Having a brunch wedding is the perfect way to create a laidback wedding day. Instead of stretching events out all day, you get to focus on just the most important things. Best of all? You top it all off with your favorite breakfast foods. S and M had a wedding that combined the best of a brunch wedding and traditional wedding with a morning wedding at Osteria and a funky bowling alley reception later in the evening.

In this blog post:

• Why Have a Brunch Wedding 
• An Intimate Ceremony at Osteria Philly
• A Funky Bowling Alley Reception

Why Have a Brunch Wedding

A Relaxed Atmosphere

In my experience, brunch weddings are more laidback than full-day events. There’s a lot less waiting around between events, and it’s easier to keep your guest list small. Guests tend to love the relaxed atmosphere.

Breakfast Foods

If you’re a breakfast person, you’ll love getting married in the morning. It’s a great excuse to serve your guests omelets and stacks of pancakes. Philly has so many great brunch spots that there’s no shortage of inspiration. You can have mimosas or skip the alcohol altogether if you prefer, too. Odds are your guests will be just as excited about fancy coffee drinks. 

Better Vendor Availability

When you’re planning a morning wedding, you’re likely to find that more vendors are available for your event than an evening wedding. Many good vendors book up pretty far in advance for evenings. Those same vendors may have more availability for morning events. 

Savings

Another perk of a brunch wedding? It tends to be more affordable than a traditional wedding. You might hire a musician or trio for your ceremony like M and S, but you’re not putting on a full dance party or stocking a full bar. In short, you can give your guests a great experience without making it feel like a budget event.

An Intimate Ceremony at Osteria Philly

I photographed S and M’s fall wedding. They split their day with an intimate morning ceremony and brunch at Osteria and an evening reception with more friends at St. Monica Bowling Lanes.  

I actually met M quite a while before she even began planning her wedding. She’s a ceramicist, and I took her photo while offering free photos for artists. She made one of my favorite mugs! When she got engaged, she reached out to me. The rest is history.

Osteria is the perfect place for a brunch wedding. The glassed-in Greenhouse allows in lots of dreamy light, and the plants give it a lush feel year-round. Even though the space is narrow, it gives your celebration an intimate feeling. 

A few quick facts to help you plan a wedding at Osteria:

• Venue type: Indoor
• Cuisine: Italian
• Capacity for The Greenhouse: 65 guests
• Starting cost: $8,000

Do you want to explore more Philly restaurants that can host your brunch wedding? Check out these blog posts:

• Intimate Royal Boucherie Wedding with a Decadent Brunch
• Meaningful Restaurant Wedding at Talula’s Garden
• Colorful Terrain Wedding

A Funky Bowling Alley Reception

Later that evening, S and M invited more friends to join them at St. Monica Bowling Lanes. Everyone embraced the theme with 80’s-inspired bowling looks from fringe jackets and bowling shirts to cool shoes. It was a cool break from the usual cocktail attire that you see at weddings. Everyone was a lot more comfortable jumping into the evening’s activities.

S and M went all in on the theme, too. Here are a few details that they included to make their reception even more fun:

• Instead of a first dance at the bowling alley, they had a first bowl. 
• Guests signed a bowling pin instead of a guest book.
• They provided socks with bowling pins and bowling balls.

Even though S and M didn’t have a formal reception, the great food wasn’t reserved for brunch at Osteria. Guests enjoyed a buffet with pierogies. They were a big hit with everyone.

Would you like me to photograph your brunch wedding? I’m a Philly wedding photographer specializing in documentary images of your favorite moments from “I do” to all the in-betweens. I love photographing unique celebrations like this one. Inquire with me here!