20 Brunch Wedding Ideas (+ Free Printables!)

Thinking of hosting a brunch wedding? There are tons of benefits to throwing a morning celebration, Brunch weddings are a memorable way to host your wedding reception, with the added benefits of lower costs, more venue availability, and delicious breakfast buffets. Brunch weddings are also more intimate, less rowdy, and full of delicate daytime details.

Keep reading for tips on planning your brunch wedding, or jump to a specific section using the buttons below. We're also answering your frequently asked questions at the bottom of the article:

Breakfast Bites

Daytime Decorations

Ceremony Details

Reception Ideas

Breakfast Bites

Elevate your brunch wedding with creative catering: think silver platters, festive food stations, and a wedding cake drizzled in glaze. Check out these ideas for your morning menu:

1. Biscuits and Gravy Bar

Add some delicious southern charm to your brunch wedding menu with a biscuits and gravy bar. You can also include tasty jams and jelly, either homemade or purchased from a local farm, to offer a variety of biscuit toppings for your guests. To accommodate all of your guests' needs, consider serving a vegan option like this mushroom-walnut gravy recipe.

2. Elevated Yogurt Parfaits

Serve your yogurt parfaits in martini glasses for a classy dish your health-conscious guests are sure to love. Top your parfaits with colorful fruits such as strawberries and raspberries to bring the display to life.

3. Donut Display

Serve up a hole lotta love and glaze with a delicious donut display. Top your donuts with bright and edible embellishments such as fruit and edible flowers for an Instagram-worthy sweet treat.

You can even send your guests home with a donut wedding favor—download our “a hole lotta love” favor stickers here!

4. Cinnamon Roll Cake

Who needs a traditional wedding cake with icing when you’ve got cinnamon rolls and glaze? Breakfast is the perfect time of day to ditch an evening wedding staple and replace it with a morning favorite. You can also try a pancake or waffle stack.

5. Omelet Station

A make-your-own omelet station is an eggscellent way to get guests excited for brunch! This also allows guests to customize their omelets with ingredients such as cheese, ham, and veggies. Elevate your omelet station with options such as salmon and avocados or local ingredients.

Daytime Decorations

Brunch wedding decorations can be less elevated and more casual than their evening counterparts. You can play into the sunshine theme by featuring bright and warm decorations in your ceremony and reception. Here are some creative decoration ideas:

6. Delicate Tablescape

Use brightly colored glassware, lace tablecloths, and gold accents to add texture and color to your reception tables. Shabby chic vintage is a great style to channel for a daytime celebration. You can also add personalized details such as name cards or printable drink coasters like the ones below.

7. Bright Balloon Arch

Another great way to add pops of color to your decor is with bright balloons. These pastel decorations photograph well during daytime hours and can help add height to an outdoor event setup. This is also an easy and cheap DIY—just make sure to delegate the task to a family member or friend so you don’t have to spend your morning blowing up balloons!

8. Citrus Centerpieces

Use fresh citrus to create edible arrangements for your centerpieces. This will help you cut down on your floral budget while still adding tons of beautiful colors to your event tables. You can find more fresh and fruity wedding centerpiece inspiration here.

9. Brunch Signs

One of the best parts of a brunch wedding is the fun puns you can incorporate into your special day. Play into your wedding theme by placing signs near your catering table, reception seating, bar, and guestbook area.

10. Themed Favors

Have some fun with your wedding favors and hand out gifts with a brunch theme. Whether this includes personalized coffee mugs, coffee beans, plastic sunglasses, or homemade jam, you can tag your favors with the adorable gift tag printables below.

Ceremony Details

Rise and shine, it’s wedding time! You, your wedding party, and your guests will be up bright and early for your brunch celebration, so add in some special ceremony touches to wake up your guests and turn on the intimacy.

11. Coffee Station

Thank your guests for setting an early morning alarm with a coffee station at the ceremony site. A coffee station will also help invigorate everyone’s spirits and curb mid-ceremony yawns. You can even include pastries, bagels, and other early morning treats if you wish. Decorate your coffee bar with our free printable sign.

12. Fun Florals

Wake guests up with bright pastel pops of your favorite flowers during the ceremony. Use seasonal blooms to create a festive and eco-friendly floral design. While brunch ceremonies tend to be more casual, incorporating flowers is one simple way to keep your celebration classic.

13. Ceremony Arch

Since you’re getting married during the day, you have lighting on your side, so dress up your ceremony and wedding photography with a creative arch design full of florals, greenery, or paper garland. This is another simple way to elevate your ceremony and also help guide guests' view to the center aisle (just in case the caffeine hasn’t kicked in!).

14. Blow Bubbles

Add an ethereal touch to your ceremony by letting guests blow bubbles during the first kiss. This soapy send-off looks especially magical during the daytime, so it’s the perfect touch for a morning ceremony. You can even personalize the bubble bottles using our printable labels below.

15. Whimsical Wedding Wear

Brunch weddings tend to be more casual, so you can get creative with wedding fashion. The bride can ditch the formal wedding dress for a maxi dress or short cocktail gown, and the groom can ditch the tux and wear a rayon suit or linen trousers. You can also add in whimsical garden party touches such as flower crowns, bohemian patterns, and floral ties.

Reception Ideas

You woke up to your alarm, you said your “I dos,” and now it’s time to party with family and friends. Check out these daytime activities for your brunch wedding reception.

16. DIY DJ

people have in them, the less inclined they’ll be to take the floor. Since there will be less dancing, you can save money by asking a friend to DJ with a Spotify playlist rather than booking a wedding band.

If you want to encourage dancing during brunch, guests can submit song requests using the free printables below.

17. Bloody Mary Bar

For some guests, brunch isn’t complete without a Bloody Mary. Creating a make-your-own Bloody Mary station is a festive activity for guests. In addition to the bloody mix, add in colorful and fresh veggies to bring the display to life.

18. Floral Ice Cubes

Dress up your reception drinks with floral ice cubes. You can make these yourself, just be sure to use flower petals that are edible and pesticide-free. Some great edible flower options include lavender, roses, marigolds, and pansies.

19. Mimosas and Mocktails

Consider featuring a DIY mimosa bar that also features mocktail options. You’ll likely have fewer people drinking at your brunch wedding, so mocktail options allow your guests to indulge without the champagne buzz. Offer a variety of freshly squeezed fruit juices such as orange, tangerine, grapefruit, and pineapple-mango to give your guests options.

20. Post-wedding Party

You have plenty of time to celebrate with your guests post-brunch, so plan a small after-party or activity somewhere nearby. This can be as simple as heading back to the resort pool and catching some rays with family and friends. If you and your spouse want to dip out immediately following the reception, make sure to include some nearby activity options on your wedding website for your guests to stay entertained.

Brunch Wedding FAQ

Still have more questions about throwing a brunch wedding? We've got answers below!

- What time is a brunch wedding?

Brunch wedding ceremonies should begin at 10 a.m. or later, and brunch wedding receptions should fall between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Sunrise weddings are also growing in popularity, which could have your guests arriving as early as 5 a.m., so feel free to ditch tradition and make your own rules.

- Should I set up the night before?

If your venue allows you to start setting up the night before, this will save you time during the morning of your wedding. Your day is going to start really early for a brunch wedding, so the less you have to do when you wake up, the better! The flowers and food will have to wait until morning-of, but other decorations can be set up ahead of time.

- Is a brunch wedding cheaper?

Yes, brunch weddings are typically cheaper than hosting an event during “peak-hours.” Most reception venues will offer less expensive rental rates during the mornings and early afternoons.

While the cost of your wedding will depend on a number of different factors, a brunch wedding does give you the option to cut costs on food and drinks, too. You don’t necessarily need a three-tier wedding cake at noon, so consider a cake alternative or a small, one-tier wedding cake. A mimosa or Bloody Mary station will be considerably cheaper than an open bar, and you can get a nice brunch meal for $50 a plate compared to a steak or salmon dinner for $150 a plate.

- What should I wear to a brunch wedding?

Since brunch weddings are typically more casual than a nighttime celebration, guests should expect to dress in semi-formal attire - think light colors, prints, and silhouettes. Some other ideas include collared shirts, sportcoats, flowy dresses, or a colorful suit.

- What are the pros and cons of a brunch wedding?

Pros:

• Brunch weddings are typically less expensive and help you save money on your wedding budget.
• Brunch weddings are typically more casual celebrations, allowing you to spend more time with friends, family, and loved ones.
• Breakfast food is an instant crowd-favorite.

Cons:

• Hosting a brunch wedding means you’ll have to wake up extra early. Depending on how many hours of hair, makeup, and day-of-wedding preparation you’ll need, expect to wake up before sunrise.
• Since it’s so early in the day, your guests may not be in the mood to “dance the night away.”

Now that you’ve got your brunch wedding day details covered, let us help you take care of the rest! You’ll need invites, a wedding registry, and so much more in order to bring your wedding day to life. Our expert advice page answers any and all questions you may have during planning.