Choosing the wedding food and catering for your reception can be daunting, especially when you consider all of the taste buds you'll have to please. There's also the current economic climate to consider, and although many couples have a smaller budget, they still want a high quality wedding food menu. Here are a few tips for getting the catering and the menu to your taste.In-house wedding catering
Many reception venues expect you to use their in-house caterer, so before you put down a deposit, ask for a tasting session to make sure you're happy with both the wedding food and catering service. Your prospective venue might even offer you a free taster meal for two, and if they don't, well, there's no harm in asking. The same goes for negotiating a better price or for tweaking the menu.
Picking your caterer
If you're able to pick your own caterer, try to do this at least six months in advance to give you time to arrange tastings and to experiment with menus. You'll probably want to narrow your choice of caterer down to no more than three by getting advice from recently married friends and by browsing internet forums (and, yup, naturally there's some great advice on the Scottish Wedding Directory Forum). To avoid last minute surprises, be sure to confirm that the price covers full catering: chefs, food, preparation time, linens, service, crockery, cutlery, delivery and collection.Choosing the best wedding menu
It's a good idea to keep your menu simple, not just because some of your guests might be fussy eaters. Choosing more complicated food options can also really push up the price. For a meat dish, if you really want to have beef or lamb, consider offering a pre-order alternative of chicken or fish because many people these days prefer to avoid red meat. Pay attention also to the vegetarian option on offer. As tasty as macaroni and cheese is, your guests will almost certainly expect a more up-market, imaginative option.Go for a Scottish wedding menu
There are many benefits to having in-season food on the menu and thankfully Scotland has much to offer from fine organic meat and seafood to fresh organic fruit and vegetables. Going local, you'll not only be following in the footsteps of all the top chefs around the world, but the food will hopefully taste better and be much cheaper.Choose the right drinks
Choosing champagne and wine for the table can also feel daunting and it's worth asking your caterer or venue to suggest options that compliment your menu. You hopefully won't go wrong with a Sauvignon Blanc, a favorite type of white wine, or a Cabernet Sauvignon, a popular red. Half a bottle of wine per guest for the meal is standard. As for other drinks, guests probably don't expect you to fork out for an all-inclusive bar but if you want to make a similar but cheaper gesture, think about having free house wine and free beer on tap.
Chat about wedding food and catering with other brides on the Scottish Wedding Directory Forum
