Events
Wedding food calculator
Wedding food planning has two separate jobs: figuring out how much to serve and setting a realistic budget range before you call caterers. Enter your guest count, meal style, drinks, and dessert plan for a practical estimate. The result is intentionally labeled as a planning range because local labor, menu choices, rentals, tax, and gratuity can move a real quote far beyond a simple per-person formula.
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Results
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Chafing dish setPortions planned — keep everything hot for the whole reception.Check current price ↗As an Amazon Associate, CalcForged earns from qualifying purchases.The math, plainly
How it works
- 01
Meal servings are based on the guest count and service style; cocktail-only service gets a small buffer because food is the event.
- 02
Dessert is planned at one serving per guest, with a 25% bump when serving both cake and a dessert table.
- 03
Budget ranges are rough planning estimates and vary widely by city, menu, staffing, rentals, and bar package.
Try a real scenario
100-person buffet wedding
InputsBuffet, beer and wine, cake
Result100 meal servings, 100 dessert servings, and a rough $5,500–$11,000 catering range.
Free printable
The catering & event food cheat sheet
Per-guest budget ranges, dessert planning, and every food quantity rule on two printable pages. One email, yours to keep. No spam.
Where should we send the PDF?
Gear for the job
Tools & materials people actually buy
Chafing dish set
Keeps buffet food at serving temperature for the whole reception.
Cupcake carrier & stands
Transports and displays a dessert table without a bakery bill.
Disposable dinnerware
Heavier-duty plates and cutlery read as real dinnerware in photos.
Beverage dispensers
Self-serve drinks free the bar line for the signature cocktail.
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