Wedding Trend # 4: Wedding Brunch Anyone?

When my brother told me that he was getting married I immediately went to wedding planner mode and was taking stock in my head of what grand plans I can start putting into place.

Then he told me his budget (which is so unbelievably low, I was speechless then hysterical then confused and now I’m taking it as a challenge), so all my initial grand plans were out the door and we (his fiancé and me) had to come up with another really really cost effective plan.

A wedding brunch was born and the ideas started to fall into place. In terms of the program its basically like a normal dinner reception program but with a slight tweak here and there, in lieu of a disco and dancing we’re going to have outdoor and indoor games, instead of a alcoholic bar (which would be rather expensive), were going to have a juice and caffeine bar.

Suddenly a brunch didn’t sound too bad. We would start the festivities mid morning and end it by teatime, giving the couple the rest of the day to spend with the family (who flew 24 hours to get there).

Brunch weddings offer brides an intimate, affordable and uniquely stylized event, with more options for dates and venues, and a timeline of your terms. Brunches in general get a bad rap because no one thinks it can be an elegant wedding, but you really just have to use a bit of creativity to “class it up”. It offers a unique guest experience, something that can be more memorable because it’s just different than what you typically see.

Vendors may offer you discounted rates because it doesn’t eat into their standard peak schedules and you can really think out of the box in terms of food stations and activities.  Think sandwich stations, waffle and pancakes, bacon and eggs or even a selection of quiche!

Instead of a wedding cake, you can have a dessert bar or in my brother’s case we’re having a

donut tower. And you can get away with having no alcohol at a brunch wedding but if you really can’t stand the idea of a dry event, offer a bloody mar bar or a mimosa’s anyone? Interactive bar's like these allow guests to mix their own drinks creating yet another unique experience.

So I did a little bit of research and although it's not a norm in Malaysia to have a brunch, we may be in for a change.

Here are some interesting traditions around the world.

Italy: Wedding festivities are kicked off in the morning preferably Sunday and couples should never marry on a Friday or Tuesday because they are bound to have bad luck. Saturdays are reserved for widows getting hitched to husband number 2.

China: Certain provinces in China believe that for a first marriage it should always be a lunch. Couples who marry for the 2^nd time (for either the bride or groom) can only throw their reception as a dinner.

Sweden: With almost 20 hours of sunlight each day, summer was considered prime wedding season

Morocco: Historically, Moroccans celebrated weddings on Sunday in the fall at the end of the harvest, when there was plenty of food to feast on.

So think about it, if you are on a budget and you want something utterly different a wedding brunch maybe just what the wedding planner ordered!

(You never know, next year could be wedding suppers! Party all night and sleep all day)