We love weddings. Yes, there is almost always a lot of stress for all concerned (especially for us when the speeches are taking longer than expected and the beef fillet is in danger of being over-cooked), but they are such happy, beautiful events. We regard it as a huge privilege to cook for an event that is this significant in people’s lives.

In no particular order, here are a few pointers to bear in mind as you plan your big day:

While you’re busy with the wedding photos treat your guests to a fabulous selection of canapés, accompanied by something glamorous, like bubbly, or even Pimm’s.

Use your wedding cake as the dessert and add seasonal berries or ice cream when serving it. You don’t need to have wedding cake as well as a buffet or plated dessert.

Remember to include vegetarian options on your menu.

The most cost effective venues are those that include all crockery and cutlery in the venue fee and that also have kitchen facilities. If your venue has neither the hiring costs can turn a simple wedding into something substantially more expensive.

Many caterers will do a menu tasting, which is a great opportunity to go through your likes and dislikes, and most importantly it will give you peace of mind for the big day.

It may be tempting to use some friendly teenagers as cheap waiters. Rather use a reputable staffing company as the food might be glorious, but it may not get to the table in one piece (or be ice cold) due to slow service.

Check the sporting calendar. The last thing you want is to have all the men crowding around a television instead of enjoying your wedding.

Rather than having a plated dessert, opt for a dessert buffet as guests would rather hit the dance floor than have to sit down to yet another course.

We have had great success with our ‘raid the larder at midnight’. This is also a great opportunity to use leftover meats in shawarmas.

And, last but not least, our pet hate – The Buffet. We prefer to do a more manageable table buffet, which has smaller bowls or plates that get passed around individual tables. The secondary benefit of this is that passing plates around the table helps to break the ice if guests don’t know each other.