Did you have a luncheon reception? Please share your thoughts

[goldenstar]

I am considering an early ceremony and luncheon reception as a way to afford my dream venue. I have never been to a luncheon reception, only dinner.

I''m worried that I might be unsatisfied with a lunch reception. My family and friends are night owls who like to let loose and celebrate. Night time has more of a party vibe to me. I wouldn''t feel right dancing my butt off in the middle of the day. An evening wedding is more our style, and lunch would definitely be a stretch.

If you had a lunch reception, please tell me about it. Did it have a different atmosphere? Would you do it again if you had to go back?

Thanks in advance...

 

[Fancy605]

I had an evening reception, but I have been to many luncheon weddings. Day weddings are much more of a trend in my area than night weddings due to the fact that they tend to be less expensive.

I think a luncheon reception is whatever you make of it. For example, one of my friends had a lovely luncheon reception with lots of DELICIOUS sandwiches and yummy lunch foods, but it was all eating and talking and mingling, and no dancing and no alcohol. It was still lovely, fun, and relaxing though, but definitely NOT a party atmosphere. Of course, she didn''t really have a "young" crowd. It was more a mixture of ages.
On the flip side, another of my friends had an afternoon reception, but it was less of a "sit down" lunch and more like 80% seating, and it was a younger/party anytime crowd, and we all ended up partying all afternoon until they threw us out at about 5:00.

So, I really don''t think it''s so much time of day that makes the reception have a party atmosphere so much as the crowd. If you invite lots of party people, you''re going to end up with a party (It''s evening somewhere, right?). To me, it sounds like your family and friends are party people.

 

[brazen_irish_hussy]

I have to disagree with Fancy. I have been to afternoon receptions with party people thrown by party couples and it is always a lot more sedate that evening weddings in my experience. I am young but the idea of having a few drinks at 3 in the afternoon, even at a wedding, seems wrong somehow and I am less "festive" at afternoon weddings. If you want it to be a party, you should seriously consider doing it at night.

 

[lucy.lucy.80]

I think a lunch wedding would be fine...I have been to a luncheon wedding and it was a buffet and we all had a great time. It was slightly a more casual/laid back atmosphere than the night weddings I have been to but I left happy and satisfied because the reception was beautiful,food was great, and they also had a cocktail hour which gave the wedding a slightly more formal appearance.

Hope i''ve helped!

 

[dtnyc]

One of my best friends had a 10 am ceremony followed by a noon to 5 reception.
They had a BIG band and while people danced, it wasn''t a "huge party"- they also had an after-party, but there was no dancing at that and since the ceremony started so early in the AM most people were rather exhausted by 9 pm as it had been a long day for everyone.

One word of advice, if you have a lunch reception and want people to dance, have wine served at the tables while people are eating their lunch. My friends did not do this- there was not even champagne poured for the toasts, you had to go to the bar and get it yourself, and excuse yourself during the meal to have your glass refilled. To me this "slowed" down the drinking a great deal and as a result people weren''t really letting loose on the dance floor until 4-4:30 pm when the reception was wrapping up.

 

[iheartscience]

I went to a brunch/lunch reception last year, I believe, and it definitely did not have a very party/dance vibe. It was fun and different, but I am also a night owl and my family also loves to cut loose and dance at wedding receptions, and we definitely didn''t do that at this reception. If you and your family and friends are night owls who like a party vibe, I would probably skip the lunch reception and pick a different venue.

 

[goldenstar]

Thanks for the imput everyone. The responses are what I was expecting. I'm starting to be less attracted to an afternoon wedding. We really want a party!

I'll keep hunting for other venues or figure out a way to earn/save more money. I might have to beg, borrow or steal...

j/k. Maybe the beg part, I still have to have the "money talk" with my dad.

 

[little miss sunshine]

I am having an afternoon reception... I booked it because it was way less expensive. We will have a cocktail hour, then a sit down dinner with open bar throughout and the same menu that would be served at night. I am not personally a big dancer, so I definitely feel some of the pressure will be off me at least during the day... It will be a pretty young crowd, but I am thinking back to college graduation parties that I have attended a few years ago and some were during the day and people had just as much fun/drank/danced/etc. It definitely won''t be the same atmosphere as an evening wedding but for us it was within our budget at the venue we wanted... Now I am just trying to think about ideas for an after party... Which is also an option if an evening wedding is out of your price range.

 

[rainbowtrout]

We are having a brunch reception for several reasons, cost, not wanting family to feel like they CAN let loose, and we both get tired fast at night--the last wedding I went to, I was so exhausted by the end of the night it was painful (yeah, I don''t go out clubbing much).

We''re having a small, mixed ages crowd with little or no alcohol. I would agree that a later dinner party is better for a true "party" vibe, although we WILL have lots of dancing, if we have to do it all ourselves.

 

[DiamanteBlu]

For my first wedding the ceremony was in June [in the Boston ''burbs] at 2PM and the reception was a cocktail party at my parents'' house immediately following. People were both inside, in the gardens and by the pool. We served "heavy" hors d''oeuvres [passed and stationary/hot and cold], desserts, wedding cake and free flowing champagne, beer and wine. People mingled and seemed to be really enjoying themselves. The party then moved to our house [with our friends] and continued until after midnight.

I think it could work out really well to do something earlier in the day so that you can take advantage of your dream venue.

 

[Gypsy]

Date: 12/21/2007 10:11:45 PM
Author: rainbowtrout
We are having a brunch reception for several reasons, cost, not wanting family to feel like they CAN let loose, and we both get tired fast at night--the last wedding I went to, I was so exhausted by the end of the night it was painful (yeah, I don''t go out clubbing much).

We''re having a small, mixed ages crowd with little or no alcohol.

I could have written this.

I''m feeling very cost concious. Alcohol costs money, and so do evening receptions. I can limit alcohol (and too much partying) with a day wedding, get lovely pics, and a great picture worthy send off with bird seed or flower petals and keep it small. Plus I ADORE brunches. So does John. So it''s all very us. And I don''t want to be exhausted at my home wedding, and want to enjoy my wedding night.

Still, if you WANT a party vibe... I think it would be more work with a daytime wedding.

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 12/21/2007 11:36:01 PM
Author: Gypsy

Date: 12/21/2007 10:11:45 PM

Author: rainbowtrout

We are having a brunch reception for several reasons, cost, not wanting family to feel like they CAN let loose, and we both get tired fast at night--the last wedding I went to, I was so exhausted by the end of the night it was painful (yeah, I don''t go out clubbing much).


We''re having a small, mixed ages crowd with little or no alcohol.

I could have written this.


I''m feeling very cost concious. Alcohol costs money, and so do evening receptions. I can limit alcohol (and too much partying) with a day wedding, get lovely pics, and a great picture worthy send off with bird seed or flower petals and keep it small. Plus I ADORE brunches. So does John. So it''s all very us. And I don''t want to be exhausted at my home wedding, and want to enjoy my wedding night.

Still, if you WANT a party vibe... I think it would be more work with a daytime wedding.

Me too! We HAD the small lunch/brunch wedding reception and it was fabulous (we DID serve lots of mimosas, champagne, and wine and people did get a bit sloshed-which was fun because it was a mid afternoon sloshed not a disgusting drunk too much all night sloshed if that makes sense). But everyone was OOT and our goal was to spend time with our 30 guests, not to party it up (we''re not really partying it up kind of people anyway). So for us it was PERFECT.

But IMO, it just isn''t the same as a night wedding. Which is good for some people like us, but not for those who are night owls by nature!