How to Calculate Your Wedding Catering Based on Guest Count

You’ve curated the perfect *chef’s kiss* menu for your wedding night, whether you’re doing a DIY nacho bar or working with one of our favorite local caterers, but now comes the challenging part: deciding just how much of those yummy eats and sweets you need to actually have catered. First, knowing your guests, the type of reception you’re having, and the dinner to be served is pivotal in getting an accurate catering count. As a general rule of thumb, it is always better to order more food than order less, as you do not want to leave guests unsatisfied with the reception! However, no need to worry, as our easy-to-follow guide outlines how to calculate wedding catering based on guest count. Cheers, and happy planning!

Appetizers

In general, calculate your appetizer number to be 6 pieces for every 1 guest in attendance. When planning your wedding timeline, consider how long it will be before guests eat dinner. If you have a long intermission between the ceremony and the reception, you may want to offer more appetizers. If you ask people to leave and return later, offering less appetizers is the way to go. Keep in mind that offering appetizers will typically help keep your buffet cost down since guests will eat roughly 10% less at dinner when appetizers are served. Also, the smaller the appetizer bite, the higher the number can go.

PRO TIP: Try a different appetizer for every 40 needed. If you need 120 appetizers, have 3 different options for guests to eat!

Entrées

If you are not offering a plated meal where guests RSVP with their entrée choice, calculating 1.5 servings for every 1 guest will get you a general entrée count. When serving a buffet, remember that one dish may be more popular than the other among your guests (people tend to gravitate to what is most comfortable for them). Remember to consider your vegetarian and vegan guests when planning your entrée menu, and make sure that number is also accounted for. Decrease your meat count and increase your veggie count as needed.

PRO TIP: Include your vendors when calculating your wedding catering. This ensures they get fed and can enjoy your reception, too!

Non-alcoholic Drinks

Non-alcoholic drinks will average out to around 2 gallons per 1 guest at your reception. In general, you should plan for 1-2 cups of water per guest and 3-4 non-water drinks (tea, lemonade, soda), estimating about 5 drinks per person or 1 drink per hour. Depending on your location, water or non-water drinks may be more favorable to guests. If you are having an outdoor wedding in the heat, having more water at the reception is ideal.

Alcoholic Drinks

Calculating wedding catering also means estimating how much alcohol you’ll need if you’re planning to serve alcoholic beverages. Planning to have 1.5 drinks per hour per guest is a general idea of how much alcohol to allocate to your guests. Keep in mind that the reception time also affects how much alcohol to serve. If you tie the knot in the morning or early afternoon, guests will be less inclined to drink than at a nighttime celebration. Guests will also be more likely to indulge at a weekend wedding than during the week.

If you opt to do an open bar instead of set signature drinks, the exact ratio to supply of each type of alcohol will depend upon your guests’ preferences, your budget, and the season. A standard guideline when determining the right amount of alcohol to serve is 50% wine, 20% beer, and 30% liquor. Additionally, you’ll want to provide plenty of options for each, meaning at least one type of red and one type of white wine, a few different varieties of beer, as well as a handful of liquors and mixers.

Desserts

Offering your guests more desserts than just the cake? If you’re opting for this at your reception, a good calculation for additional desserts would be 1.5 cupcakes or 3 cookies for every 1 guest, on top of allocating 1 slice of cake per guest already. The guests who eat more will likely balance out the people who will not eat any, and how and when all desserts are served determines how much will be eaten. If cake is passed out to tables and individuals, it is more likely to be eaten than giving guests the option to come up and grab a slice themselves. Also, if desserts are served immediately following dinner, guests may be too full to eat dessert at that point!

PRO TIP: Additional desserts can double as favors for your wedding guests. Cupcakes and cookies can easily be taken home with guests in monogrammed boxes or bags with the couple’s names on them!

Now that we have your mouth watering, it’s time to plan out that menu and calculate ALL the bites! Let one of our top local caterers help you curate that dream menu!