Catering: Assuring fh

We are doing a buffet of heavy hors d’oeuvres since we are having a somewhat short service. Ceremony starts at 2 pm, food at 330 pm and the day ends at 6pm. 95 guests will be invited and although we havent gotten to the invitation/rsvp portion of the planning, our food order will not change. We would rather have too much then not enough and left overs will be taken to the small after party at our place. The catering will be $650. This doesn't include any beverages but our venue does not allow alcohol so that was a big $$ saver. We went with a local restaurant that serves organic americana style foods. Cheeseburger and BBQ sliders, BLT's, fruit kabobs and fruit salad, caprese salad, chicken and waffle bites, wings, veggie skewers etc. The way our families work, no one will actually be sitting down for a meal so we figured it would be easier to have lots of ready to grab foods.

Take your total and divide it by the # of guests and that will give you a PP estimate. If it still seems too high, compare to what others are paying for the same types of foods you are having and maybe see if you can adjust the menu to less expensive items if you would still like for her to do the catering.

We were quoted roughly $30 pp + tax & gratuity. That includes water, tea, soda, a house salad, and an entree. With our 60 guests and the 5 of us (FH, our kids and I) that will come out to roughly $2600 for the food.

Mine is tricky to figure out too because it includes so much. The price is $125 per person (separate package for alcohol), but includes just about everything...food, linens, silverware, service, some floral decorations, the reception venue, and a wedding coordinator. For the food, I can do a sit down or buffet main meal, 2 appetizer stations, and passed appetizers. The price includes absolutely anything we want...local seafood (lobster), fillet mignon, carving stations, dessert buffet...

I live in Texas, almost every caterer has an average pricing of $35 per person and sometimes if you have alcohol it's extra.

I believe we are paying $110 pp, but it is NJ and includes everything. Cocktail hour, open bar, plated meal with 3 choices, cake, ice cream bar, coffee & cookies to go as well. I wish there were places around here that were as affordable as some things I see on here!

I have 43 dollars per person for:

Cocktail hour fruit and cheese display with one hot dip and one cold dip


Dinner is:

Salad station
Mashed potato station
Mac and cheese station
Carving station with sauces and rolls
Stir fry station (with cute little take out boxes and chopsticks)

It's not super casual but not very formal, I'd say our style of food is firmly a middle ground.

OP -- because there is so much variation based on region/service level/etc., probably the best way to know how what you've been quoted measures up is to call a few of your local caterers and get their quotes for similar food/packages as what your husband's aunt has proposed. Then you'll have concrete numbers to show FH -- and you can both make a final, informed decision.

(In SoCal fully catered, butler-passed hot appetizers and three course plated duet of filet & chicken was ~$125 pp w/o alcohol, but including tax & service change, at a country club-type venue -- with 5 hrs of premium bar, it was about $170 pp, all in.)

I'm in the Greensboro/Raleigh, NC area. What are you in? We are having beef,chicken,mashed potatoes, roasted veggies,Pasta(hot not cold pasta) lemonade, tea, water and two apps. 150 people $4000 and that includes linens china,servers, bar set up,bartender

alcohol is separate

We are having a small backyard wedding and having it catered. We are having: Pulled Pork, Pulled Chicken, Veggie skewers, Baked Beans, Mac and Cheese, Salad, Buns, Coleslaw, Tea, Lemonade, 2 servers for 3 hours and 2 tables, set up and take down for 40 people total comes to $710. I live in Northern Virginia so everything is a bit more expensive here. We will likely spend another $100 on a fruit/veggie tray, nuts, and maybe some chips. My hope was to keep it under 1k (without alcohol) and I think we will stay under that with alcohol!

We have a "taco guy" who is coming on site and cooking the meat (3 types) and tortillas on site, and bringing along rice and beans, cheese quesadillas, chips and salsa and guacamole, a toppings bar, a salad, and fresh juice. He and his team will set up and cook for 1 hour and serve the food for 2 hours or until the food runs out. He portions 4 tacos per person, which should be plenty in addition to the other food he's bringing and because we're going to bring our own appetizers for cocktail hour and make a dessert bar.

For 100 people, it's costing us $1136 total with taxes included.

View Quoted Comment That is what ours was a f it was the cheaper end, I think every state varroesyli may need to loom up a few places yourself

Our price is $23 a person for buffet meal and $2 per person for drink service. (We’re buying the alcohol ourself, but they will provide tea, water and lemonade, as well as pour beer and wine for us)

Our price is about 13$ per person. That includes: chicken picatta, garlic mashed potatoes, Mac and cheese, beverage service. We are providing rolls and salad as our caterer said it would save us money just buying some in bulk rather then paying them per person.

We are in the Orlando area and we are doing buffet style with 2 meats, 3 sides, 2 hors d'eourves, and they are providing coffee, water, and lemonade. And we are paying $1700 for 100 people.

I’m paying $33 per person for buffet with a large variety. This includes napkins, tables, chairs, plates, glassware and silverware.
No bar or passed appetaizers included.

I’m in PA, we are paying $86 for veg, $95 for chicken & $106 for salmon, per person for lunch. Fees include everything - alcohol, 5x appetizers, entrees, cake (we get to do a cake tasting at 3x local bakeries that partner w/ the revenue), and it includes the centerpieces.

In Denver, for a buffet with 1 entree, 2 apps, a salad, and sides. With service quotes ranged from $30-65 per person and I was looking at caterers that my wedding planner said we're cheaper. These didn't include China, alcohol, or rentals.

Ours is 75pp. Includes the Recpetion hall at our venue. It includes

Cocktail hour:
Cheese and veggie trays
3 Passed Apps

Dinner Buffet:
2 carving stations
Fish and veggie station
Pasta station with like 4 kinds of pasta
salad and roll station

We also got a late night snack which we chose sweet and salty pretzels with different dipping sauces!

Ours is $3500 for 150 people!

We’re doing a seated dinner and it’s $41pp, but that’s not just the food. Basically our venue has a chef catering services and that’s what you pay for the event there... it includes hours d’ouvres, cocktail drinks, champagne, appetizer (soup or salad), and a meal with 2 entrees and 2 sides... We’re paying $41 pp and $1,500 for open bar for 150 guests. Meaning for 150 guests it would be $7,650 plus tips (18%) and taxes (11.5%). But you’re right, that varies greatly depending on region, season, type of food served, etc.