The short answer
The questions to ask a wedding caterer before booking are what the per-person price includes, how staff are charged, what service charge, tax and gratuity are added and on what base, which rentals and bar items are included, how allergies are handled, when the final count is due, what happens to leftovers, and when each payment is due. Ask for the answers in writing.
What does the per-person price include, and how is the count set?
A per-person price may cover food only, or food with staff, rentals and bar. Ask for the list. Then ask how the count works: a minimum count, a final count date, and whether the number can rise or fall after it. A clear answer states the minimum, the deadline and what you pay if the count changes.
For example, take a hypothetical $95 per person with a 130-guest minimum. At 140 guests the food line is 140 x $95 = $13,300. If your count falls to 125, you would still pay for 130: 130 x $95 = $12,350, which is $475 more than 125 x $95 = $11,875. Knowing the minimum lets you set your RSVP date with that number in mind.
- What exactly is included in the per-person price?
- Is there a minimum guest count or a minimum spend?
- Are children and vendor meals priced differently?
- When is the final count due, and can it change after that date?
- If the count falls below the minimum, what do we pay?
- Is the price fixed at signing, or can it change before the wedding?
How many staff will work our wedding, and how are they charged?
Staffing can sit inside the per-person price or be billed by the hour, and the difference can move the total a long way. Ask how many servers, bartenders and kitchen staff are planned for your count and service style, and how their time is counted. A clear answer gives the number of each role, the hours, the rate if billed separately, and the overtime rate.
- How many servers, bartenders and kitchen staff for our count and style?
- Is staffing in the per-person price or billed separately?
- If billed by the hour, what is the rate, the minimum and the overtime rate?
- Do staff hours include setup and cleanup?
- Who leads your team on site, and will we meet them beforehand?
- Do staff cut and serve the cake and clear tables before dancing?
- Can staff cover the ceremony, cocktail hour and reception in different spaces?
What service charge, tax and gratuity will be added to the bill?
Percentages added at the end of an estimate depend on their base. For example, on a hypothetical $10,000 food and beverage subtotal, a 20% service charge adds $2,000. A 7% tax on food alone adds $700; on food plus the service charge it adds ($10,000 + $2,000) x 0.07 = $840. Ask the caterer to show each percentage and the lines it applies to.
Then ask whether any part of the service charge is paid to the staff who work your event, and whether there is a separate gratuity line. The answer tells you what already reaches staff. Whether to tip on top, and how much, is your decision.
- Is there a service charge, and what percentage is it?
- Which lines is it calculated on: food, bar, rentals or staff?
- Is any portion of it paid to the staff at our event?
- Is there a separate administrative fee or gratuity line?
- Which lines is sales tax added to?
- Are travel, fuel, kitchen or equipment fees added?
- Can you send an estimate showing each percentage and its base?
Do wedding caterers provide plates, linens, tables and chairs?
Plates, glassware, linens and tables can come from the caterer, the venue or a rental company, and it is easy to pay for the same item twice or to have nobody bring it. Ask the caterer what they supply, what they order on your behalf and at what fee, and what they need the venue to have. A clear answer is an item list with quantities and a named source for each.
- Are plates, flatware, glassware and linens included, and in what style?
- Are tables and chairs part of your quote, the venue inventory or a separate rental?
- Do you order rentals for us, and is there a handling fee?
- What kitchen space, power and water do you need at the venue?
- Do you bring cooking equipment, or do you need a tent for a field kitchen?
- Who counts and returns rentals, and who pays for missing items?
How does the caterer handle allergies and dietary needs?
For a guest with a serious allergy, the process matters as much as the menu. Ask how allergy meals are prepared and kept separate, how servers know which guest gets which plate, and how buffet or station items are labeled. A clear answer describes the steps, the deadline for your list, and any added cost, rather than a general assurance.
- Which allergies and diets can you accommodate, and at what cost?
- How are allergy meals prepared and kept separate from other food?
- How will servers know which guest receives which meal?
- Are buffet and station items labeled with ingredients?
- Can you meet religious dietary requirements, and how?
- When do you need our list of guest dietary needs?
How do the bar, cake cutting and corkage work?
Bar pricing can be per person, per drink or by consumption, and a caterer may or may not be the one allowed to serve alcohol at your venue. Ask what each package includes and for how long, and whether you can supply your own wine or a bakery cake. For example, a hypothetical corkage fee of $15 a bottle on 40 bottles is 40 x $15 = $600, which you can set beside the price of the caterer's own wine.
- Do you provide bar service and alcohol, and who holds the license to serve?
- Is the bar priced per person, per drink or by consumption?
- What does each bar package include, and for how many hours?
- Can we supply our own alcohol, and is there a corkage fee?
- Is there a cake-cutting fee for a cake from a bakery?
- Are ice, mixers, garnishes and bar glassware included?
- When is last call, and who decides to stop serving a guest?
What happens on the day, after dinner, and when do we pay?
The last group covers the day itself and the money after it. Ask when the team arrives, how long dinner service takes for your count, what happens to leftover food, and when the team leaves. Then ask for the payment schedule and the cancellation terms. A clear answer gives times you can put on your timeline and dates you can put on your calendar.
- What time do you arrive, and when is food ready to serve?
- How long does dinner service take for our count and style?
- Can leftover food be packed for us or donated, and does any rule prevent it?
- When does your team finish cleanup and leave?
- How much is the deposit, and when is each later payment due?
- Is the final payment due before the wedding or after a final invoice?
- What do we owe if we cancel or postpone?
Caterer question log
Use one row for a decision or deliverable. Keep unanswered items visible. Download the blank worksheet to open in Excel, Numbers or Google Sheets.
On a small screen, swipe the worksheet sideways to see the remaining columns.
| Topic | Caterer A | Caterer B | Confirmed in writing? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per-person price and what it includes | — | — | — |
| Minimum count and final count date | — | — | — |
| Staff numbers and how they are billed | — | — | — |
| Service charge and its base | — | — | — |
| Sales tax base | — | — | — |
| Portion paid to staff, if any | — | — | — |
| Rentals included or ordered | — | — | — |
| Allergy process and deadline | — | — | — |
| Bar, corkage and cake cutting | — | — | — |
| Deposit, payments and cancellation | — | — | — |
A message you can make your own
Add your document reference and the questions that apply. You decide what to send and send it yourself.
Thank you for the menus. Before we decide, could you confirm a few points in writing? What does the per-person price include, and is there a minimum guest count? When is the final count due, and can it change afterward? How many staff will work our wedding of about [number] guests, and how are they billed? Could you show the service charge and tax with the lines each applies to, and tell us whether any portion of the service charge goes to staff? We would also like to know your allergy process, bar and corkage terms, leftovers policy, and payment and cancellation terms.
Common questions
Do wedding caterers charge for tastings?
A wedding caterer may or may not charge for a tasting, and the answer can depend on whether you have signed. Ask whether a tasting is included, how many people can attend, whether any fee is credited toward the booking, and, if the tasting comes after signing, what happens if you do not like the food.
How much do caterers cost for a wedding?
Wedding catering cost has no single figure you can rely on, because the total depends on guest count, service style, staffing, rentals, bar, service charge and tax. Ask two or three caterers to price the same menu style for your count and date, with each percentage and its base shown, and compare the totals rather than the per-person figure.
Do wedding caterers get tipped if there is a service charge?
Whether to tip a wedding caterer when there is a service charge is your decision. First ask whether any portion of the service charge or a gratuity line is paid to the staff at your event. With that answer, decide whether to add a tip, budget it, and put it in a labeled envelope on your run sheet.
Do wedding caterers need a kitchen at the venue?
A wedding caterer's kitchen needs depend on what it cooks on site and what it brings prepared. Ask what kitchen space, power, water and refrigeration it needs, whether it can work from a field kitchen or tent, and whether any added equipment or fee appears in the quote. Then check the venue's answer against that list.
Do wedding caterers charge to travel to the venue?
A wedding caterer may add a travel, fuel or delivery fee when the venue is outside its service area. Ask whether one applies to your venue, how it is calculated, whether staff travel time is billed as hours, and whether the fee is subject to the service charge or tax. Get the figure on the written estimate.
Is it cheaper to have a buffet than a plated dinner?
A buffet is not automatically cheaper than a plated dinner. A buffet may need more food, and a plated dinner may need more servers. Ask the caterer to price both styles for your guest count, including staff, rentals and service charge, and compare the totals rather than the per-person figure.