You are starting to plan and the catering line is already keeping you up at night? That is perfectly normal: catering is usually the biggest single cost of a wedding, and the quotes you receive can look as if they come from different planets. With more than twenty years in professional kitchens and many weddings around the Bay of Arcachon and Bordeaux behind me, here is how a catering price is built, what a suspiciously low quote is hiding and how to estimate your budget without nasty surprises.
Before talking numbers, make sure you are comparing like with like. A buffet, a plated dinner, a cocktail reception or a mixed format do not call for the same kitchen work or the same front-of-house team. And since these formats can be combined endlessly, with live cooking stations or a brunch the next day on top, no two quotes ever look quite the same.
In short
The price depends first on the format: buffet, plated dinner, cocktail reception or a mix.
A price per person means nothing without the list of what it covers.
A very low quote almost always hides savings on staff, produce or equipment.
Your real budget adds up the food, service staff, equipment hire and drinks.
Price ranges seen in 2026, expected for 2027
Format
Range per person
What makes the price vary
Buffet
€40 to €90
Number of dishes, share of fresh local produce, carving stations in front of guests
Plated dinner
€70 to €160
Number of courses, complexity of plating, number of waiters needed to serve every table at once
Cocktail reception
€50 to €110
Number of canapés per guest, share of hot pieces, live cooking stations
Mixed format (drinks reception, then buffet or dinner)
€60 to €140
Length of the drinks reception, number of highlights, plated or buffet desserts
Drinks (often charged on top)
€15 to €35
Champagne or crémant, choice of wines, cocktails, corkage
Indicative ranges seen on the French market in 2026, and to be expected for 2027, excluding drinks unless stated. These are not my prices: with a high-end caterer, going beyond the top of these ranges is not unusual.
Key point: service staff, tableware, bread, cheese, coffee, the wedding cake or corkage may be included by one caterer and charged as extras by another. Always compare equivalent services.
Forget pre-Covid prices
Many couples still have pre-Covid prices in mind, from a time when a wedding meal cost a great deal less. And plenty of blog articles still online keep quoting those old figures. Since then, raw materials, energy, wages and equipment hire have all risen sharply: those price levels are long gone. If you start from those references, every quote will seem too expensive, when it is simply up to date.
A very low price always hides something
A quote well below the others should ring alarm bells. Caterers do not work miracles: if the price is very low, something has been cut, and it is almost always one of these.
Staff: fewer waiters, untrained temporary staff, endless gaps between courses.
Food quality: industrial or frozen products instead of fresh, local ingredients.
Equipment: cheap tableware, glassware and linen, or items left for you to sort out without it being clearly stated.
Service as a whole: a team that leaves before dessert, a kitchen left in a mess, nobody answering the phone the day before.
Workload: a very low price can also come from a caterer who takes on as many jobs as possible because they need the turnover. Several events on the same weekend, teams spread thin: quality ends up suffering.
Conversely, a high price is no guarantee of quality. Some names mainly charge for their reputation. What matters is the balance between what you pay and what you actually get, on the plate and in the room.
Tableware, glassware, setting up, service: everything around the plate is part of the price too.
How to check the price is fair
To know whether you are paying the right price, look beyond the figure.
Google reviews: read them properly, especially those about weddings. How many there are, how regular they are and how the caterer replies all tell you a great deal.
The first contact: on the phone or by message, does the caterer take the time to understand your plans, or simply send a standard price list?
How quickly the quote arrives: a clear, detailed quote sent promptly usually means a well-organised team on the day.
The tasting: this is your chance to check flavour, presentation and working style. I do mine at your home, in front of you and your family.
Your gut feeling: you are trusting this person with the most important day of your life. Trust matters as much as the figure.
Add up these items for a first estimate, then ask for a detailed, itemised quote. That is what I prepare for every wedding, from 30 to 300 guests, as part of my wedding catering.
The foodThe number of guests multiplied by the per-person price of your chosen format.
Front-of-house staffAllow roughly one waiter for every 20 guests, plus a maître d' to coordinate.
The kitchen brigadeAbout one cook for every 30 guests, depending on how complex the menu is.
Tableware and equipmentPlates, cutlery, glasses, linen, sometimes tables and chairs, if the venue does not provide them.
DrinksWelcome drinks, wine with dinner, champagne, soft drinks, coffee, perhaps a cocktail bar.
HandlingTransporting, setting up and dismantling equipment, tables and chairs: it all takes time and staff.
The cakeA tiered cake, a wedding cake or a dessert table: included or not, depending on the quote.
Your suppliersMeals for the photographer, DJ or musicians who stay all evening.
Next-day extrasBrunch, returning hired tableware, tidying up: the party does not always end that night.
Waste removalBins, glass, cardboard: check who takes it all away after the reception.
CleaningMost venues must be handed back clean. If it is not in the quote, it is down to you.
Travel and contingencyTravel costs for a remote venue, and a small reserve for the unexpected.
Not with every caterer. With me, yes: service and staff are built into my price, so there are no surprises.
Why do prices vary so much between caterers?
Produce quality, the size of the kitchen and service teams, the equipment supplied and how bespoke the menu is: every caterer makes different choices. Each one also includes more or fewer items in the quote, and an attractive-looking quote can bring surprises when forgotten items have to be added back later.
Should we compare several quotes?
Comparing can help, yes. But my advice is not to fix yourself a price. Go with your heart: you only get married once, and if the caterer you love costs a little more, go for it. The goal is to be completely happy with your day.
Can a quote change after signing?
Yes. It is based on an estimated guest count, then adjusted once you confirm the final number, a few weeks before the wedding.
A clear, itemised quote
Tell me about your wedding: date, venue, guest numbers, wishes. I will reply personally with a bespoke quote within 24 working hours.
