What Is The Average Cost of Wedding Catering?

Planning for your big day requires a lot of seriousness since you need to take into consideration so many factors that range from catering, hiring the venue, to renting equipment. All these factors are easy and simple to plan for but one aspect that proves to be quite a challenge for many couples is determining the cost of wedding catering. Catering takes the largest share of a wedding budget and most couples confess it is the most challenging aspect of planning a wedding. This article gives information regarding the average cost of wedding catering.

Food and Drinks

Food is the most important bit of any catering service because it takes the lion’s share of the experience people live to remember about your wedding. It also helps kick-start conversations as well as building connections.

This, therefore, shows just how much not just any food, but great food matters to any wedding. While most couples opt to offer food to their guests, a few prefer to have a food truck come at the venue and have the guests pay for their food. Hiring a food truck might be cheap but it does not give the best impression to your guests. The easiest way to determine the cost of food is by multiplying the number of expected guests by the cost of one serving. On average, one guest consumes food between $80 and $120. In total, food and drinks will cost you between $3,000 and $4,000.

Service Type

The first step in calculating the cost of service is by first determining the type of service you will use on your big day. You can go for a food truck, service stations or a buffet. Although these options will help cut down on the service cost, you will need 1-3 staffers to do some little duties like cleaning dirty plates, meeting the demands of the guests and so on. The average cost of hiring one staffer goes between $25 and $30 per hour. To determine the total cost, multiply the number of guests available by the number of hours they will be working then multiply this by the cost of hiring one staffer.

Cuisine

A normal catering cuisine comprising of normal food will be cheaper than a cuisine consisting of special dishes. For example, a cuisine of locally sourced seasonal food cannot compare to a cuisine of seafood like oysters. This, therefore, means that the normal cost of catering for one guest will increase above the range of $80-$120. To cut down on this cost, consider using locally sourced seasonal foods.

Extra Fees

It is common for most caterers to include service fees to cater for things like toll, gas, insurance, and parking, which go to a range of between $150 and $450. Some caterers also demand caution fee of about $250 to 50% of the total estimates. These extra fees do not seem to have a way around them, which means that you must pay. Also, be prepared to pay caution fee included in the cancellation policy. This fee prevents the caterer from making so many losses in a situation where you cancel the wedding at a date so close to the big day.

Rentals

Whichever style of cuisine you choose, you will have to factor in rental charges for a few items like silverware, linens, tables, and chairs and tents. All these come at an extra cost. One way you can reduce or do away with such costs and the stress of having to look for such items is by hiring a venue that already provides them together with the cost of the venue as a package. On average, rentals will cost you over $1,000 on a full array.

This article has shown you the different aspects that affect the average cost of wedding catering. It is hence important to pay attention to these elements, as they will help you cut catering costs as much as possible. Ensure to schedule your wedding during an off-peak season when most caterers are not busy. Also, consider buying locally produced seasonal food and remember to buy it in bulk. Having invested so much of your hard-earned money in catering for your big day, strive to go for the best caterer so that you can be guaranteed of quality service delivery. You do not want embarrassments and disappointments on the day you have waited for all your life. Hiring the best caterer for the job will help prevent this from happening.