Wedding without a Wedding Breakfast?

My son and his GF are getting married in April but can't afford a wedding breakfast so are just having a buffet. The timing works like this

4-4.30pm ceremony

4.30-5.30pm drinks and photos

5.30-6pm cutting the cake and speeches

6.00-7pm buffet

7pm disco and first dance

so no gaps really

Joe, I have an almost identical schedule to what's been described above - we start at 4pm, after ceremony and drinks were having an evening buffet and then dancing!

We didn't want to do a whole day/ 2 meals thing and to be honest couldn't afford it.

There's no reason why you should have a wedding breakfast. I went to a wedding in March which didn't have one and it didn't miss it.

That said, if you have £4k to spend you can have one if you want. We paid £4.2k and that included room hire for ceremony and day and evening receptions, flowers and other decorations for ceremony room, top table flowers for wedding breakfast, drinks package, four course wedding breakfast, evening buffet, and rooms for us and both sets of parents.

Heya

Our timing's going to be roughly the same as manicb2b's...only that at 6ish we're having a light buffet...evening guests get there at 7ish, then main buffet at 9pm. Main reasons for such late times is because our daytime guests will probably be peckish, and our venue's open til 3am! which is considerably later than most! hth xxx

Thanks everyone.

We have found the venue we really want (https://www.crerarhotels.com/ourhotels/chevin_hotel/) and they are happy with no wedding breakfast but minimum spend is £3899 I think. We have been quoted £4500 for the room hire for ceremony and evening reception with drinks package for 80 ceremony guests, DJ and hot buffet for 120 guests, this also includes the honeymoon suite for the bride and groom. For a further £500 they have someone who will supply 120 chair covers, cake and buffet table sashe's and bay tree's with fairy lights.

Mel - Where did you have yours? We would love to get all of that for 4.2k!

Kirsty - We get married the week before on the 11th Dec 2010, we are based in Leeds.

manicb2b - Thanks for the timings, sound just what we'd like.

Thanks again everyone, I think this site is going to come in very handy, especially as I have to help prepare everything!

As long as you dont have an early ceremony I think thats a great way to save money. An afternoon ceremony would be lovely if followed by a buffet on the eveing. And I like your idea, why pay for a breakfast that people are gonna pick at? lol

My sister got married recently and her day was something like:

3 - 3.30 ceremony

3.30 - 4.30 photos and chatting

4.30 - 5.30 walking to church hall and playing rounders (!)

5.30 - 6 speeches

6 - 7 hog roast, buffet, desserts

7- cake cutting

7.15 - 12 disco etc

Im thinking of doing this to it will mean we dont have to cut the daytime guestlist so much and will save us about 2 grand, which to me is alot of money. my timings of the day will be something along the line of

3.30-4.00 ceremony

4.-4.30 photos at church

4.30-5 travel to venue, not quite 30 mins but this gives everybody enough time to get parked and things

5-6. drinks reception and photos

6-7. speeches cake cutting

7 -7.30 buffet opened evening guests arrive

would this work?

6-7. speeches cake cutting

View quoted message

Cedar Court, Wakefield. https://www.cedarcourthotels.co.uk/ There are four in Yorkshire.

Hi,

Your Wedding ideas and your Budget can and should work for you and what you want!

Most Venues make their money on food which is why they all include the Wedding Breakfast, however more and more people are not having the traditional Breakfast and are opting for one meal.

My company helps plan and co-ordinate Weddings all over the country for all Budgets and needs, and it will not cost you what you think!

We can help provide all you want, down to the last detail and include our help, taking the stress out of your Perfect day.

Please feel free to contact me *****************@**********.*** or ****@******************.**.**

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Sarah Andrews

Hi all


I get married in September 2021 and we didn’t want the wedding breakfast getting married at 3.30pm How did you go about table centre pieces and table plan? Did you do this like you was having a wedding breakfast! And speeches when did that happen?We were thinking canapés with reception drink and evening do to start at 7pm would this work?
Thanks

We plan to get married in June 2021 (after postponing twice) but we aren't wanting wedding breakfast or speeches. Haven't got the full timeline down yet so some of the responses here will help! Getting married at 4pm. Most venues have wedding breakfasts included in their packages though but you'll usually find that the best wedding venues are really accommodating if you contact them and are willing to do whatever you want. We did find a couple that whinged about it though so quickly sacked those off. We found a lovely seaside venue in the end which is costing £3750 without the breakfast but includes canapes so we can have the more casual/less stress day we were after. Their house DJ was also included in the price.

Buffet is fine. Been to 100s like this. It’s often better as people get what they want and not the parts they don’t.

View quoted message Sounds brilliant. May I ask which venue?

View quoted message

Hi

I am looking for something similar. What venue have you booked? I am looking for 2022

Gina

View quoted message We booked The Grand Hotel in Tynemouth (North east near Newcastle)

We have chosen not to have a wedding breakfast. Our timeline is
1pm ceremony
1.30-2 - “staged photos” whilst ceremony guests get to venue and afternoon guests (instead of evening guests) arrive2.30 we arrive, cocktail hour and canapés3.30 wedding speeches, bar opens 4.30 hog roast6 cut cake and serve 6.30 first dance and DJ starts 8pm cheese and nibbles table (massive platters)
I’m worried people will be hungry! Any ideas please?

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Hi Rachael, just curious how you ended up having your set up with not having a wedding breakfast in terms of table plans etc. Our venue said its up to us obviously as its our wedding but what's the need in having set places or a top table when you're not going to be sat down for eating kind of thing. I get what they're saying but also can't imagine a day without that being a part of it!? I've only ever been to 2 weddings where both had breakfasts so nothing to compare to x

Hi,


So me and my partner after 14 years together have reserved the date!! We are marrying November 2023!
We have selected a package we’re the wedding breakfast isn’t included
I’m hoping the day goes well however how does this sound to you and would you do anything different.. Need help, advise because I’m panicking and it’s taking the excitement away as the mother-in-law thinks a wedding breakfast is a must! She also thinks inviting the aunties we haven’t spoken to in 5 years are much more important than our friends we speak with every day :/
3:30pm - 4:00pm Wedding ceremony 50 guest4:00pm 04:10pm Thank guests for coming when leaving wedding ceremony in hotel4:10pm-5:00pm Photos5:00pm 50 guests plus evening guest 40 arrive5:10pm We enter from having pictures done enter to everyone and have our first dance (so she starts 5pm) then mix, thank people for coming6:30pm hog roast buffet - People help themselves or have the dj call tables up..
Then dance until 1:00pm…..
I’m not sure feel like something is missing………
Any thoughts
Many thanks