Fresh Fruit
For those of you thinking about a summer wedding nothing is more refreshing on a warm day than some nice, cool fruit. It makes a great afternoon snack, however, if you are going to be serving a full meal straight after fruit can be a bit of a strange starter, especially as it is rather sweet.

Cheese Platter
Apart from the lactose intolerant community I don’t think there is anyone out there who doesn’t like a nice cheese platter. They are light and easy to eat, making them the ideal wedding snack.

Something Hot
For those of you wanting to try something a bit more complex then you might want to consider serving warm appetisers. Obviously this mean the starters will have to be prepared and served at a particular time but have a look at some of our tasty suggestions and see if you think they make your mouth water enough to be worth the extra effort…

Quiche
I am a big mini quiche fan. If you have a few vegetarian guests a nice mini quiche can be a little bit of heaven. There are so many different types you could try having a quiche platter instead of a regular old cheese platter.
Something for the Carnivores

Chicken Skewers
Things like chicken wings or drumsticks are delicious but a real pain to eat with getting messy. A few small, easy to hold skewers make serving some tasty teriyaki or sweet and sour chicken 10 times easier for you and your guests.

Crab Cakes
For the sea food lovers there is no better appetiser than the crab cake. A nice warm crab cake with a tangy dipping sauce will certainly arouse your guests’ taste buds.

As delicious as all of these options sound remember to only choose a few as you don’t want everyone filling up on appetisers. Remember to sit down with your wedding catering company and plan your menu based on not only what tastes good, but also depending the time, format and season of your wedding. Best of luck, I am off to go and get some lunch cause writing this has made me hungry.

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Grazing
This is a new style of buffeting. Although it does rather sound like feeding gazelles in a field it is actually a more social take on traditional wedding dinning methods. Many people are finding that when you allocate people a table for a three course meal you are limiting the amount of interaction they are having with other guests. Not to mention the nightmare of creating a seating plan, who does auntie May sit next to? Do you keep families together on tables or mix everyone up to spark new friendships? If these are all things that bother you then try this technique instead. The idea is to set up several buffet stations dotted around the room. Keep the food simple finger food in a buffet format. This encourages people to explore the room in search of new food making new acquaintances along the way.

Let them eat cake!
Having an outrageous cake is becoming very fashionable. Out the window with traditional styles and hello vibrant colours and elaborate icing. I think is possibly my favourite growing trend. The eating of the cake is not so important, it is about the look and feel or the cake which let’s be honest sits in the room looking stunning and that’s about all. Brides are designing their cakes to fit in with the theme of the wedding and compliment the colours used i.e. red and black.

Cocktail bars
Welcome to the reception, would you like a drink? Well there has been a massive increase in letting the guests make their own! Instead of a traditional regular bar, many brides are setting up cocktail stations. These are areas equipped with liquors’, fruit juices and mixers and occasionally a cocktail waiter to assist your guests and show off every now and then.

Supporting good causes
As you get married is nice to appreciate how lucky you are. Many couples are now involving charities and good causes amongst their wedding day. For example instead of wedding gifts many people chose to donate money to a charity of choice. Instead of buying wedding favours for all your guests why not donate the money to charity and put a little thank-you note in your guest favour box. This is a great way to raise awareness and support for charities you feel close to.

These are just a few growing trends I have noticed recently in the wedding industry. I will keep you posted with more things I see and like at other peoples weddings. When organising a wedding it is always good to read about other people’s ideas and experiences to then come up with your own concepts! If you would like to see some of the catering available in Newbury and the Berkshire area please follow this link, Wedding Catering Newbury.

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Recommendations

To find a list of potential caterers, ask around. You will find that many good companies and individuals  generate  most of their business via from word of mouth. If you have been to wedding in the past and loved their food, give them a call. Otherwise you can try asking your florist, wedding planner or any other company that you are dealing with in relation to your wedding.

References

Once you have a few potential candidates, don’t be afraid to ask them for references. Do a background check by contacting three or four past clients and ask for their opinion.

Questions to ask:

• Was the service efficient and professional?
• Was the food delicious?
• Did it arrive hot?
• Was the person you dealt with pleasant and accommodating?

Meeting your Caterer

Once you have a short list, you should arrange to sample some of the chefs recommended dishes. Sometimes this will al be part of the service, but be aware this often involves a charge. From this tasting, you can get a good idea of what the food will taste and importantly look like at your reception. This is important, for example if the starter is meant to be garnished with flowers, you should have them for the tasting. Don’t be afraid to  make suggestions or to ask the chef if he can make changes to suit your tastes, remember this is your day.

Wine Tastings

If you want to make sure that nothing is left to chance, organise with your caterer to sample the wines that will be served with the wedding meal. This way if you don’t like the way the a particular wine goes with your food, you can chnge it before it is too late. Our advice is not to get too snooty with wine and no matter what anybody says, you do not need to spend a fortune. Just pick ones that you, your fiancé and your guests will enjoy drinking.

The Contract

If you are spending a lot of money, it is important to get a written contract, don’t settle on a verbal agreement. This way you will be able to make sure that everyone knows the correct date, time, fees and specific menu items. Another important consideration is that it is common that the number of your guests may change even at the last minute, so be sure to agree on a deadline for your final count that you feel comfortable with.

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Every bride and groom needs to think carefully about what they are eating to provide the body with the energy it needs to get through the day.

Breakfast

A healthy breakfast is the best start you can give your body.  You will boost your metabolism to burn fat and calories, and will provide your body with a good energy start for the day.  Avoid the fry-up and go for whole grain foods, fruit, yogurt, skimmed milk. If you can’t face too much then something oat based like porridge not only gives you energy but will help you feel fuller for longer.

Bananas

Best snack when it comes to raising your energy level.  They contain carbohydrates but they are easily broken down by your body to give you the energy you need right away.

Green Tea

Try and avoid drinking too much champagne while your getting ready as it will make your body feel sluggish. Green tea has great antioxidant properties and a great way to keep hydrated which will help your body regulate it temperature, move energy through your muscles and prevent you from feeling worn out.  If you can’t face green tea, still water will have the same effect.

Dark Chocolate

Every bride gets brought a few goodies on the morning of the wedding.  If you are a choc-o-holic then opt for dark chocolate.  It does contain some caffeine and sugars but if you eat a small amount, the energy benefits are great.  The other pleasant side effect is that chocolate tastes lovely and makes us happy!

Nerves on the big day can get the better of you, but by trying some of these foods you will get the nutrients you need to continue through your day.  You won’t have to deal with fatigue which will make you feel better, and keep you smiling for all those photos.

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