How do you find a good caterer?

Reviews, interviews and menu tastings will help you find the right catering choice for your big day. Start by screening possible wedding caterers based on past reviews. If a caterer you are interested in has a review that concerns you, ask them about it; how they respond will be very telling. Next, ask about their availability for your wedding date.

If the wedding caterer is available on your date, it’s time to talk about menus and prices. Be clear about what your maximum budget is find out what choices this will allow you. Caterers may custom-create a menu for your event, or they may have menu templates within different price ranges that can guide your decision. A clear budget gives the caterer clear parameters within which to work and offer creative suggestions. Schedule a menu tasting to confirm you love your wedding menu. Once you have a menu and date, and have paid a deposit to reserve the caterer’s services, confirm additional details including when the food will be delivered to the site, what kind of service will be provided, how many servers will be onsite and for how long, and who is responsible for setup and cleanup. The more specific your contract, the fewer worries you’ll have on your wedding day. Get more smart hiring tips here.

How much does wedding catering cost per person?

Wedding catering costs will always vary based on the number of guests you’re inviting, the menu you want to serve, and the way the food will be served to your guests. As you interview wedding catering companies, you’ll be presented with a cost per person for various menus. On the low end, wedding catering may cost approximately $15-$18 per person. This would include prepared food only, with no setup or service of any kind. The starting price for a simple buffet meal with minimal service typically averages $22 per person. Opting for the same menu with all organic ingredients could raise your costs to about $33 per person. A moderately upscale menu (finer ingredients, more elaborate presentation) could range from $24 to $34 per person. High-end wedding catering cost truly has no limit. Lobster, filet mignon, specialty seafood, organic ingredients — menu choices like these can boost your cost per person up to $150 and more.

What should you look for in a caterer?

A delicious meal is a critical element of a successful wedding, with happy guests fondly remembering your fabulous wedding food. The right caterer for you will be:

Available: Even the best caterer is no good if they aren’t available on your wedding date. Ask early before you get your heart set on someone.
Affordable for you: Find a caterer that you can afford. Having a spending plan ahead of time will mean you won’t overspend on food.
A good personality fit: Wedding planning is stressful, so work with someone that you can get along with and communicate with easily.
Experienced and recommended: Ensure the company has a proven track record with events of your size and the references to back it up.
Transparent about money: Steer clear of shady pricing. Find a caterer who is very clear about costs and is happy to talk you through budgets and pricing options.
Transparent about food: Find someone who is clear about where they source their food from and where it is prepared.

How much should catering cost for a wedding?

The cost of wedding catering will reflect the level of service, the menu you choose, the luxury you desire and the number of guests you invite. Where you live also plays a major role in your wedding catering costs. The regional cost to do business and local cost of food will affect your catering bill. There is no set price for wedding catering, because each wedding and each menu is different. This is why many caterers provide a per-person price. This allows you to break down what it costs to feed each person based on the menu you want. Working with your caterer, you can adjust menu items, service level and more to accommodate your budget and guest count. Keep in mind that wedding catering costs are not just for the food. The bill reflects all the components that go into commercial food catering: a commercial kitchen, ingredients, staff, insurance, marketing and more. Here are some examples of average costs:

Three-course plated meal, moderately upscale, for 125 in Los Angeles: $14,000. Because of staffing costs, a true plated meal costs about twice as much as a staff-assisted buffet.
Buffet meal, standard menu, for 100 in Los Angeles: $5,000.
Per-person cost for hors d'oeuvres, dinner and nonalcoholic beverages: $24–$37, depending on menu selection, in Southern California.
Drop off prepared food for 50: $1,000 in North Carolina. Price does not include any service, setup or breakdown.

How do you serve food at a wedding?

Food service at your wedding will affect your catering costs and influence the atmosphere of the reception. Buffet style is more informal; plated meals are a bit fancier; family style encourages sharing. Read about the different food service styles to select your preferred wedding catering choice.

Buffet: Caterers can drop off prepared foods for a DIY and budget-friendly buffet option where you set everything up and food is entirely self-service. For a fuller-service buffet, the caterers set up food, oversee the buffet throughout the event, and clean up afterwards. For food only, prices per person might average $16-$18, while a service buffet may start around $20-$22 per person. Adding food stations can increase per-person costs by at least $3-$5.
Family style: Servers bring large platters of food to guest tables in courses. It’s less formal (and less expensive) than a plated meal, but more formal and higher-cost than a buffet. You’ll need large tables to accommodate the platters, so plan accordingly when renting furniture for the event.
Plated: A plated event is a formal dining experience; waitstaff serve your seated guests for each course, fill their drinks, and attend to them throughout the dinner. A plated dinner is typically the most expensive option for both food and service.
Food trucks: Similar to buffets, with food trucks your guests get their own food and bring it to their table. A food truck gives a relaxed and playful vibe to your reception.
Cocktail reception: If you don’t want a formal seated dinner, you can opt for a wide assortment of passed appetizers at an extended cocktail hour reception.

Christian F.

Verified review

Mia's Martini was absolutely wonderful. Mia's Martini worked closely with us before, during & after the sweet 15 to provide fantastic bar-tending services. Not only Mia's Martini was professional and responsive but they are extremely helpful in planning on how much alcohol to buy, even if you want to design a signature drink , and working with the supplies we had. Gio the Bartender was fantastic, provided great service and also had a very enthusiastic personality. If you need bar-tending services I highly recommend Mia's Martini.

Susan P.

Marcel was EXCELLENT! I had an unusual catering job, one he hadn't done before. He was terrific at following up with me, patient when I had to delay getting back to him, and took care to understand exactly what I needed. And then he carried it out to the letter, with perfect results. And he's super easy to work with. By sheer coincidence, one of my event attendees had used his catering services just a couple of months before, and also had only glowing reviews of his food and his service. If you have need for catering or chef services, you can't go wrong by hiring Marcel for the job. I can't wait to use him again!

Angela A.

We hired Tony for a family reunion of well over 200 people. He arrived well before the guests to set up his bar and equipment. His bar is outstanding! We were all very impressed with his professionalism, sense of humor, and respect he showed toward everyone. All drinks requested were provided, not to mention some going back to the 1960's. The price for his services was unbeatable. Will definitely hire Tony again.

Cort L.

Rob bartended for an afternoon at my 40th poolside birthday party, expertly catering to the needs of 20 guests with diverse needs and requests. His drinks were top notch and he was proactive in asking guests what they wanted and making the pool rounds. And working with Rob was a breeze, as he was responsive to email and had helpful suggestions beforehand about the shopping and drink list. Five stars!!

Juana T.

I was in charge of bar services for my sister's 50th birthday and JaNae made the "job" easy for me. She was very pleasant to work with from the very beginning. She replied promptly to all my questions. She created the perfect signature drink for my sister. She and Alyssa showed up on the day of the event in a timely manner to set up, they were professionally dressed and with a vibrant, happy personality. They were a hit with all of our guests. They served delicious drinks, kept the lines to a minimum (150 guests) and overall their presence and service created a fun and positive atmosphere for our event. My family and I will definitely consider JaNae and Glamorous Drinks for any of our future bartending needs. Thank you JaNae!

Daisi P.

I hired Jill's bartending service for an event I was hosting in which we had no idea what kind of drinks we wanted. Jill was great because she took charge and helped us create a perfectly themed drink menu that was appropriate for our event. During the event, she was awesome! Not only did she keep the drinks coming but she kept the attendees entertained. Jill was truly everything you want your bartender to be!

Monisha M.

The best bartender EVER! Shawn was on top of the planning, offering other services, such as bar rental, garnishes, etc. He thought of everything so that I didn't have to! He even brought the ice to keep everything cold! I would recommend Shawn anytime and will definitely hire him again for our next party!

Bobby R.

I hired smoking Gun bartending to do a annual halloween party me and my wife do every year. This time we wanted to make it more of a professional event, so we hired catering, security, and a Bartender by the name of Luke. I was very impressed at how Luke handled our guests needs, he even created some aweome spooky themed drinks off the top of his head. I as well as all my guest of about 95 friends and family had a amazing halloween bash and making the decision to hire Smokin Gun was one of the main reasons. Thank you luke for you’re fun attitude and tasty drinks. Defenitly recomend him the his service if you can book him!

Kathy P.

Wow what a wonderful Engagement Party we had at our home !! Making it even more fabulous was the outstanding bar tending service of Frankie J. We had over 150 people so he brought a back up bartender Carlos who was just as wonderful. People still can't stop talking about the VIP service Frankie J provided. Remembering many family members cocktails and walking around replenishing their glasses through out the night. The service he provided went way beyond a normal bartender for hire. I am so so so happy I chose Frankie J over all the other choices that Thumbtack offered. I will never hire anyone else and I've had many many parties. He was the very very BEST !!!!!!

Emma S.

We were thrilled with Emily and her staff. They arrived on time, set up the bar beautifully, and kept my guests happy all night. Emily went the extra mile by helping clear my tables when the bar was slow. I would happily recommend Method Event Productions to everyone and will absolutely use them again at my next event.

Elizabeth F.

Hiring Steven and his phenomenal crew was the best decision we could have made for our event! We were tremendously impressed by Steven's professionalism and flexibility to all of our requests, he is an incredibly smart and resourceful businessman and was able accommodate our many brand-standards (for a very attractive price) and wow our guests with the results. The food was simply delicious, the service was exceptional (very warm and affable) and the set up/breakdown was seamless even in our small half kitchen and office space! If you're looking to work with a professional and provide a seamless catering service at your next event, I urge you to hire Steven!!

Angela J.

Elaina was gracious and sweet to the guests. She was also very fast and went above and beyond with her service. I would highly recommend her to anyone needing bartending service!

Lisa W.

Just threw a surprise party for my sister and hired Bar Angels. Our bar tender Georgi was amazing! He was on time for early set up, very professional, made the best drinks ever and was so friendly! The guest's loved his service and all want to hire Bar Angels for their next ocassion! The price was perfect! Such a steal for the quality service! Hire Bar Angles, you wont regret it!😊

David W.

When I asked the chef about catering an event for a wedding, You set up a face-to-face consultation and was there on time. Chef David asked many questions guaranteeing and making sure all of our desires were known addressed and met. How many people, what type of food, any Allergies, Ect... The chef explained to us that he was a full service catering service, he set up tablecloths ,silverware, plates He even offered to get the center pieces (although we already had them picked out). The day of the wedding Chef David and his crew came to the venue and proceeded to set up for 80 people and cook. He created one of the most fantastic wedding dinners I have ever been able to enjoy.. Chef Dave, when I need another event catered, you are my guy! Thank you much forall your help.

David R.

Shelley makes the most amazing, inspiring, and eclectic dishes. Always flavorful...you would never believe it was Vegan! I use her for all of my private catering needs. She's is always accommodating and provides impeccable ontime service. She always chooses organic, heart healthy produce for her creations. I have used her so many times, I honestly don't think there is something she cannot create!

Lisa F.

David was the bartender at a Halloween /World Series costume party in my home for about 30 people. We had a full bar, signature drink, beer and wine. He was a great mixologist, friendly with the guests. So easy to communicate with, gave me a list of ingredients to buy for the signature drink. He dressed in a Dodger uniform jersey. All the guests thought he was a friend of ours and never realized he was hired bartender! Too funny, needless to say I will be hiring him again.

John C.

Wendell catered a private event, for a group of all vegan / plant based guests. The food was phenomenal and some of the best plant based food I've had. There was a large variety of flavors and dishes - greens, tempeh, tofu, seitan, tons of veggies, quinoa and more. The variety of food was so good, I am looking to bring him as a private chef for a series of wellness retreats.

Cozette W.

I recently hired N Bar Cocktails for an event and I was pleasantly pleased with their exceptional work. From the moment they stepped into the event until the end. They were professional, accommodating, and friendly to every guests in attendance. In fact our guest are still sharing rave reviews about the drinks!! I highly recommend this provider!!!

Dave D.

I've done a lot of events over the years and it's rare to find a bartender at a private party who qualifies as what I consider a professional bartender. Mike is that. If you're looking for a good bartender who can handle a big crowd but can also make quality drinks, look no further. Very pleased, looking forward to hiring again.

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