A champagne brunch hosted a few weeks after a destination wedding is a great way to include those unable to travel to your wedding. A few tips can help you plan a fun post-wedding reception that allows everyone to celebrate your nuptials.
Plan a Champagne Wedding Brunch
Destination weddings, once reserved for the rich and famous, are now accessible for many couples. Even if they are breaking with the tradition of wedding in a family church followed by an evening dinner and dance, they still want to celebrate with friends and family.
Modern couples realize the high costs of destination wedding attendance for their guests, and often host a party back home after their return. This allows guests to share in the newlyweds' joy without bearing the cost of a wedding they cannot truly afford to attend.
Guest List
The guest list for a brunch reception should consist of immediate family members, bridal party attendants and guests who received a destination wedding invitation.
It is not necessary to invite people who live long distances to the brunch reception, as this places an undue burden on them if they also had to travel for the wedding itself. However, if friends or family will feel slighted by not getting invited, it is perfectly acceptable to send them an invitation. Keep your own relationship dynamics, and budget, in mind when making up the guest list.
Location
The location for the brunch depends on your budget and what is available in your area. Places to consider include:
- Gardens and botanical centers
- Museum banquet halls
- Fine dining restaurant party rooms
- Local club banquet halls
- Church basements
Frequently, couples or their parents host a post-wedding brunch in their own home or backyard. This makes preparation easy, as everything is at your fingertips.
Invitation Wording
Typically, brunches are semi-formal to informal. The invitation design will help convey this, as will the wording. Look for a design that reflects your destination, or find one with a simple elegant flourish. A champagne brunch is typically a sophisticated affair, but not as formal as a black-tie reception.
Standard Post-Wedding Brunch Invitation Wording
The invitation to the brunch should include the original ceremony date, as well as the other important information for the celebration.
Sarah Makinroe and Jonathan Smith
were wed on July 15, 2010
on the island of Oahu in a beautiful beach ceremony.
Please join them in celebrating their nuptials
with a champagne brunch
at Legion Hall, Pickatown, Tennessee
on Saturday, August 1, at ten o'clock in the morning.
Wording When Parents Are Hosting
If the bride and groom are not hosting the reception, it is perfectly acceptable to name their parents or other relatives who are hosting the reception in the invitation.
Mr. and Mrs. Steven Johnson
and Mr. and Dr. Eugene Banks
request your presence at a celebration
in honor of the marriage of Sam and Julie Banks
which took place in Venice, Italy on September 21, 2010.
A champagne brunch is being hosting in their honor on
September 30, 2010 at 9:30 in the morning
in the Renaissance Hotel's Banquet Hall.
Wording After an Elopement
Couples who decided to elope may also want to host a champagne brunch that has a short ceremony before the brunch begins. This way, family and friends can witness a renewal of their vows.
Elizabeth Kruse and Danny Canon
ran off to tie the knot
in a Las Vegas elopement on February 14, 2010.
Please witness our Renewal Ceremony
followed by a champagne brunch
at Hilltop Garden Chapel and Botanical Center
on February 28, 2010 at 10 o'clock in the morning.
Wedding Brunch Details
Once the guest list, location and invitations have been chosen, it is time to plan the rest of the champagne wedding brunch details. Unlike formal evening receptions, the details are relatively simple to pull together.
Menu Sample
If the location does not have a kitchen and you don't want to plan and cook the food yourself, you will need to hire a catering company. Make sure the caterers understand that you are hosting a brunch, not a breakfast or lunch, so they can make appropriate menu suggestions. A sample menu might include:
- Assorted croissants, muffins and scones
- Vegetables with dip
- Ceasar salad
- Spinach and egg quiche
- Fruit "pizza"
- Mini waffles
- Sliced baked ham
- Dessert table, featuring cinnamon rolls, cake, cookies and tiramisu
Remember to include plenty of delicious drinks. Of course, champagne is a must. Mimosas and Bloody Marys are good alcoholic drinks to include. Coffee, punch, apple juice and milk are also great additions to the drink menu.
Attire
Brunches are often low key, even if they are elegant. A tuxedo and princess style wedding dress are not appropriate for a brunch several weeks after the destination wedding. Grooms can wear navy or gray suits, while brides can don a simple white informal wedding dress or other special occasion dress.
Decorations
Decorations should be kept minimal at a champagne brunch. The following decorations look lovely yet understated:
- Table linens and matching napkins
- Chair bows
- Centerpieces
- Dessert or cake table decorations
If you planned a wedding at an exotic locale, it is a great idea to include the location in your décor. For example, if you married on the beach, plan centerpieces with seashells.
Final Touches
Set up a slideshow or display with photos from your destination wedding ceremony. Place small favors at each place setting on the tables to thank your guests for their attendance.
Champagne Brunch Wedding Celebrations
A champagne wedding brunch that follows a destination wedding is a beautiful way to share your love with everyone who couldn't attend the ceremony. This is an elegant alternative to hosting a post-wedding evening reception that guests are sure to fondly remember.
