Wedding Catering – Calculate the total cost of your wedding reception including food, rentals, tips, taxes

She set her wedding date, determined the approximate number of guests, booked a banquet hall and started looking for a caterer. As exciting as it sounds, it can also become quite overwhelming and stressful. Navigating through numerous menu options, comparing prices and service levels is not easy. Different caterers use different pricing structures. Some companies prefer packaged prices, others operate a la carte. As you search for a caterer for your wedding reception and review the different options, it’s important to compare apples to apples. You have to be aware of what is included in the price and what is not. Please note that the cost of food is only part of your bill. Service charges, rental fees, taxes – all of these extra charges can add significantly to your bottom line. Don’t just look at the dinner price listed on the catering menu, call the caterer, ask about additional fees, request a full quote. Please note the following items:

• Crockery and cutlery, are they included in the price of the dinner?
• Glassware (water and wine glasses): It is not unusual for plates, cutlery and serving dishes to come with dinner (as they are required to serve the food), but glasses are not included in the price.
• Linens and Napkins – Unless you are looking at the package price, linens and napkins will cost extra. Note that the tables come in different sizes: traditional rounds of 8 and Jumbo rounds that seat 10 people. Tablecloths also come in various sizes: standard and floor length. The larger the tablecloth, the more expensive it is. Ask if your caterer can provide bedding and how much it will cost. It may be cheaper to do it yourself, but sometimes it’s not worth it as you’ll have to deal directly with a rental company.
• Labor charges (servers, bartenders) can be a big expense. For a buffet dinner, you will need about 1 server for every 25 to 30 guests. Seated dinners require more staff and are therefore typically more expensive. The caterer will calculate the total time (including travel, setup, serving, cleaning, etc.).
• Corkage fee: If you bring your own alcohol, ask your caterer if there is a corkage fee.
• Setup and cleanup fees: Chances are, if you charge servers by the hour, it will include setup and cleanup. But check it twice anyway to avoid unpleasant surprises.
• The tip can range from 10% to 20% of your bill. Most caterers will charge the tip only on the food subtotal.
• Taxes: There is no way around it, and it can be a lot of money. Please note that you pay taxes on the total amount (including tip)

Let’s see the example. You are planning a wedding reception for 150 people. You have chosen the buffet dinner ($30 per person) which includes food, plates and cutlery. You are planning a standard 4-hour reception. Banquet hall is providing tables and chairs. The 150 dinner buffet will require around 5-6 servers for a minimum of 6 hours. You also need table clothes. Let’s assume you’ll be using standard (90″) round tablecloths ($10 each) and matching napkins ($1 each). You’ll probably want to serve wine at the table, so you’ll need to rent stemware (150 wine glasses and 150 tumblers). of water) Is that 36 hours = $900.00 Linens: $10 per item X 19 items = $190.00 Napkins: $1 per item X 150 items = $150.00 Glasses: $0.5 per item X 300 items = $150.00 Tips: 15% X $4,500.00 ( subtotal of food) = $675.00 Subtotal 1 = $6,565.00 Tax: 10% X Subtotal 1 = $656.50 Total: Subtotal 1 + Tax = $7,221.15