So what would suit you best! Is your preference for employing a professional wedding caterer, taking advantage of the in-house catering at your wedding venue, hiring the services of a local restaurant or are you even considering doing it yourself (with a bit of help, of course)? Whichever way you decide, you'll need to think it through.

There are plenty of wedding caterers out there itching to help you, so if that’s the right way forward for you it's important to know what to ask them and how to tell if they're good for you and your event.

It's also important to think about your costs and how you can keep these to a minimum or to your budget. As long as you’ve thought your ideas through, a wedding caterer should be able to help you do this effectively.

Catering your own wedding is one way of keeping costs down. But there’s a lot to think about and most of us have never catered for large numbers, let alone an important event like a wedding. But it doesn’t have to be complicated and difficult as long as you get your planning straight and choose simple dishes.

These days, wedding catering tends to follow a set formula of canapés with the reception drinks before a three-course sit-down meal, followed later that evening with a hot buffet. With all this food, it’s not surprising that the catering costs (and some of the guests!) are huge.

By moving away from this recent tradition you can easily slash hundreds of pounds off your wedding catering budget.

• Reduce the number of meals you serve: it’s only in the last 15 years that couples have started providing a sit-down meal after the ceremony and then a further buffet towards the end of the night for the evening guests. You could easily cut the evening buffet, as most of these guests will have eaten before they arrive and those guests that ate earlier are generally still full from the sit-down three course meal!
• Opt for smaller companies: by avoiding the large professional catering companies, you’ll reduce costs. Many local restaurants or small catering businesses are able to provide food for large events, including weddings. Going local and small will allow you to avoid the hefty price tag often associated with large companies.
• Keep it simple: one of the best ways to reduce your costs is simplifying your menu. Consider serving up classic pub food such as bangers and mash or fish and chips (which was good enough for Kate Winslet!). They’re everybody’s favourites and will keep your costs low.
• Do it yourself: enlist the help of your family and cater yourself. If everyone pitches in a little you can make light work of catering. It will take a little planning, but with a simple buffet menu it is achievable.
• Think differently about your food: there are plenty of food options available, so you don’t have to go down the route of a traditional sit-down meal. Consider providing party foods, snacks or plenty of canapés for a champagne reception. For a summer garden reception a BBQ or spit-roast would go down well or a picnic style buffet for a more casual affair.
• Consider a catering college: in virtually every large town there is a catering college and often these offer additional services. After all, the students need to practice their catering skills and what better way than at a wedding?