Event cost
Plan a wedding, party or office event: venue, food by meal and plate type, and any other costs, each with its own discount.
Venue
Food
Pick the meals which you'd like to serve. Each one opens with its own plate prices and discounts if applicable.
Stay
For guests who arrive early or leave late. Rooms multiplied by nights, at the rate per room per night.
Other costs
About this calculator
Planning a wedding or party budget
Food is usually the largest and most variable part of an event budget, because it is priced per plate and the plate count is rarely the same as the guest count. The calculator handles each meal separately, with its own prices for vegetarian, non-vegetarian and Jain plates, its own headcount and its own discount, which is how caterers actually quote.
Venue, decoration, photography and anything else sit alongside with their own discounts, and the total shows the cost per guest and the average cost per plate. Those two figures are the ones worth comparing between caterers, since the headline total depends on how many people each assumes.
Turning the estimate into a quote
If you are quoting for a client rather than planning your own event, open the business details box above the downloads and fill in your business name, contact details, the client's name and the venue. The Excel and PDF downloads then carry that header and a reference number, so the breakdown can be sent as a quotation.
Caterers normally set a minimum plate count. If fewer guests attend you usually still pay for the minimum, so confirm that number before comparing quotes.
Common questions
How do I estimate catering cost for a wedding?
Multiply the price per plate by the number of plates for each meal separately, since breakfast, lunch, high tea and dinner are priced differently and not everyone attends every meal.
Can I send this as a quotation to a client?
Yes. Fill in the business details box and the Excel and PDF downloads carry your business name, contact details, the client's name, the venue and a reference number.
What is usually left out of a catering quote?
Service staff beyond a certain count, extra counters, taxes where not stated, and the minimum plate guarantee. Ask for each of these in writing before comparing two quotes.