Is the cost of catering..

Mine will come to around 11k. It includes tables, chairs, staff, they set everything up for me, my ceremony/reception hall, free soda/juice/coffee, the champagne toast, a buffet for 100 people (we haven't finalized our menu but it has 4 appetizers, 2 entrees of steak or fish plus a veg option), my wedding cake. And a service fee.

Personally, I think it's worth it. Id rather serve my guests nice food and not have to rent or pay for linen rentals. I have so many things to worry about, I would rather pay for someone else to take care of it for me.

We are paying just about $14K for 140 people which includes 6 horsdveurs, sit down dinner, cocktail hour, and open bar. This an absolute STEAL in my area (Chester County PA). I looked at other venues whom were charging $125-$150 per person and did not have much included. I refused to pay more than $100 per person. Initially, I didn't want to pay more than $65 per person but then I found out through my venue shopping that was not possible with an open bar.

Is there anything else included in that $10k?

Edit: my linens are also included

Also included is the caterer's overhead: rent, insurance, advertising, taxes, etc., etc., etc.

OMG I'm jealous of you ladies paying less than $50 per person for food! That's awesome! ;-) How long did you guys shop around for venue? Me, about a month.

I sooooo agree with you @Erin! That's exactly how FH and I feel. We host quite a few house parties and always have good food an drinks. Our wedding is gonna be no different! :-)

Mine was around $1000 for 65 people but then I just had a drop off buffet! My brother's ran around $10,000 for 85 people and my friends was around $11,000 for 120, and then another friend's that ran $3700 for 180. I guess it all the depends on your area, and what you are getting.

Wow... All I have to say is that if you have that kind of money just to spend on catering, you are very lucky. If I had that money I would probably do the same thing. I wont even have a $10,000 wedding and will be lucky to have a $5000 wedding.

I think its a regional thing too.

Catering really isn't that expensive where I live. I'm paying $45/plate. My cousin is getting married in Phili and shes paying over $110/plate for a similar venue and less food!

OMG- I wish that was my catering price. NYC is just so expensive it's crazy. We're paying about 250 a person and that was considered a GOOD price. Go figure.

Edited to add- That includes all food, linens, chairs, cake, tables, lighting, and open bar

$10,000 is basically what I'm paying for my entire wedding...ceremony included. I literally only have to bring decor if I want it...including open bar, so it's hard for me to imagine just paying that for food. I even get a cocktail hour, security, a coordinator, linens, crystal, stemware, staff and chivarai chairs and really nice food...like steak. So, to me it's high, but if obviously very place is different

I agree with previous posters, it's all about what you're looking for and what you want to get out of it. We're paying about $120 per person in Pittsburgh for food stations and an open bar. We could have picked a different venue and prioritized those things lower, but just because something is expensive doesn't mean it's a scam.

Oh, it's absolutely ridiculous! I order food for my members every other week. We usually pay $10-14/head and always order for 100, even though we only have 78 plus staff. For the wedding, which yes, is dinner, and is plated (which was CHEAPER THAN BUFFET), we are paying $50/head. Then we are paying $11/pp for the bar. (Bringing in our own alcohol, but that means we pay $11 for every child and non drinker too). So that's $61 plus all the fees and taxes. Ridiculous! It better be amazing food!

10k seems expensive for just catering.

The rental of the venue (ceremony and reception), tables, chairs, linens, silverware, menus, dance floor, sound system, center pieces, appetizers, plated dinner, alcohol, service, tax, tip, and everything was 12,500 for us for 152 people. That included them setting everything up and cleaning everything up.

That seems like way too much just for food. My catering is pretty expensive, and it is costing me $5,000 for 75 people. Where are you getting married, and do you have to use this caterer?

It seems high - what are you serving them? $10,000 is my entire budget!

Mine is $88 a person and we're renting the space with a $2900 food/beverage minimum charge. Everything is included: fine china, silverware, linens, etc. The bar tab will be added to our bill as well. Guests get to pick an appetizer, a salad, a side dish, and an entree (entrees vary from salmon to prime rib) plus one of two desserts being offered (we also are bringing in cake). If we had 100 guests it would be around $8,800.

This is for a private room at a very upscale restaurant in Dallas.

UH Yes this is a scam! ALL catering vendors are able to negotiate - it does depend on what all is included but price just sounds absurd. For 200 guests, I got my ceremony and reception venue, staff, bartenders, chivari chairs with sash, appetizers, and dinner for $12k. Just the meal itself was going to be $30 per person, and I talked them down to $10 per person (we are having gourmet Mexican food)...Talk to your caterer, or keep looking elsewhere - lowball them with a "very small budget" that you have and see how they can work with you -

I'm an event coordinator in SoCal and can tell you that all vendors are looking for at least 30% profit...but most are willing to settle for 10%-15% profit over their own expenses because they can make up the difference on the next foolish bride that just throws money at them....negotiate and tell them what you're willing to pay. best of luck!

10,000 is our entire budget for our small ceremony, and family dinner and then a large party the next day. For the party, we have a caterer that my family has seen at other weddings and loved their food. They include linens, tableware, punch, tea/coffee, 2 desserts and a huge buffet for $16 a head (sit down is about 18/head). There will be about 100 people at the party. That's 1,600 for all of that. Granted they are pretty cheap (but good food... nothing fancy but your basic meat, potatoes, veg, salad, etc.) but even more pricey ones I've seen are around 20-30/head where I'm from.

It would depend a lot on the food you want, where you live, and the other costs that the caterer incurs like staff, etc. But still... 10,000 seems crazy to me.

I think it is a region thing. We have 200 estimate and our estimates were between $5k-$6k. We are not doing an open bar. That is for a seated soup/main course/dessert a gourmet coffee bar, midnight snack.

I live in MN and it is at a popular location.

We are paying $53/person for cubed meat cheese and veggie display plus 2 hors d'ouevres, fiull salad bar plus 2 specialty salads, 2 entrees, 3 buffet side selections, a bread station, chocolate fountain, china and silverware, bridal table decorated with icicle lights and tulle along with champagne bucket and stand with candelabras and candles, linen napkins and table covers for guest tables, a dedicated bridal table server to serve the head table, cutting and wrapping of cake, linens and such for all other tables (guest book, cookie, cake, etc), a beverage station (iced tea, lemonade, water, coffee and hot tea), all mixers for bar (juices and pop), all glassware for bar, and chair covers with sash.... so it's crazy expensive but that's a lot of damn food and stuff haha

I am in Western Nebraska so I guess I am lucky, cost of living is pretty low out here, I originally thought our reception was costly, my parents are gifting our wedding and reception cost but I had tried to keep things as cheap as I could for them...They're paying just under $2,000 and that's for 100 people with: a roast in au jus buffet with mashed potatoes, salad, and a roll, which is a buffet, plus water/coffee/tea, tables, chairs, silverware, dance floor, linens, a head table setup on a stage, some centerpiece items, service from wait staff, and plenty of tables for all the other necessities, etc.

edit: we are having a cash bar as well, so I guess that kept the cost down a bit - I also forgot to mention it's at a really nice hotel so they're going to have our names on the marquis sign in the front of the building, plus we get the honeymoon suite for the night of the wedding/reception included as well