Budget Guide
Catering: the number that decides your whole budget
Venue and catering together take the largest share of almost every Indian wedding budget — our calculator allocates around 43% for a balanced mid-size wedding, and more as guest counts climb. Get this category right and the rest of the budget usually works. Get it wrong and nothing else can rescue it.
Per plate is a rate, not your bill
The per-plate figure a caterer quotes is the starting point, not the total. Your bill is that rate multiplied by a guaranteed minimum number of plates — which is frequently higher than the number of people who actually eat. Ask what the minimum guarantee is, whether children and staff count, and whether the rate is per person or per plate served, because these definitions differ between caterers.
What inflates a per-plate rate
Number of live counters, number of cuisines, dessert complexity, and whether you want premium items are the usual drivers. Each additional counter needs its own staff and equipment, so counters raise cost faster than adding dishes to an existing counter does. Multiple cuisines are more expensive than a single well-executed one for the same number of dishes.
See how this fits your own budget. The calculator splits your number across every category in about a minute.
Calculate my wedding budgetGuest count is the real lever
Every other saving in your wedding is small compared to the guest list. Reducing a 400-person wedding to 320 changes catering, venue size, seating, decor volume and even photography coverage simultaneously. This is uncomfortable advice, but it is the honest one: if the budget does not work, the guest list is usually the reason.
Taxes and service charges are not a detail
Quoted rates are often exclusive of GST and service charges. On a large catering bill, that gap is a substantial sum, and it is the single most common reason a wedding budget overruns at the final invoice. Insist on an all-inclusive figure in writing before you compare two caterers.
In-house versus outside caterers
Many hotels and some banquet venues require you to use their kitchen. That removes your ability to negotiate the largest line item in your budget. If a venue permits outside caterers, that flexibility is worth real money — factor it in when comparing venue rates rather than looking at the venue price alone.
Before you sign anything
- Get the all-inclusive per-plate rate in writing, with GST and service charges
- Confirm the minimum guaranteed plate count and how children are counted
- Ask how many counters and staff the rate includes
- Arrange a tasting before signing, not after
- Confirm whether crockery, service staff and cleanup are included
- Check whether the venue mandates in-house catering before falling in love with it
More planning guides
This guide is general planning information, not a quote. Always confirm current rates and inclusions directly with vendors before committing.