Your big day is over! Now what? If the bride and groom aren’t boarding a plane for their honeymoon, it’s traditional to host a brunch the morning after the wedding. It’s a great way to thank your guests and send everyone off on a high note.
Who’s Invited?
As long as your venue can accommodate them, you can invite your whole guest list! If not, you’ll need to keep things a little more intimate. Usually family is invited, along with any guests who travelled from out of town. Just make sure whoever is hosting (I’ll get to that in a minute) is okay with the number of guests you want to invite.
Should We Use Invitations?
Depending on the formality of the brunch, invitations may or may not be warranted. They certainly aren’t required–you can invite people via word of mouth, a line in your wedding programs, or a mention on your wedding web site. Many people choose to have an insert made for their custom wedding invitations. They can go in each invitation, or you can have just a few made and inserted into the invitations meant for those who are invited. Just make sure that the wording makes it clear that only a select few will be invited to your brunch.
Separately-mailed post-wedding brunch invitations are another option. They’re more likely to be noticed and remembered by those that receive them. Just keep in mind that that mean one more RSVP list for you to keep track of!
Who Hosts?
It’s traditional for the bride’s parents to host and pay for the brunch, but that’s not set in stone. There’s an etiquette rule stating that whoever wants to have the brunch should pay for the brunch, but it’s also nice for the bride and groom to offer to foot the bill. Whatever happens, make sure you use a venue and a catering service that can accommodate the number of people who will be invited. Don’t force Mom to make bacon and pancakes for fifty!
Will you be hosting a post-wedding brunch? Why or why not? Tell me about your plans in the comments!