What Percentage of Guests Usually Come to the Post-Wedding Brunch?

Make sure the party never stops.

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Photo: Valorie Darling Photography

The post-wedding brunch is a customary event typically hosted the morning after the ceremony and reception. The invite for this post-wedding party is generally extended to all guests, though some couples only invite family members and friends who stayed the night at the venue or a nearby hotel. While it's by no means necessary, the post-wedding brunch is a nice way to thank guests for coming (and traveling) to your big day. It also gives brides, grooms ,and their families the chance to talk to and spend quality time with some of the guests they perhaps did not get the chance to the night of the actual wedding.

"It is a great way to relive the night, tell stories, hear about your guests' experience and sometimes even videographers and photographers will do a next-day edit for you to see a brief video or slideshow, which you can show during the brunch," says Ashley Stork, owner, lead planner, and designer at Magnolia Vine Events. "Especially for out of town guests, they will appreciate having a breakfast option so they don't have to find one on their own in a new town or city."

Unlike the wedding, for which you'll be receiving guests' RSVPs, it's not standard to request such information for the post-wedding brunch (though you certainly could include one as an invitation enclosure). This can leave some brides and grooms wondering just how many people they can expect. According to Stork, the answer will depend on the type of event you are having. "If it is a full destination wedding and every guest traveled then you can expect 80 percent of the guests to attend," she says. "But if your wedding is local, and you have a lower amount of traveling guests, I would estimate your hotel staying guests will attend and any close family you want to include in that number as well."

To help plan for the right amount of people, Leah Weinberg, wedding planner, owner, and executive planner at Color Pop Events, suggests making sure that the brunch is being held at the hotel where a good portion of your guests are staying. "The more travel involved for people to get to brunch, the less likely they are to attend," she says. "Also, hosting the brunch at a hotel is going to be a more affordable option than going to an off-site restaurant."

Next, don't plan the brunch for too early the next morning. "You want to give your guests a good amount of time to get some rest before having to be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for another wedding event," says Weinberg. She also suggests setting realistic expectations for yourselves. "Don't be disappointed if a lot of people don't attend, as there are a ton of factors involved in whether guests make it to brunch, like how late they were out after the wedding, where they are staying in relation to where the brunch is happening, and how early they have to leave town."

To help save on budget, Brandi Hamerstone, wedding planner and owner of All Events Planned, recommends using the floral arrangements from the wedding to decorate the space. "Not only will they still be in great condition the next day, but using the same blooms will help you carry the theme of the wedding over to the brunch without requiring that you spend any additional money," she says. "To pull this off, assign your planner or family and friends to pick up some of the centerpieces and design work that evening and drop it off at the brunch space for the next day."

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