Wedding Food Cost Calculator
Per-dish ingredient-accurate cost, not guesses. Build your shadi, reception, birthday or corporate menu by category, set the guest count, and get exact quantities and the real cost per plate for any event or programme.
How Wedding Catering Cost Works
- Enter the number of guests (wedding, reception, birthday or corporate) and your extra buffer (10–20% recommended).
- Choose Veg, Non-Veg or Both, then pick a ready-made menu preset or tap dishes by category.
- Adjust per-guest amounts if your caterer portions differ — quantities and costs update instantly.
- Read the per-dish quantity and total food cost, then save, print or share the menu.
Unlike benchmark tools that guess a generic "cost per plate", RecipeScaler prices each dish from its real recipe ingredients — paneer, cream, cashews and spices at their actual ₹/kg — then scales them to your guest count with a buffer for live counters and seconds.
Wedding Menu by Category
🥟 Starters
| Dish | Per Guest | Diet |
|---|---|---|
| Pani Puri (पानी पूरी) | 5 pcs | 🥦 Veg |
| Hara Bhara Kabab (हरा भरा कबाब) | 2 pcs | 🥦 Veg |
| Paneer Tikka (पनीर टिक्का) | 3 pcs | 🥦 Veg |
| Aloo Tikki (आलू टिक्की) | 2 pcs | 🥦 Veg |
| Chicken Tikka (चिकन टिक्का) | 3 pcs | 🍗 Non-Veg |
| Veg Spring Roll (वेज स्प्रिंग रोल) | 2 pcs | 🥦 Veg |
| Idli (इडली) | 3 pcs | 🥦 Veg |
| Medu Vada (मेडु वड़ा) | 2 pcs | 🥦 Veg |
| Dosa (डोसा) | 2 pcs | 🥦 Veg |
| Dhokla (ढोकला) | 2 pcs | 🥦 Veg |
| Khandvi (खांडवी) | 2 pcs | 🥦 Veg |
| Dal Baati Churma (दाल बाटी चूरमा) | 1 pcs | 🥦 Veg |
| Gatte ki Sabzi (गट्टे की सब्ज़ी) | 100 g | 🥦 Veg |
| Papad ki Sabzi (पापड़ की सब्ज़ी) | 80 g | 🥦 Veg |
🫓 Breads
| Dish | Per Guest | Diet |
|---|---|---|
| Butter Naan (बटर नान) | 1 pcs | 🥦 Veg |
| Plain Paratha (सादा पराठा) | 1 pcs | 🥦 Veg |
| Rumali Roti (रूमाली रोटी) | 1 pcs | 🥦 Veg |
| Bati Roti (बाटी रोटी) | 2 pcs | 🥦 Veg |
| Missi Roti (मिस्सी रोटी) | 1 pcs | 🥦 Veg |
🍛 Main Course
| Dish | Per Guest | Diet |
|---|---|---|
| Paneer Butter Masala (पनीर बटर मसाला) | 100 grams | 🥦 Veg |
| Chana Masala (छोले मसाला) | 80 grams | 🥦 Veg |
| Dal Makhani (दाल मखनी) | 90 grams | 🥦 Veg |
| Mushroom Masala (मशरूम मसाला) | 70 grams | 🥦 Veg |
| Paneer Lababdar (पनीर लबाबदार) | 100 grams | 🥦 Veg |
| Butter Chicken (बटर चिकन) | 100 grams | 🍗 Non-Veg |
| Mutton Rogan Josh (मटन रोगन जोश) | 100 grams | 🍗 Non-Veg |
| Sambar (सांभर) | 100 grams | 🥦 Veg |
| Rasam (रस्सम) | 80 grams | 🥦 Veg |
| Kadhi (कढ़ी) | 100 grams | 🥦 Veg |
| Undhiyu (उंधियू) | 80 grams | 🥦 Veg |
| Misal Pav (मिसल पाव) | 150 grams | 🥦 Veg |
| Kosha Mangsho (कोशा मांस) | 100 grams | 🍗 Non-Veg |
| Fish Curry (मछली करी) | 80 grams | 🍗 Non-Veg |
| Prawn Masala (झींगा मसाला) | 80 grams | 🍗 Non-Veg |
| Ker Sangri (केर सांगरी) | 80 g | 🥦 Veg |
| Mirchi Ka Salan (मिर्ची का सालन) | 80 grams | 🥦 Veg |
| Bagara Baingan (बगारा बैंगन) | 80 grams | 🥦 Veg |
🍚 Rice & Biryani
| Dish | Per Guest | Diet |
|---|---|---|
| Veg Biryani (वेज बिरयानी) | 120 grams | 🥦 Veg |
| Jeera Rice (जीरा राइस) | 80 grams | 🥦 Veg |
| Chicken Biryani (चिकन बिरयानी) | 150 grams | 🍗 Non-Veg |
| Ven Pongal (वेन पोंगल) | 100 grams | 🥦 Veg |
| Curd Rice (दही चावल) | 100 grams | 🥦 Veg |
| Mutton Biryani (मटन बिरयानी) | 150 grams | 🍗 Non-Veg |
🍮 Sweets
| Dish | Per Guest | Diet |
|---|---|---|
| Gulab Jamun (गुलाब जामुन) | 2 pcs | 🥦 Veg |
| Rasgulla (रसगुल्ला) | 2 pcs | 🥦 Veg |
| Kalakand (कलाकंद) | 40 grams | 🥦 Veg |
| Rice Kheer (चावल की खीर) | 80 grams | 🥦 Veg |
| Gajar Ka Halwa (गाजर का हलवा) | 60 grams | 🥦 Veg |
| Payasam (पायसम) | 60 grams | 🥦 Veg |
| Malpua (मालपुआ) | 2 pcs | 🥦 Veg |
| Ghewar (घेवर) | 1 pcs | 🥦 Veg |
| Double Ka Meetha (डबल का मीठा) | 60 grams | 🥦 Veg |
| Khubani Ka Meetha (खुबानी का मीठा) | 60 grams | 🥦 Veg |
| Sheer Khurma (शीर खुरमा) | 80 grams | 🥦 Veg |
🥗 Complements
| Dish | Per Guest | Diet |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh Green Salad (ग्रीन सलाद) | 40 grams | 🥦 Veg |
| Boondi Raita (बूंदी रायता) | 60 grams | 🥦 Veg |
| Achar / Pickle (अचार) | 10 grams | 🥦 Veg |
| Papad (पापड़) | 1 pcs | 🥦 Veg |
| Mint Chutney (पुदीना चटनी) | 15 grams | 🥦 Veg |
Wedding Food Cost Per Plate in India
| City / Tier | Veg per plate |
|---|---|
| Tier-1 metro (Mumbai / Delhi / Bengaluru / Hyderabad) | ₹1,200 – ₹1,800 |
| Tier-2 (Lucknow / Pune / Ahmedabad / Kolkata) | ₹800 – ₹1,200 |
| Tier-3 (smaller cities) | ₹500 – ₹800 |
| Non-veg replacement (on those dishes) | +30 – 40% |
Indicative ranges from Indian wedding catering benchmarks (2024–25), including live counters. Use the calculator above for your exact menu and guest count.
How We Price These Dishes
Every dish is built from a real recipe with verified ingredient amounts. The cost comes from three sources, in priority order:
- Your saved custom price overrides (localStorage).
- Live mandi (vegetable market) rates via our recipe cost tool, converted wholesale→retail.
- Curated retail ₹/kg prices (updated Aug 2026).
Estimates are for planning. Caterers add labour, fuel, cutlery and profit on top — confirm per-plate quotes with your vendor. For bulk event quantities, use the Food Quantity Calculator. Planning your overall wedding budget? See the Wedding Budget Calculator.
Wedding Food Calculator — FAQ
How much does wedding food cost per plate in India?
An Indian wedding food menu typically costs ₹500–1,800 per plate depending on the city tier: Tier-1 metros ₹1,200–1,800, Tier-2 cities ₹800–1,200, Tier-3 cities ₹500–800. Non-veg replacement adds roughly 30–40% on those dishes. Use the calculator for your exact menu.
How much food per guest for a wedding?
Plan per guest: 2–3 starter pieces, 250–300g main course, 80–120g rice or biryani, 1 bread, 1–2 sweets and 60g raita/salad. Per-guest amounts are editable in the calculator so you can match your caterer.
How much paneer for 100 guests?
For a paneer curry, plan 100–120g paneer per guest — that is about 10–12 kg for 100 guests. The calculator scales every dish ingredient-accurately from real recipes.
How do I calculate food quantity for a wedding buffet?
Multiply the per-person serving by the guest count, then add a 10–15% buffer (15–20% for live counters and seconds). The calculator applies the buffer automatically to every dish.
Veg vs non-veg wedding menu — how much difference?
Non-veg starters (chicken tikka) and mains (butter chicken, biryani) usually cost 30–40% more per plate than veg dishes on the same menu. Toggle Veg / Non-Veg / Both to compare instantly.
How is the dish cost calculated?
Each dish is priced from its real recipe: ingredient quantity × price per kg, using curated retail prices updated from live mandi rates (RETAIL_FACTOR applied) when available. Ready-made items (pani puri, rasgulla, papad) use a flat rate per guest.
Can I add my own dish or category?
Yes — build your own menu dish by dish, adjust per-guest amounts freely, save the menu in your browser and share it with a link.
Do you support non-veg wedding menus?
Yes. Use the Veg / Non-Veg / Both toggle to switch the whole menu, or pick the Non-Veg Wedding preset with chicken tikka, butter chicken, mutton rogan josh and chicken biryani.
Can I save and share my wedding menu?
Yes. Save the menu in your browser, print it, or share a deep link that restores the exact guest count, buffer and selected dishes.
Is this calculator free?
Yes — the RecipeScaler wedding food calculator is 100% free, no account, and works on mobile, desktop and for catering businesses.
How does season affect wedding food cost?
The calculator lets you set a season multiplier: off-peak ×1.0, festival/peak ×1.20. Peak-season ingredient spikes — especially paneer, ghee and vegetables around Diwali and winter weddings — can realistically push food cost 15–25% higher.
Buffet vs plated service — which costs more?
Plated (served) service adds roughly 15–20% over buffet because it needs 1 server per 10–15 guests versus 1 per 40–50 for buffet. The calculator applies a ×1.30 service multiplier for plated and ×1.15 for semi-plated; buffet is ×1.0.
How much should I budget for serving staff?
Plan 1 server per 40–50 guests for buffet, 1 per 10–15 for plated, plus 2–3 kitchen helpers per 100 guests. At ₹800 per staff shift, 20 staff adds about ₹16,000 to a wedding — the calculator has a staffing field for exactly this.
More free tools
Free recipe, catering and costing calculators — no sign-up.