How Much Food Per Guest? A Simple Wedding Catering Guide

Running out of food is every host's fear, and wasting it is the second. The right quantity depends on the menu, the season and the time of day.

A rough starting point

As a general thumb rule, caterers plan about 350 to 450 grams of food per guest for a full dinner with sweets, and less when many starters and live counters are served. Treat this as a starting estimate; your caterer will fine-tune it.

What changes the numbers

• More starters and counters mean smaller main-course portions.
• Winter dinners usually see heavier eating than hot summer evenings.
• Weddings with a long wait before dinner see a rush when the buffet opens.
• Popular items like paneer, jalebi and chaat run out first, so plan extra of those.

Plan for the guest count honestly

Guests often turn up in larger numbers than the invite list. Tell your caterer the likely maximum and keep a small buffer rather than cooking for the absolute worst case.

Share your number, venue and menu with us on our contact page and we will suggest quantities.