Post # 1
Member
528 posts
Busy bee
UGH! Fiance and I just got back from our dreaaaam venue and we absolutely loved it, except for one small thing… First, the minimum- before service charge and WONDERFUL NYS tax is 9,000 for a Saturday. Yeah… that’s more than half of our entire budget. BUT, it’s only 3k on a Sunday. We REALLY like the idea of a Sunday wedding because we don’t want this…
So we thought, great! A morning ceremony with a brunch buffet would be perfect for us! But GREAT NY steps in and says alcohol can’t be bought (which I knew about) OR SERVED (which I did not know about!) until noon on Sundays!
While we don’t want a HUGE amount of drinking to be done at our reception, we would still like a mimosa/ bloody mary bar!
Before we knew about this stupid techinicality, we thought our timeline would be 10:30-11 ceremony. 11-12 cocktail hour, and then 12-? brunch/ reception. BUT WHAT IS THE POINT OF A COCTAIL HOUR WITH OUT ALCOHOL?!
Le sigh… we wouldn’t want to push the start time of the ceremony back because then it wouldn’t be time for a brunch..
What would you do? Did you have a MOCKtail hour?
Post # 3
Member
4344 posts
Honey bee
I would just push it back and still have brunch. i have breakfast for dinner all the time. The guests will get over it.
Post # 4
Member
705 posts
Busy bee
I’ve served cocktail hours with no alcohol. The main point of cocktail hour is to give the wedding party and family time for some photos before the reception. Honestly, I’d push it back an hour. A brunch bar sounds awesome and brunch time is when you want it to be. Brunch at 1 is totally normal in my books.
Post # 5
Member
474 posts
Helper bee
I agree wth pushing it back to a later start around 11:30. Brunch between 12-2 iwould be typical at a restaurant that offers “Sunday Brunch”
Post # 6
Member
47412 posts
Honey Beekeeper
ceremony 11:30-1200
cocktail 1/2 hr 12 -12:30
brunch 12:30-?
1230 is not too late for brunch. As long as your guests know what time they will eat, they can plan their morning snack/meal accordingly.
I don’t think you need a full hour for cocktails. People can continue to drink during brunch.
Post # 8
Member
9916 posts
Buzzing Beekeeper
You could offer different drinks…like sparkling water plus their choice of juice. And that’s the stupidest rule I’ve ever heard of!!
Post # 9
Member
528 posts
Busy bee
@julies1949: That would give us more time to get ready in the morning too.. good point
Post # 10
Member
2239 posts
Buzzing bee
I’d just push back the ceremony time a bit. We’re also doing a brunch reception and our ceremony starts at 11. And food won’t be served until like 1. That’s normal =) if you serve light snack foods during cocktail hour it will help hold people over. We’re doing cheese/crackers and a fruit display. So people will have light munchies until the meal is served.
Post # 11
Member
528 posts
Busy bee
@SuperDuperBrit: Excuse me while I go read all your posts about having a brunch reception 😀
Post # 12
Member
1731 posts
Bumble bee
As PPs have said, generally that’s the time for you guys to get your photos done, and I think particularly with your morning wedding, you’re not going to want to try to cram those in before the ceremony. Here are some ideas:
— embrace the “no booze til noon” thing and make it a “cocoa-tail” hour — offer cocoa, tea, coffee and juice and do brunchy hors d’oeuvres like mini quiches, fruit kabobs, Danish bites, tiny bagels with cream cheese and maybe lox, etc. And then have the mimosas and Marys available with the meal.
— push everything back later, add a more overtly lunch option or two, and emphasize that it is a decadent brunch, LOL. Personally, as someone who is not a morning person but loves breakfast anyway, this would be the easiest for me to handle (although I still like the idea of brunchy hors d’oeuvres). Most people are going to eat a little something before they come anyway, so I think you can safely serve a late brunch.
Post # 13
Member
528 posts
Busy bee
@village_skeptic: This is what our brunch menu would include
- Chef Station with 15 Custom Omelets
- Cinnamon French Toast
- Homemade Sausage
- Maple Cured Bacon
- Scrambled Eggs
- Oven Roasted Potatoes
- Chef Carved Smoked Ham
- Chef Carved Roast Beef
- Various Entree Selections
- Salad Bar
- Gourmet Cheeses
- Bagel with Cream Cheese
- Quiche Du Jour
- Fruit Mirror
- Vegetable Tray
- Juices
- Sticky Buns
- Cinnamon Rolls
- Various Fresh Pastries
- Warm Desserts
- Huge Dessert Bar
Would having a fruit and veggie hors d’ouevers and then them at dinner be strange? What type of things would you add, since there are already lunch options like carved roast beef and smoked ham?
Do you think I should ask to remove the warm desserts and dessert bar since we would be having a cake?
Post # 14
Hostess
7547 posts
Bumble Beekeeper
The food sounds great! I would have a few hors d’ouevers at the cocktail hour, also.
Post # 15
Member
1731 posts
Bumble bee
@Lacelibs: Oh my goodness, that all sounds amazing! Honestly, I think with a spread that extensive, you’ve got your lunch and heavy breakfast and light breakfast options totally covered. I think light fruit and veggie options at cocktail hour will be fine with all that coming eventually. And I wouldn’t remove the desserts unless there’s a significant financial saving because oh my goodness, desserts! (We had a pie, cake, and cheesecake option, so I may be biased.)
Post # 16
Member
11259 posts
Sugar Beekeeper
@Lacelibs: i would seriously look at pushing the ceremony back at least an hour. sunday brunch at 1 is totally acceptable.
also, have you considered the timeline for yourself? if your ceremony starts at 10:30am, you will have to get up at 5am just to have your hair, makeup, pampering, pictures, etc.
i went to a wedding at 11am once. it was lovely but my friend, the bride, wished she would have made it later. she was too rushed.
