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So you’ve got engaged, wedding planning has begun in earnest and you have no inkling of how to keep your starving guests stomachs lined for the partying ahead! Read on for some great alternative wedding catering ideas for your big day. Choosing your wedding catering can be a costly and tricky affair and will depend on the type and theme of day you want, the guests attending (think allergies and dietary requirements such as vegetarians etc) and where and when the day is taking place. But fear not! Read on for some handy tips and ideas to consider when planning your wedding catering. When do they need feeding? Well, following the normal pattern of a wedding day, there are a few key times to consider when guests will expect their stomachs to be lined; such as nibbles to greet them on arrival to the venue (or after the ceremony).  The main meal of the day (known formally as the wedding breakfast or reception dinner) and then the evening meal or snacks for guests to chow down on in between busting some shapes on the dance floor.  Having a whole weekend celebration?  If so, you will also have to consider breakfast, snacks and informal dining for the day before/after the celebrations.   Never fear – there are plenty of alternative wedding catering options to consider to keep the five thousand fed. Confused? Look no further, as we’ve lined up a few stress free options to give you ideas for catering throughout the day. Traditional catering  Okay okay, so this isn’t so much of an alternative wedding catering option.  However, being the off the shelf solution at many venues we thought we had better cover this before diving into the alternatives. This is often sourced directly from the venue (hotels for example will nearly always offer their in-house service) or from either one of their recommended catering companies or a company of your own choosing.  Depending on the flexibility of the provider, this can include options for just the wedding breakfast, or include canapés to greet your guests on arrival, a three-course wedding breakfast and then evening snacks/buffet with drinks at different points throughout. It’s up to you.  Venues will do this week in and out, making this a relatively easy and well oiled process. Depending on your chosen venue however, catering packages don’t tend to be cheap. Once you start adding in a drink on arrival, half a bottle of wine per guest for the sit-down meal and a bacon butty later on, you could be talking £50, £60, £70 plus a head (or an eye watering £5-7000 for a 100 guest wedding!) Getting to grips with the costs early on will certainly be beneficial when you juggle this with the venue hire (if there are separate charges for this) and your other wedding related costs.  Each venue will have their own set of rules regarding allowing external caterers, ranging from not at all, to recommended suppliers only. If you’re lucky, and this will depend heavily on the type of venue – a company of your choice.   Wedding catering is often one of the most expensive aspects of the day, so get an idea of costs per head for various packages when viewing venues or contacting local companies to factor this into your wedding budget.  Choose correctly and you may still have some pennies left over for that free bar! Outsourced caterers  Following on from the in-house options above, there are a broad selection of caterers that will be eager to help you out on your day – offering everything from fully catered options as highlighted above, to just the wedding breakfast or evening catering. As with anything, these can vary tremendously from low to high end with the prices varying accordingly. Pin down exactly what you get for the options available with either an overall price for your number of guests or as a cost per head (check if this can be reduced if you have lower numbers than anticipated). Children may be cheaper (as they won’t be taking advantage of the booze if provided) so check if there are different tariffs for guests, and also identify any potential dietary requirements from the off and whether these can be accommodated (don’t forget to ask about these on your wedding invites.) If you have a particular choice of cuisine in mind, exploring your local catering companies might be a great option, particularly where they specialise in your chosen type.  Some venues such as certain barns, local halls or marquee weddings will be completely DIY with you hiring your own caterers etc. This will allow a greater range of options for you to choose from.  Bear in mind however, this will be one more thing to manage in the build-up and it will be worth double checking exactly what is included and whether they provide the tableware, cutlery etc or if this is to be hired separately.  A good catering company should make this as painless as possible. They will let you know exactly what they provide and will require on the day (kitchen area, gas and electric supply etc) and then be self-sufficient on the day.  As with hotels and local caterers, you should also get the opportunity to do a tasting to confirm your menu selection so take full advantage of this as one of the perks of your wedding planning! BBQ  We’ve attended several weddings where the happy couple have opted for a BBQ to cater for their guests. This can be a great and relatively inexpensive idea for alternative wedding catering. Usually a popular option, particularly for the carnivores in the bunch, this is simple and effective with plenty of options to cater for any veggies in the group if you plan in advance – from veggie burgers to skewer kebabs.  This can prove much more cost effective than a three-course dinner, however is inevitably less formal than a sit down served meal.  As with the other options; it’s