Episode Summary

Food is one of the things guests remember most about a wedding, and one of the hardest parts for couples to plan. In this episode of The Secret Society of Brides, a UK wedding podcast, wedding planner Georgie is joined by co-hosts Nick Collins and Roxy Greenwood of award-winning caterers Epic Caterers for the first of a two-part deep dive into wedding catering. They start with the big decision: marquee and DIY venues where you choose your own caterer, venues with a list of approved suppliers, and venues with in-house catering. They explain how to test whether a venue can really deliver the food you want before you sign.

From there, they get into the details couples worry about. Should you pay for a menu tasting, and what should happen to your tasting notes? What should you ask a caterer before booking? Why do choice menus usually cost more, and how do you stop guests changing their order on the day? Nick and Roxy explain how professional caterers handle allergies and dietary requirements, and Georgie, a vegetarian herself, makes a plea for better veggie options.

To finish, there's a quickfire round of wedding food hot takes on canapés, cheese towers, evening food and serving your cake as dessert, plus a Society member's question about exactly what information her caterer needs. Practical, funny and full of ideas, this is the UK wedding podcast episode to listen to before you build your wedding menu.

Key Takeaways

• Build your menu around food you love as a couple. Treat the wedding breakfast like a dinner party you're hosting, not a menu designed to please everyone.

• If food matters most to you, check the catering before you fall in love with a venue. Ask at the viewing whether they can deliver what you have in mind.

• Whatever a tasting costs, ask what happens to your notes, and photograph every dish yourself so the wedding-day food matches what you agreed.

• Ask a caterer what time they'll arrive on site, how they'll run the day, and how they handle allergies. Listen for a dedicated team member for dietary meals.

• Choice menus usually cost a little more because they need extra staff. Colour-coded place cards or personalised menus stop mix-ups.

• Vegetarian and vegan options should be different dishes, so ask your caterer how they handle both.

• Serving the wedding cake as dessert rarely saves much. A proper dessert with cake pops, a coupe-glass station or mini cakes works better.

• Give your caterer a bird's-eye table plan, table names and numbers, dietaries, children, non-drinkers, and place cards sorted by table.