Asian weddings are known for their extravagance and glitz with families looking to spend a small fortune to ensure their big day is that extra bit special.

Along with the clothes, the cars and jewellery there is this incessant need to make sure your wedding food fits the standards.

Things have moved on from the days when food was served by friends and families. Now, food is served at round tables and we are happy to pay waiters to serve the food.

A wedding can succeed or fail on the quality of the food.

In reality, culture dictates weddings and not religion. We are a community of food wasters.

Arbaaz got married last year and told us how family members can be pretty damning if the food is not served on time.

“My family spent over £45,000 on our wedding but it was deemed a failure because the food wasn’t up to standard. The caterer had wanted to serve the food at 2pm as we had told him we would be in the hall and ready.

“Things didn’t go to plan and it was eventually served at 3.45pm. By that time some of the food was cold. Despite his best efforts the food was not up to standard.

“All people could remember was that the food was not that good. No-one cared about the venue or the table décor. All they were bothered about was the food.”

Yasir says he was shocked when he was told the amount of food that was simply binned at the end of his brother’s wedding.

“We served a big menu and people went away happy but the amount of food that we binned at the end of the day was shocking.

“You would think we could give it to some shelter but we didn’t think at the time. Anyway people just want to get out of there after the wedding.

“People are so scared of running out of food that we order extra. The shame of running out of food is something won’t be able to live with.”

Usman said at his cousin’s wedding, guests were served one single chicken leg for a starter and this was placed in the plate.

“This is something that happens at some weddings so there is no wastage and it saves on costs too.

“I was serving and I placed the tray on the table and I got told off by an elder. It was one chicken leg per guest. And then Dhal Ghost and Chawal (Lentils, lamb and rice) for the main meal.

“There was little wastage.”

Wedding guests should be blamed for food wastage and not caterers. One major food wedding caterer who did not wish to be named said he was shocked at how guests behaved.

“There is a clear problem with Asian wedding guests. They pile their plates with food and then don’t eat it. Then you can’t use this food anywhere else – it has to be thrown away.

“We cater for small and large weddings and there is one thing in they have in common – wedding guests who waste food.

“The women I am sad to say are far worse than the men. I think we have a culture of wastage, especially when someone else is paying for the food, and it manifests itself at Asian weddings more than anywhere else.”

He added that some families would order far too much food and then ask us to throw it away.

“Yes, some families want to take food away at the end of the night but the majority are not bothered.

“There is also a huge difference between Pakistani weddings and Gujerati weddings. Pakistanis tend to be more extravagant, whilst some Gujeratis are happy having smaller more controlled weddings with fewer guests.

“People might not agree but that is common wherever we go.”

Yasmin tried her best to become more environmentally friendly at her wedding and she was laughed at.

“I tried to limit the amount of food served and I was told that this would be bad for the ‘reputation’ of the family. I was told it would be embarrassing if we ran out of food and people should be allowed to eat as much they want.

“Asian weddings waste food and when we serve things on plastic plates and in cola bottles, nobody has an idea of recycling. Everything is dumped into the skips.

“Our religion teaches us not to over indulge and not to be wasteful – but all those ideals go out of the window when it comes to weddings. It is like we have one rule for how we live our life and then another when it comes to weddings.”

However, Riaz, who has planned weddings in the past said there has been a slow shift in culture and caterers are well aware of what to do with extra food.

He said, “It is not the caterers who are binning the food in many cases it is the wedding guests themselves who put too much into their plates. This food cannot be used again.”

“So, you will find that caterers will say at the end of the weddings - either you take the food or we will try to donate it to the local homeless shelter.

“Families will take the food and distribute it themselves.”