Wedding caterer. Every number cited.
Informational market reference. Not professional pricing advice.
National range by tier.
Base package with 3 default components. Switch to any metro below for a regional multiplier, or open the calculator for a custom component package.
01 · new
$5,870→$14,110
Median $9,990
Years 1 to 2 in business, portfolio building, limited published work.
02 · established
$6,900→$23,380
Median $15,140
Caterers with 3 to 5 years in market, consistent bookings.
03 · premium
$15,140→$30,390
Median $22,765
Published editorial work, waiting list, multi-year booking lead.
These ranges are public-benchmark informational reference. Not a recommendation to charge any particular amount. Individual vendor pricing depends on costs, positioning, and client relationships that only you know.
Wedding components with sources.
A typical wedding caterer package bundles 3 cited components from public vendor- cost guides. Each price range traces to its publisher.
- 01
Plated menu (per guest)
$75 → $200
Formal plated service with 2 to 3 course meal. Pricing is per guest; 100-guest wedding multiplies by 100.
- 02
Staff (servers, bartenders, captain)
$500 → $3,000
Wait staff, bartenders, and event captain. Typical ratio is 1 server per 10 to 20 guests.
- 03
Gratuity (18 to 22 percent of food and beverage)
$1,200 → $4,500
Service charge or gratuity, typically 18 to 22 percent of food and beverage subtotal. Often automatically added.
What moves caterer pricing.
- 01Per-guest menu cost. Plated vs buffet shifts total by 20 to 40 USD per guest.
- 02Bar service. Full bar adds 30 to 70 USD per guest including staff.
- 03Staff ratios. One server per 12 guests is standard; premium ratios add 10 to 20 percent.
- 04Rentals. Tables, linens, china, glassware, flatware add 20 to 60 USD per guest if not venue-provided.
- 05Special menus. Kosher, halal, dietary-restriction menus typically add 15 to 25 percent.
Other wedding vendor categories.
Every category has its own cited-component taxonomy, national median, and 15-metro regional calibration.
In 15 metros.
Pick your metro for a fully calibrated range with the local multiplier applied.
- San Francisco Bay Area, CA$12,420–$41,250
- New York, NY$11,960–$39,880
- London, UK$11,500–$38,500
- Los Angeles, CA$11,040–$35,750
- Boston, MA$10,580–$34,380
- Washington, DC$10,120–$33,000
- Seattle, WA$9,660–$31,620
- Chicago, IL$9,200–$30,250
- Denver, CO$9,200–$30,250
- Miami, FL$9,200–$30,250
- Austin, TX$8,740–$28,880
- Berlin, Germany$8,280–$28,880
- Atlanta, GA$8,280–$27,500
- Dallas, TX$8,280–$27,500
- Nashville, TN$7,820–$26,130
§ 07 / Run a calibration
Price your next wedding in 10 minutes.
The calculator builds a quote component-by-component. Or hit Check-quote to see how an existing number compares to the cited market range. Free, no signup.
§ 08 / For couples
Couples: got a caterer quote? Check the range.
Planning a wedding and evaluating a caterer proposal? Paste the total and see whether it sits inside the cited national market range, with regional multipliers for 15 metros. Benchmark data from public sources, not a judgment on any specific vendor. Free, no signup, no affiliation with any vendor directory.
Frequently asked.
- How much should I charge as a caterer for a wedding?
Rateven calibrates your quote against The Knot 2026 Real Weddings Study and Zola's public cost reports. Your specific number depends on your regional market, experience tier (years in business and portfolio strength), and the component package you are offering. Use the calculator to get a cited price range in under 10 minutes.
- What goes into a typical wedding caterer package price?
A typical wedding caterer package is priced per guest and covers appetizers, plated or buffet entrees, service staff, rentals (if not separately contracted), and cleanup. The Knot 2026 national median is around 85 USD per guest for the base package; premium markets and plated dinners commonly exceed 180 USD per guest. Total caterer cost scales directly with headcount.
- How does Rateven compare my price to the public benchmark?
The Rateven check-my-quote tool compares your proposed number against the cited regional range for your experience tier and reports how far above or below the public median you sit. It does not tell you what to charge; it tells you where your number sits on the cited public benchmark. Whether and how to change your rate is a business decision only you can make.
- How often does the benchmark update?
The Knot and Zola publish annual updates that tend to show 5 to 15 percent year-over-year movement in national medians across recent cycles. Rateven re-pulls those public figures each year so your calibration tracks the published benchmark. We do not track or suggest rate changes at the individual-vendor level.
- Is this advice or a price quote?
Rateven provides informational market ranges derived from cited public sources. We are not your financial advisor, accountant, or business consultant. Every number on this page links back to the original publisher. Your actual price depends on factors only you know: your costs, your positioning, your calendar, your client relationships. Use the range as an anchor, not a rule.