Catering for your wedding is probably the most expensive part of the whole day, you want to feed the crowds and keep everyone happy, this can be a very daunting task especially if you have large numbers and need to find your own caterers.

Your guests attending the wedding will always remember what the food was like so it is important after all the planning, designing and arranging that the food is up to scratch. Therefore it is worth spending time and a generous portion of your budget on getting this right, forget the dress the success of your wedding relies mainly (as far as your guests are concerned) on the culinary skills and experience of your caterer.

If you’re on a strict budget its best to find out what the venues minimum spend per head is before booking it, you don’t want to find out there are any hidden costs or extras. Some caterers charge for use of heavy duty pots, pans and crockery so just be clear on what you want when discussing your menu.

If you’re planning a marquee wedding, find caterers who know the venue and talk to them in detail about what they will need. You might find you will need to pay for hire of a catering tent, generators, fridges, cookers, even water supply on top of everything else.

Be aware of any other charges that may occur. A lot of venues charge ‘corkage fee’ for bringing your own wine, this is a fee they will charge for opening any bottle that is not supplied by them. Some venues and caterers will have higher prices than others too and some will charge more Sparkling wine or Champagne.

Experienced Caterers will be able to help you with everything from decor ideas threw to parking and flowers. Most caterers have reliable contacts and sources so if you are struggling they will be able to guide you. More importantly they are the experts on timing so it’s worth chatting to your caterer before planning anything else, you don’t want hungry guests waiting around for hours while you have photos taken.

Your caterer will be excellent when helping you decide on your food or creating a bespoke menu for you. If you are tight on budget ask where you can make money saving swaps or short cuts that will still enable you to have what you would like.

They will be able to suggest appropriate menus for the right season and will tell you if your choices need a bit more variety. They can also tell you about special diets and children’s meals.

Be creative and adventurous with your menu, people are much more worldly and experienced with foreign foods and tastes so don’t be afraid to try something a little different. Your guests will find it interesting and it will create a good conversation ice-breaker around the table.