To help fit the food to the occasion, consider factors such as the setting of the venue and time of day and season, as well as the mood and theme of the décor and dresswear. Another important consideration is your budget. Breakfasts, light lunches, afternoon teas or cocktail functions with snacks tend to be a lot more cost effective than a full sit-down dinner or buffet.

Today there are a host of new menu ideas available - from simple to sumptuous. For example, a beach wedding could include fun snacks, seafood and colourful cocktails, while an elegant oriental evening might feature sushi and sake on the menu! Also, don't forget to take your guests' preferences into account. Make sure that there are halaal, kosher and vegetarian options on the menu. Buffets are a popular choice as guests have a greater variety of foods from which to choose.

Confident catering

Whether you're planning on having the reception at home or in an outdoor setting such as a beach or garden, enlisting the services of a professional caterer is a wise move.

First check with a few recommended catering companies and obtain detailed quotes reflecting all costs and price per head, including possible extras such as gratuities for waiters. Enquire about special packages and discuss the variety of available menus and the final selection fully. Also, find out about the kitchen facilities - if any - at your chosen venue, as your caterer may need to have access to these.

A deposit is usually needed to secure the booking.

Liquid refreshments

The type and amount of liquid refreshments served at your wedding depends on the time of day, type of function and number of guests attending. For example, teas and breakfasts (except for champagne breakfasts!) will most likely be 'dry', while lunchtime, cocktail and evening receptions usually include beer, wine and champagne, and possibly spirits.

It's quite acceptable to supply guests with unlimited wine or malt, while having spirits, which tend to be much more expensive, served on a cash basis.

Let them eat cake!

Your choice here could range from a traditionally tiered rich fruitcake filled with cherries, nuts, raisins, spices and brandy, or an avant-garde creation with chocolate and strawberries. Base the size of your cake on the number of guests attending and whether or not the upper tier is to be kept - according to tradition this is eaten on the first anniversary or may even serve as a christening cake.

Before ordering your cake, check to see whether your selected venue or caterer will provide one as part of their service. While they may be able to help, chances are you'll want a specialist in this department!

Get recommendations from other wedding specialists and visit a number of bakeries.

Look at photographs of their cakes to make sure they are able to fulfil your needs, and don't forget to sample some as well! Find out whether the bakery will deliver the cake to the reception venue or whether it will need to be picked up.

This could be a problem if the cake is very intricate and needs to be assembled.

Make sure that you - or your ever-helpful bridesmaid - knows what to do.

Cakes today are true works of art, and there are a number of new looks in cake design. Tiered wedding cakes may have art nouveau or deco details, and romantic embellishments such as roses (both real and edible) or hearts and bows made from beads and crystals.

The croquembouche is a traditional French wedding cake made of choux puffs filled with custard and piled high in a pyramid shape, glazed with spun sugar.