How Much Does Wedding Food Cost Per Head?

Caller - ‘Hi, we’re getting married next year and we just wanted to get a really quick idea of how much the wedding food will cost’ 

Me - £10,000…!

It doesn’t get any quicker than that.  How accurate is that figure? Not remotely accurate; you know what they say, ‘ask a stupid question, get a stupid answer.’  It’s a bit like asking how much a length of string costs, or one of my chefs asking if I can get hold of some flour for the next day.  It’s all in the detail. So just slow down and have a think about what you’re asking.  ‘Ask the right question, get the right answer.’ I love a good saying. 

You can start the process of working out how much wedding food costs per head in a number of ways. What do you want to eat and why, what’s your dream menu, which dishes will you be talking about in ten years time. 

Or you could start with a budget, boring but always handy.  I think it’s good to be up front with declaring your budget, it saves a lot of time all round.  I think some couples think that if they don’t declare their budget (of about £80 a head), then the caterer just might come in with a competitive price of £25 a head, really? 

The cost of your wedding food will depend on a number of interrelated factors, guest numbers, the menu, timetable, hire in requirements, length of the speeches.  ‘What are you talking about’ I hear you say, ‘how can the length of the speeches affect the cost of the catering’.  Well, we will have a lot of staff on site which, depending on their rank and experience, could be costing you, including VAT, a combined £250 an hour.  So if the timetable was planned so the catering staff were on site for 2 hours less, you’ve just saved £500. 

Invite 20 less guests, and you’ve just saved £1600, although not a popular solution. 

You could choose a caterer who is not VAT registered, a smaller start up business, so a bit more risky perhaps, but we were a start up once and always did a great job.  If they charge you £8333 to cater your wedding, we would have to charge you £10000 to do exactly the same, because we would have to add ‘Value Added Tax’, which we collect from you and promptly hand over to the government.  It’s simply a tax, we don’t add any value to justify the additional £1666, the government certainly don’t add any value!  The only thing added is £1666! (don’t get me started!). 

You can start to see that working out the cost of wedding catering per head is a lengthy process. So my advice would be to start with what you really want, but at the same time be clear about your budget.  And remember, the overall wedding budget isn’t just about the catering, it’s everything else, venue, church, florist, wedding planner, dresses, shoes, hair, accommodation, transport. 

So, my answer to the question, ‘How much does wedding food cost per head these days’ could be, ‘A bloody fortune’….but don’t be dismayed, there are always ways to cut your cloth. 

Let the ‘Wed-min’ begin. 

If you would like to discuss the cost of your wedding food then please contact us