Wedding catering cost calculator
Enter your guest count and a price per person. Add the charges from your caterer's quote to see the full cost, with the lines you still need to ask about.
Estimate your catering cost
Benchmark estimate
$8,000.00$80.00 per guest · 100 guests
| Food and service | $8,000.00 |
|---|---|
| Bar | Not entered |
| Staff | Not entered |
| Rentals | Not entered |
| Delivery and setup | Not entered |
| Subtotal | $8,000.00 |
| Service charge | Not entered |
| Sales tax | Not entered |
| Tip | Not entered |
| Total so far | $8,000.00 |
Still open: Bar, Staff, Rentals, Delivery and setup, Service charge, Sales tax, Tip. A blank line is not counted as $0. Enter 0 once your caterer confirms there is no charge.
Service charge and tip use food and bar as their base. Sales tax uses everything above it. Ask your caterer which base their quote uses.
Quick answers
Wedding catering cost for 50 to 200 guests
Guest count times each per-guest figure from The Knot Real Weddings Study 2026, which surveyed 10,474 U.S. couples married in 2025. This is simple multiplication. It does not add a bar, fees, tax, or a tip.
| Guests | Low ($60) | Medium ($70) | Average ($80) | High ($130) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | $3,000 | $3,500 | $4,000 | $6,500 |
| 75 | $4,500 | $5,250 | $6,000 | $9,750 |
| 100 | $6,000 | $7,000 | $8,000 | $13,000 |
| 125 | $7,500 | $8,750 | $10,000 | $16,250 |
| 150 | $9,000 | $10,500 | $12,000 | $19,500 |
| 200 | $12,000 | $14,000 | $16,000 | $26,000 |
Service style
Catering cost per person by service style
Zola's 2026 catering guide gives these example ranges. The style name does not tell you what a package includes, so compare the menu, staff, rentals, and cleanup in each written quote.
| Service style | Per person | 100 guests |
|---|---|---|
| Buffet | $40–$65 | $4,000–$6,500 |
| Plated dinner | $65–$85 | $6,500–$8,500 |
Zola and The Knot use different data, so keep their numbers apart rather than averaging them.
The calculation method
Per guest first, then the charges.
Guests × (food + bar per guest) + staff + rentals + delivery + service charge + tax + tip = total
- Service charge and tip are a percent of food and bar.
- Sales tax is a percent of everything above it, including the service charge. Some caterers and states tax different lines, so check your quote. If yours does not tax the service charge, untick "Sales tax applies to the service charge."
- Blank lines stay open. They are listed next to the total, never counted as $0.
Amounts are rounded to the cent on each line. Your caterer's contract decides the real bases and rates.
What this estimate leaves out
- Minimum spends and charges for extra guests after the final count.
- Cake cutting, corkage, and venue kitchen fees.
- Overtime, vendor meals, and late-night food unless you enter them.
Ask every caterer
- Which charges are required, and what each is a percent of.
- Whether the service charge goes to staff.
- When the final guest count is due, and the minimum.
Read the wedding catering cost guide or add catering to your budget.
Questions about wedding catering cost
How much does wedding catering cost per person?
The Knot's 2026 Real Weddings Study reports an average caterer spend of $80 per guest. Its table labels $60 as low, $70 as medium, and $130 as high. Zola's 2026 guide gives $40 to $65 per person for a buffet and $65 to $85 for a plated dinner. These are national figures, so use a local quote for your own budget.
How much is wedding catering for 100 guests?
At The Knot's $80 average, 100 guests come to $8,000. The low and high labels give $6,000 to $13,000. That is simple multiplication. A real quote can add the bar, staff, rentals, delivery, a service charge, tax, and a tip.
Is a service charge the same as a tip?
Do not assume it is. Ask your caterer whether the service charge is required, what it is a percent of, whether it is taxed, and whether any of it goes to staff. Then decide on a tip separately.
Why does the calculator leave lines blank instead of using zero?
A missing answer is not a $0 charge. The total only counts lines you enter, and the open lines are listed next to it. Enter 0 once your caterer confirms there is no charge.
Should I add staff and rentals to The Knot's per-guest figure?
Be careful. The Knot's figure is what couples spent on their caterer per guest, and the study does not say what that covers. It may already include staff, rentals, or fees. When you have a quote, use its food price and its own line items instead.
Method updated October 19, 2026. Report a calculation problem.