While receptions at lunch or dinner time are still the most popular there are people who are having wedding receptions at other times of the day and often these are arranged to coincide with their honeymoon plans or other factors that make it more convenient to have a reception possibly in the morning or at brunch.

This also affects the type of catering and the costs involved in your wedding reception and can often be a lot more cost-effective to have your reception earlier in the day where different foods and alcohol are consumed and also where any after reception party might not be included in the wedding plans.

If you're planning a wedding on a budget then it is well worth considering alternate times for your reception as a cost saving exercise while still adding a bit of variety and personalization to your wedding.

There are other factors that can also save you money by having your reception earlier in the day even to the extent of paying less for any musicians that you require as it will be at a time of day when there is less demand for their work and you can usually get it at a reduced rate.

Other things that need to be considered when determining what time you will have your reception include the season that you will be getting married in and whether you can rely on the weather to be suitable during that time of the year.

Once again you should keep an open mind and not stick to specific guidelines if you prefer to do something different or if your finances or personal situation dictate alternative preparations.

Something that people often remember when they go to a wedding reception is the food, whether it's good or bad. When choosing your menu keep in mind that just because you have a favourite food it doesn't necessary mean that all your guests will like it as well.

Yes, it's your wedding but you are spending a lot of money so you want people to like what is being served.

It's always a good idea to offer your guests a choice on what they would like to eat for your wedding reception People may have food allergies, vegetarian or religious limitations so this way they can choose what they would like to eat. A vegetarian choice would be a good alternative.

People are reluctant to eat what they are unfamiliar with so don't be too adventurous.

Your guests are going to be wearing their best clothes and no one is going to want to eat anything that is messy or stains their clothes. It could well spoil your day if you or anyone else spilled food on your wedding dress you would not be happy and any stain could show up on your wedding photographs.

Get ideas from past weddings that you have attended and duplicate the things that you liked.

Along with all the variety that people are adding to their weddings these days is the fact that people are choosing various different types of receptions that best suit their needs and their personalities.