The term wedding breakfast dates back to the 17th century when wedding ceremonies were usually part of Eucharistic Mass and so newlyweds would have been fasting ahead of the service. The meal they shared afterwards was literally breaking the fast. Although it doesn’t initially seem it, these days it still makes sense.

A wedding breakfast is a meal served after the wedding to the newlyweds and guests. The phrase is still used in British English. The wedding breakfast is not usually a morning meal or like a typical breakfast, so its name can be confusing.