Hosting a brunch the morning after the wedding is a nice touch. It gives you more time to visit with those who traveled from afar while providing guests with a better option than steamed eggs at the hotel. But it is another cost and can require serious planning, no matter how simple you intend it to be. (Any event larger than 20 guests requires real coordination – while plenty of smaller events entail just as much.)
On timing: a late start allows you to get
presentable. As the guest of honor you
need to be there from the beginning, so calculate in travel. With most hotel check outs at noon, I
recommend a start no earlier than 11:00 am.
Those with early flights won’t be able to make it no matter what time it
begins, so why not give yourself an extra hour to just enjoy your first morning being married? A 2-hour window is ample
time for all interested in attending. Budget
in 30-minutes before and after for setup and clean up – meaning you’ll need to set
aside three hours or so to be social, then can get back to the early honeymoon!
On attendees: you can invite family only though many
welcome out-of-town friends and some have the means to include their entire
guest list. Most likely you will have
far fewer attendees than at the wedding due to early flights, hangovers and
family schedules. An emailed invitation
works well for such a casual event.
Inexpensive food options:
What’s inexpensive? I’m talking
$5 a person cheap. You’ve already hosted
one awesome meal, if not two (counting the rehearsal) and it’s really about the
socializing, so skip the smorgasbord and consider:
- A Bagel Bar: set out a variety of bagels and cream cheeses (of course plain, strawberry and chive – but what about pineapple, jalapeno or pumpkin?) Consider apple or honey butter in addition to whipped (insert cute “whipped” joke?) Or step it up a notch with lox, red onion and tomato.
- Donuts: towers and platters of donuts with milk (chocolate and plain variety.) Need I say more?
- Oatmeal with All the Fixins: steel cut oats are perfect for this (the 'special occasion' oats are filling) and can be cooked overnight in crock pots. Have toppings like fresh blueberries, nuts, slivered oranges, apples and brown sugar crumble. A crème anglaise makes oats irresistible.
- French Toast Kabobs: battered bread alternated with raspberries and other fruits provides grab-and-go breakfast for those with tight timeframes. Mini syrup cups in shot glasses or teacups?
- Yogurt Parfaits & Granola Bars: for the health-conscious, pre-made yogurt, fruit and nut parfaits pair perfectly with homemade or a variety of store-bought granola bars. Those with flights later in the day will thank you for the portable treats!
- Cereal Bar: decorative jars and vases make your childhood favorites fancy.
- Cinnamon Rolls: spice up plain cinnamon rolls with various icings (vanilla, orange and bourbon-spiked)
- B&G: biscuits and gravy made simple with an DIY assembly-line setup. Chinese take-out containers keep it quirky. Display gravy in cast iron pots and garnish with fried sage for a composed touch. With jams on the side for lighter diners, all appetites are covered.
- Coffee & Pastries: keep it simple with assorted pastries from a local bakery and good coffee
- Waffle Bar: rather than a manned station (which can get pricey) a less expensive version would be to pre-make a batter (I love this malted mix) and set out 2-4 waffle irons for a DIY bar.
