When the vows have been said and the photographs have been taken, celebrate your union with a memorable feast that marries exciting flavours and texture

When it comes to weddings, the one thing that will linger in everyone else’s memory long after the big day is the food, except for the bride and the groom who are usually too excited to eat. And when the guests are satisfied, you’ll get to know about it. If you start hearing negative comments or nothing at all, that’s when you start wondering.

You only get one chance to get it right, so it’s important to find the right caterer who will create not only fresh, delicious food, but will also provide excellent service for the right price. Families and guests may have driven long distances or even flown miles to attend your big day, so they deserve more than just pineapple and cheese on a stick or plates of cold sausage rolls. Fortunately, there are now several innovative caterers who are giving their clients better quality instead of just quantity, with creative menus and ideas to give your wedding reception that extra bit of ‘wow’ factor.

CULTURAL COMBIN

FLAVOURS AND TEXTURES
Presentation is just as important as the wedding breakfast and buffet. Beautifully arranged floral centrepieces and elegant settings that add a personal touch make a world of difference. When hiring caterers, it’s important to discuss your style and particular preferences for table settings – tablecloths, cutlery, candles, etc. Create your own favours which can be edible ones or keepsakes. The choice is yours. Deciding the wedding breakfast menu can be straightforward whereas the evening reception requires some thought and organising.

A themed buffet with myriad textures, tastes and aromas becomes a unique and unforgettable culinary experience for the guests. Moodies have been catering for the past 30 years and pride themselves in providing a complete catering service at very competitive prices. But what really sets them apart is their exciting range of menus, including Indian and Oriental starters. They can create a complete vegetarian hot menu even meat lovers would enjoy, a few of which include: chard potato cake with stilton rarebit, Mediterranean risotto (a delicious mix of wild arborio rice, chopped tomatoes and spinach with parmesan basil and nutmeg), roasted vegetable torte (a selection of seasonal roasted vegetables in a gruyere sauce topped with puff pastry) or Emmental crown (a selection of vegetables including leeks and cauliflower in a dijon, emmental sauce encased in a puff pastry crown).

Occasional Cuisine, established in 1986 by Penny Ide-Smith who trained at Tante Marie Cordon Bleu catering college, also provide themed weddings with menus like Indian BBQ Buffet, Thai Wedding Buffet and Greek-Turkish Mezze. Go Continental and add some Latin passion to your wedding celebration with Spanish tapas, paella and sangria. Christopher Anthony Catering has over 15 years’ experience in catering and event management and provides stir fries from around the world. Their traditional Spanish paella is cooked and served in authentic giant ‘paelleras’. Why not round this off with a fiery Flamenco dance show infused with Salsa and Latin rhythms.

For dessert, Portuguese custard tarts (Pasteis de Natas) are to die for. Each nata is a crisp puff pastry shell with a custard crème brûlée filling. Another dessert repertoire that goes well with brewed coffee or tea is the French Macaroon – light almond-based egg white cookies with a light creamy filling infused with a choice of pistacchio, vanilla, raspberry, coffee, chocolate and lemon flavours. Laduree Macaroons are made in France but are now available from the Harrods Food Hall.
If you’re looking for caterers who also specialise in desserts, Aguila Catering will have your guests drooling over their homemade gateaus and pastries. This family-owned business was formed in 1984 by two sisters, Anna and Sally Eagle, having both worked as chefs at the Savoy, Dorchester and Ritz hotels. Anna trained as pastry chef at the Dorchester and The Ritz hotels, and amongst her popular repertoire are chestnut pyramid meringue, igloo pudding with chocolate sauce, banana cheesecake with pecan and butterscotch sauce and dark chocolate ginger mousse cake. They are open to ideas and suggestions and also cater for vegetarians, coeliacs, gluten-free diets and create special diabetic desserts.

SMASHING COCKTAILS

Some say that drinks more important than the food. We believe you shouldn’t compromise on either one, and satisfying everyone is the biggest challenge, and almost impossible when you have a budget. Having said that, you can still get creative with your drinks without necessarily breaking the bank.
Ditch the usual Buck’s Fizz and treat everyone to more exotic drinks. Cocktailmaker has a range of concoctions for merrier celebrations. They’ll mix a Fraise Royale or Absolutely Fabulous for arriving guests, and a Caribbean Champagne or Bellini for the soon-to-be blushing bride. We say, a wee dram of single-malt whiskey always works for the nervous groom. Cocktailmaker’s arsenal of alcoholic and nonalcoholic tipples can be made to complement your theme, colour and style, and they’ll even create a “signature” cocktail especially for the occasion. You can hire a bar complete with drinks, glasses and bartender, or supply your own drinks and just hire the bartender. Whichever way you arrange it, they have a fantastic menu of cocktails to make you giddy

Top Tips
If you decide you want something out of the ordinary but don’t want to spend a fortune, it might help to:

• Decide what types of wines and cocktails you want served at the reception.
  
• How many of your guests are boozers and how many are teetotal.
  
• Stock up on booze and wine. Start early and get them during the sales and from dutyfree shops when you travel. Find a safe place to stash them away from temptation.
  
• Set aside a bit more than your actual drinks budget.

CHOCOLATE FOUNTAINS

Chocolate fountains are now de rigueur at wedding receptions and parties, and if there isn’t one, prepare for an uprising from your guests. In response to escalating demands for chocolate fountains, Chocolate Drop Fountains Ltd. provide smooth, temptingly delicious and visually stunning Sephra “Elilte” chocolate fountains.

These chocolate fountains come with a stunning illuminated surround on which to place dips of your choice, including fresh strawberries, pineapple, grapes, profiteroles, mini doughnuts and marshmallows and fudge. They use only the finest Belgian Couverture chocolate – milk, dark or white, and come in many colours, flavours and quality - organic and special religiously approved chocolate.

THE PERFECT MATCH
Whether you choose your own caterer or go with the venue’s in-house caterers, keep in mind that some guests may have dietary requirements (gluten free, diabetic, vegetarian, peanut allergies). It’s always best to check well in advance. As a rule-of-thumb, a well-balanced three-course dinner menu and buffet that combines a selection of salads, meats, fish, vegetables (fresh and cooked) and a combination of fresh fruits and devilish desserts are always appreciated by guests. If at all possible, try to avoid a spread with too many spicy foods and wheat-laden products like stodgy breads, pizzas, processed food and meat pies. Delicious food does not necessarily mean spending a fortune either. You just need a bit of imagination – and there’s a host of brilliant caterers out there who can help make your special day one to remember for many, many years to come.