive made-to-order breakfast bar, or present a few crowd-pleasing family-style dishes for the table. Don’t forget to consider drink options like coffee, tea, and juice. Perhaps splurge on brunch cocktails like bloody marys and mimosas if you want to make it a boozy affair. 

No matter what, your post-wedding brunch will be a special opportunity to bond with your friends and family after one of the most incredible days of your life. If you’re looking for the perfect place to host a post-wedding brunch in San Diego County, check out our fantastic event venues and onsite gourmet restaurant. Don’t hesitate to reach out to our experienced team of event planners today to help curate the perfect tail-end to your dream wedding.