loopyloulaura

We have chosen not to go for the traditional 3 course wedding breakfast as we want a slightly more informal meal to be more relevant to our children and the rest of the guests. I want to have lots of time to mingle with family that have traveled instead of being at a set table and feeling restricted. I’m hoping a buffet may encourage the kids to try a range of foods similar to my February food challenge!

But where does the tradition of a wedding breakfast come from and why is it called a breakfast when it occurs later in the day?

The tradition seems to be a peculiarly English one, dating back to the time before the Reformation when England was Catholic and the bride and groom had to fast in order to be allowed to have the sacrament during the mass. Food and drink were then given out to the couple and their guests so they were breaking their fasts.

However, the phrase itself has no evidence before 150 years ago so it is unclear if this meal used to have another name.

Others suggest that it is called a breakfast because it is the first meal of the new marriage in the same way a normal breakfast is the first meal of the day.

More modern weddings have new interpretations and have the wedding breakfast the following morning for the main party as an actual breakfast and conclusion of the celebrations. Some couples break with the tradition that it is bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the service and have a morning breakfast before the ceremony for the main party.

Did you have a wedding breakfast before or after the ceremony? Did you go for a 3 course meal or something simpler?