Once the ceremony is over it is time to eat, drink and finally relax. What better way to celebrate your marriage than with a delicious feast and a joyous toast with your guests? Whether you choose tantalising canapés, a sit-down meal or a less formal buffet, this article will guide you through the many options for your reception food.

As with many areas of planning a wedding, your budget will help dictate where to hold your reception, the type of food and drink to serve and the number of people to invite. Remember that your guests will appreciate a selection of quality food presented well rather than a small portion of complicated food with lots of decorations and so now is the time to work out how much money you have to spend.

To some couples, the greatest wines and the finest delicacies are worth spending lots on, for others, food is secondary to entertainment, bridal wear and flowers etc. The choice is up to you but, on general, an average 40% of the whole wedding budget is spent on the reception.

Once you have established a budget, it is time to decide on a venue. Many civil ceremony venues also have room to hold your reception, but if you marry in a church, register office or venue that cannot accommodate your reception then you could choose a hotel, stately home, hall or pub to hold the reception. If you want to hold your reception at a private house then be sure you have plenty of space to comfortably accommodate all your guests.

If you have a strong theme for your reception then you can have a menu to match. For example, a Mediaeval banquet with wild meats, bread and cheese, pints of ale and garden vegetables would go extremely well with a wedding of that theme. You could be proud of traditional English food and serve bangers and mash followed by Bakewell tart or traditional roast beef and Yorkshire pudding followed by spotted dick.

For a wedding with a blue or green colour scheme, try a seafood theme for your reception food. A salmon salad starter followed by a tuna steak main course will provide some variety of texture, your dessert could be served in shell-shaped brandy baskets and your wedding cake be decorated to match.

If you and your groom have differing tastes then why not serve his favourite dessert to your male guests and yours to the females. Or, why not break with tradition and offer an English garden reception? Instead of hiring a marquee, provide your guests with a picnic hamper packed with food, a bottle of wine or soft drinks per group and a rug. This is a romantic way for guests to mix with each other and add to the informal atmosphere of your celebration.

Now that you have decided on the type of reception venue you want then it is time to choose between using the on site catering on offer, hiring an outside catering firm or doing the catering yourselves.

Many venues have in-house caterers that provide all food and drink services for celebrations held there. These caterers will be familiar with the styles of meal that their chefs specialise in and will also be able to provide tables and chairs, linen, crockery, glasses, waiting staff and sometimes decorations.

If you have specific catering requirements like the need for Kosher meals then the venue may not be able to accommodate your needs or they may allow you to book outside caterers in. Similarly, if there is no in-house catering then you can ask for recommendations from the venue.

Draw up a shortlist of potential caterers and arrange an appointment to discuss your specific requirements and also compare prices, services and ability. Ask to see specific example menus, price list and testimonials from other weddings and enquire about the type of wedding packages they have to offer. Ask each caterer the same questions about their service, ingredients and any added extras so you get comparable quotes from each.