There’s a standard pattern to weddings, even for the most alternative of couples. After the ceremony it’s time to celebrate - confetti is scattered, the fizz starts popping, the Aperols are spritzed, pitchers of Pimms prepared. This is the ideal time for photographs with everyone looking their very best. Ties are still straight, hair is still place. But your guests are hungry and the meal is a good hour maybe even two away. What shall we feed them?

The obvious answer is, of course, canapes. At their best these tiny, artful morsels can be delicious. But canapes were always designed to stimulate the appetite rather than line the stomach and for many clients looking to mark their wedding out as a little different they can sometimes feel a little ‘standard’

Creative ideas for wedding food

At The Wedding Arrangers we love telling our clients stories through their wedding food. We’d love to get to know your favourite restaurants, your preferred cuisines, maybe a typical dish or ingredient from your home region or ethnic background? Do you have a signature dish you cook at dinner parties or are you known for always ordering the same thing on a night out? The best caterers will design a bespoke wedding menu for you so let’s have some fun with your food.

What alternatives are there to wedding canapes?

If you’d really like to wow your guests with something completely different, there are lots of canape alternatives that The Wedding Arrangers can provide for your welcome drinks. We work alongside artisan food producers and specialists to bring authentic and daring food to our unique events. Here are some of our favourites:-

• How about a hand carved Jamon Iberico - a true delicacy and a great piece of theatre for your guests?

• Sushi - platters of freshly cut sushi and sashimi with firey wasabi or soy dips

• Oysters - shucked in front of your guests and served with a variety of garnishes

• Aperitivo table - typical of Italian weddings, a mini buffet table of cured meats, cheeses and breads

• If you love Indian food but don’t want to go down the curry route for your main meal, how about Indian street food snacks with your reception drinks?

• We hate the word “manapes” but sometimes there’s no better description! Supersize your canapes by providing mini pork pies, scotch eggs and sliders. These are particularly popular after an early ceremony where guests may have skipped lunch or perhaps instead of a starter.

• Dirty vegan - how about selection of delicious vegan snacks, straight from the streets of Shoreditch? Pulled jack fruit, seitan sliders, mac ‘n’ cheez, sweet potato fries…. yum!

• Bar snacks - sometimes simple is best. Strategically placed bowls of olives, crostini, mixed nuts and even pork scratchings are just the ticket if you’re serving craft beers as your welcome drinks. We had one client provide a wall of “crap crisps” - a selection of 9 different boxes of childhood favourites… Mine were the Salt & Vinegar Discos - what were yours?

• Caviar bar - the opposite of crap crisps!

Your unique celebration

In short, don’t be constrained by convention - this is your wedding, do it your way! The Wedding Arrangers believe that every wedding should be unique. Talk to us today about your celebration and let’s see what fabulous ideas we can cook up for your special day.

Food, music, booze

Head planner Chris took a break in Cornwall in September and can happily report that the food at Nathan Outlaw’s Fish Kitchen deserves its starry reputation! Back in London we’re looking forward to trying out the new incarnation of The Dairy as it reopens in Bermondsey this week.

Drinks-wise it was all about fabulous Cornish wines from Camel Valley and Polgoon as well as exceptional beers from Verdant

And we had great fun at the brilliant Electronic: From Kraftwerk to The Chemical Brothers exhibition. At times it actually felt like a night out in a club with its pumping soundtrack and light installations - highly recommended!