Wedding guides / Catering

Catering

Catering covers food, drink, and usually the waitstaff and tableware needed to serve them. Pricing tiers vary by course count, bar inclusions, and staffing ratio rather than ingredient quality alone.

R20 000 – R120 000 Basic buffet or plated meal for 50–70 guests lands around R20,000–R28,000 (~R400/person). Mid-tier plated dinner runs R950–R1,200/person, premium (cocktail hour, five courses, paired wines) R1,400–R1,800+/person.

Why it matters

One of the most-remembered parts of a wedding by guests, and the largest controllable cost after the venue — the gap between tiers is the gap between R400 and R1,800+ per person.

When it should happen

6–9 months out; immediately after venue confirmation if catering isn't bundled into the venue package.

Questions to ask

Does the price include staff, crockery, glassware, and linen?
What's the staff-to-guest ratio?
Can the menu handle dietary and cultural requirements at no surcharge?
Is there a corkage fee for outside alcohol?

Mistakes to avoid

Comparing quotes on per-person price alone without checking what's bundled.
Under-ordering with no buffer for guest-count changes.
Leaving dietary and cultural requirements undocumented until late.

Worth knowing

Always do a tasting before signing — and taste at banquet temperature and volume if possible, since a dish that's excellent fresh can behave very differently held warm for 100 plates. Ask what happens to the plan if guest numbers move 10% either way close to the date.