Quick Answer
What is a wedding breakfast?
The wedding breakfast is the British term for the formal sit-down meal served immediately after the ceremony, whatever time of day the wedding actually takes place — it is not literally breakfast food, and most wedding breakfasts happen well into the afternoon.
Last updated:
Last updated:
What is a wedding breakfast?
Also called: the wedding breakfast.
Nothing about the "wedding breakfast" involves eggs and toast — the name is one of the more confusing British wedding conventions for anyone hearing it for the first time. It refers to the main formal meal of the day, served straight after the ceremony (and any photos), and it's the meal where the speeches, toasts, and cake-cutting traditionally happen. The name is a historical leftover: it dates from when weddings had to take place before noon under English law, and guests would have fasted (as some religious observance required) until after the ceremony — making the first meal of the day literally a "breakfast," even though it might be closer to lunchtime.
Why the name stuck
Until the Marriage Act of 1886 relaxed the rules, Church of England weddings in England and Wales had to be held before noon. Combined with the older custom of fasting before Communion, the meal that followed a morning ceremony really was the first meal of the day — hence "wedding breakfast." The law changed, wedding times moved later, and the meal itself evolved into a full multi-course reception lunch or dinner — but the name never got updated. Modern British wedding invitations and order-of-service booklets still routinely say "wedding breakfast to follow," even for a 6pm ceremony.
Planning notes
- •Confirm with the venue whether "wedding breakfast" on their package sheet means a full multi-course meal or a lighter buffet — the term alone doesn't specify format.
- •This is also where the speeches traditionally happen in British weddings — build timing for the toasts into the meal schedule, not after it.
- •If day and evening guest numbers differ, the wedding breakfast headcount is usually the smaller, "day guest" list — confirm catering numbers against that list specifically.
Plan the wedding breakfast headcount separately from evening guests
Weddingkart's guest management tools let you track day-guest and evening-guest lists as separate counts, so catering numbers for the wedding breakfast stay accurate.
See guest management →Frequently Asked Questions
Is a wedding breakfast actually breakfast food?
No — it's the name for the main reception meal after the ceremony, whatever time of day it's served and whatever food is on the menu.
Why is it called a wedding breakfast if it happens at lunch or dinner time?
The name dates from when English law required Church of England weddings to take place before noon, and guests would have fasted until after the ceremony, making the following meal the day's first — a literal breakfast at the time.
Do speeches happen during or after the wedding breakfast?
Traditionally during or right after the meal, before the room turns over for evening guests and dancing — this is the standard British running order.
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By Mayank JaiswalLast updated