Wedding Catering Quantity Calculator
Calculate exactly how much food and drink you need for your guest count, meal style, and event length.
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Catering is the largest line in most wedding budgets, and it is the one where guesswork is most expensive in both directions. The Wedding Catering Quantity Calculator turns your guest count, service style, and menu into per-item quantities — pounds of protein, trays of sides, bottles of wine, and litres of coffee — so your order matches your headcount instead of your caterer's favourite package.
How the quantities are derived
Service style sets the multiplier. A plated dinner needs one portion per guest exactly. A buffet needs 1.1 to 1.2 times the guest count because portions are self-selected and generously taken. A family-style table service needs about 1.25 times. Heavy passed hors d'oeuvres replace a meal at eight to ten pieces per guest in the first hour, then four to six per hour after that.
Guest composition shifts the totals. Count children at roughly half an adult portion. Expect non-drinkers and pregnant guests to reduce your bar consumption but not your food. Guests who travelled tend to eat more at the reception than local guests.
Timing changes the volume. A reception that starts at 4pm with a ceremony at 2pm needs a substantial cocktail hour. A 7pm reception with a 6pm ceremony needs less, because guests have already eaten.
Working numbers per 100 guests
Plated dinner. 100 protein portions, 100 starch, 100 vegetable, 12 to 15 appetisers per person during cocktail hour, 1 slice of cake per guest plus 10 percent.
Buffet. 110 to 120 portions of each main, allowing for seconds and for guests taking both options.
Bar. For a four-hour reception with beer, wine, and a signature cocktail, plan on two drinks per guest in the first hour and one per hour afterwards — roughly five drinks per drinking guest. That is about 3 cases of wine, 4 cases of beer, and 300 cocktail servings for 100 guests.
Coffee and tea. One cup per guest plus 20 percent, or about 12 litres for 100 guests.
Water. Two glasses per guest, and more if the event is outdoors in summer.
Typical per-person catering costs in 2026
Drop-off or casual buffet: $25–$45 per person.
Full-service buffet with staff: $45–$80 per person.
Plated dinner: $65–$140 per person.
Premium plated with passed canapes: $150–$250 per person.
Add a service charge of 18 to 22 percent and sales tax, and the true per-person figure is roughly 25 to 30 percent above the menu price.
Getting the order right
Ask your caterer for the guaranteed minimum headcount and the deadline for the final count, then hold your own number five to eight above that minimum if your RSVPs are still moving. Any caterer who will not quote a per-person figure including service charge and tax is giving you a number you cannot compare.
Reducing waste without risking running out: choose two mains rather than three, use a buffet for sides and a plated service for the main, and serve a plated dessert rather than a dessert table. Each change lowers both cost and oversupply, and none of them read as cheap to your guests.
Frequently asked questions
How many appetisers per person during cocktail hour?
Six to eight pieces if a full dinner follows within an hour, ten to twelve if the gap is longer or the dinner is late.
Should I order a late-night snack?
If your reception runs past 10pm, yes. Plan two to three pieces per guest; it costs a fraction of a main course and it is the detail guests mention afterwards.
How much of the guest list actually drinks alcohol?
Plan for 70 to 80 percent of adults, and offer two strong non-alcoholic options. A capped consumption bar is usually cheaper than an open bar for smaller weddings.
What is a typical vendor meal cost?
Most venues require meals for the photographer, band, and coordinator at $25 to $50 each. Add up to four vendor meals for a standard wedding.
Related planning tools
Set the guest figure with the Wedding Guest List Calculator and the cost with the Wedding Cost Per Guest Calculator. Finish the menu plan with the Wedding Cake Serving Size Calculator and Wedding Place Setting Quantity Calculator.