Free tool · For couples & planners · For venues
Event catering quantity calculator
Enter your guests, service style and cocktail hour to see per-guest and total quantities by course.
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Plated for 120 guests: 720 appetizer pieces, 45 lb of main protein, 120 desserts.
| Appetizers | Per guest | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Appetizers, all varieties | 6 pieces | 720 pieces |
| Each of 4 varieties | 1.5 pieces | 180 pieces |
| Main course | Per guest | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Main protein (cooked) | 6 oz | 45 lb |
| Sides | 8 oz | 60 lb |
| Salad | 3 oz | 23 lb |
| Bread | 1.5 rolls | 180 rolls |
| Dessert | Per guest | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Dessert | 1 servings | 120 servings |
Your caterer will adjust these quantities for the menu. Dietary meals (vegetarian, vegan, allergy and so on) are on top of these amounts.
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Get early accessHow are the catering quantities calculated?
- Appetizers = guests × cocktail hour length × pieces per guest per hour, split between your varieties. When appetizers are the whole meal, a separate (higher) pieces-per-hour figure is used.
- Main course (protein, sides, salad, bread) = guests × the per-guest amount × the service style’s percentage of plated. Ounces become pounds at 16 oz to the pound. Appetizers only has no main course.
- Dessert and the optional late-night snack = guests × servings or pieces per guest.
- Every total is rounded up once, to a whole piece or a whole pound.
Your caterer will adjust these quantities for the menu. Dietary meals are on top of these amounts.
What are the starting assumptions?
Every per-person amount is a planning figure, not market data or an industry standard, and every one is editable:
- Appetizers: 6 pieces per guest per hour before a meal; 10 when they are the whole meal.
- Main course, plated: 6 oz cooked protein, 8 oz of sides in total, 3 oz salad and 1.5 rolls per guest. Buffet serves 120% and family style 125% of plated.
- Dessert: 1 serving per guest. Late-night snack: 2 pieces per guest, only if you tick the box.
- The example event has 120 guests, a plated dinner, a 1-hour cocktail hour and 4 appetizer varieties.
Replace all of them with your caterer’s figures when you have them.
Worked example
For 120 guests, a 1-hour cocktail hour at 6 pieces per guest per hour is 720 appetizer pieces. Protein at 6 oz cooked per guest is 120 × 6 oz ÷ 16 = 45 lb:
| Appetizers | Per guest | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Appetizers, all varieties | 6 pieces | 720 pieces |
| Each of 4 varieties | 1.5 pieces | 180 pieces |
| Main course | Per guest | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Main protein (cooked) | 6 oz | 45 lb |
| Sides | 8 oz | 60 lb |
| Salad | 3 oz | 23 lb |
| Bread | 1.5 rolls | 180 rolls |
| Dessert | Per guest | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Dessert | 1 servings | 120 servings |
Your caterer will adjust these quantities for the menu. Dietary meals (vegetarian, vegan, allergy and so on) are on top of these amounts.
Frequently asked questions
- How much food do I need per person?
- It depends on the menu, the service style and the crowd, so this calculator has no fixed answer. It starts from planning amounts per guest for each course, shows every one next to the result and lets you change them. Your caterer’s own figures should replace them.
- Why do buffet and family-style services use more food?
- Guests choose their own portions and the table or buffet has to look full, so these styles are usually planned with more food than a plated dinner. The calculator scales the main course amounts by a percentage for each style. The starting percentages are placeholders you can edit.
- How many appetizers per person for a cocktail hour?
- The calculator multiplies the length of the cocktail hour by pieces per guest per hour, then divides the pieces between your varieties. When appetizers are the whole meal, it uses a separate, higher pieces-per-hour figure. Both are editable starting assumptions.
- Are vegetarian and other dietary meals included?
- No. Dietary meals are on top of these quantities. Plan them with your caterer, who also adjusts the quantities for the actual menu, portion sizes and how the food is prepared.
- Are the weights raw or cooked?
- The ounces and pounds here are cooked weights. Raw weights depend on the cut and how the food is prepared, so ask your caterer what they will order. Totals are rounded up to a whole pound or a whole piece.
- Is anything I type sent to VenueDirector?
- Your numbers stay in your browser, which also remembers them for next time. We count anonymous events such as “a result was exported”, without your inputs or anything that identifies you. Your inputs and email are stored only if you ask us to email your results.