January 2005

The Morning After

A post-wedding brunch is a lovely low-key way to say goodbye to family and friends leaving for home

A good way to let the wedding excitement linger a bit longer before everyone says their goodbyes is to host a brunch the next morning. —The family and friends who have traveled from near and far have the opportunity to say goodbye and reminisce,” says Pearl Taylor of Uniquely Yours by Pearl, a local bridal consulting business.

A post-wedding brunch is even sweeter because you don’t have to go overboard for it to be a crowd pleaser. There is no need to spend a lot of money, invite a lot of people, or wear fancy clothes. Keep it all casual and low-key, yet polished.

Taylor says a brunch is really meant for the bridal party, immediate family and relatives who live far away and don’t often get a chance to attend family functions. It can be as simple as meeting in the restaurant of the hotel where most people are staying, or just having coffee and breakfast pastries in a hotel suite before everyone checks out and heads home.

If you want to have it at home, here are some planning ideas: Anyone close to the newlyweds can host this event. If their parents paid for the wedding expenses, it would be a nice gesture for a sibling, aunt, cousin or a close family friend to take care of the post-wedding brunch. It will let those who worked hard to bring off the big night get a little break. If the newlyweds aren’t leaving for their honeymoon right away, they may choose the post-wedding brunch to be the first occasion they host as Mr. and Mrs.

If you plan this far enough in advance, make sure you let people know, or send out invitations early enough so they can arrange their travel plans for later in the afternoon. Generally, brunch is a late-morning to early afternoon affair. If you schedule this too early, it might fizzle. After a big night, people need a little time in the morning to get in gear. Shoot for 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. This will give you plenty of time to clean up and the rest of the afternoon to reflect on the weekend and get some rest.

Try not to overdress for the occasion. Wear something polished but comfortable. For women, try a sweater set with a pencil skirt or dress pants. Men can go with a nice sweater, a collared shirt and trousers. Ditch the jeans and pajama pants you wear to the grocery store.

A residence with a big sunroom, kitchen, or a spacious backyard with a patio will work well. Decorate tables with fresh flowers and hang colorful paper lanterns. Use pretty tablecloths and table runners. Arrange food on attractive, oversized platters. Have a few colorful pitchers for pouring water, iced tea, juice or mimosas. Make extra coffee. Arrange potted plants for a garden-like atmosphere.

Preparing the food shouldn’t be drudgery. Check out the bakery and breakfast foods at places like Costco or BJ’s. They sell things in larger portions that work well if you are expecting company. Offer a variety: Coffee cakes, sweet breads, fresh fruit set out with sugar and cream, bagels with cream cheese, and croissants with jams and jellies. You can buy decent frozen foods to just warm and serve, too. If you have the time and energy, prepare a few things yourself, like quiche, soufflŽ or a cheese fondue with vegetables to dip. Or whip out your blender and serve up fruit smoothies. By Loukia Borrell