Unless you are a professional wedding planner, figuring out how much certain aspects of your wedding should cost can be difficult. This article is here to help you with one major component of your wedding budget – the food!
To lay it out, we talked with one of the top caterers in town, Saz’s Catering. They offer such a wide range of food options for any budget making them the perfect catering company to provide the appropriate comparison of what you get for certain budget thresholds.
While most of us have tried Saz’s sour cream and chive fries, mozzarella marinara, or their bbq slathered pulled pork sandwiches at one point during Milwaukee’s festival season, Saz’s also excels at fine catering options. From wild mushroom and parmesan risotto to chicken saltimbocca, rosemary skewered shrimp with mint pesto and New York Strip au Poivre with a Malbec reduction sauce, their options span the foodie imagination.
What’s Included in These Catering Packages?
When choosing a wedding caterer, it’s important to determine what the package includes. For example, the Saz’s packages discussed below include china, glassware, flatware and linens (the picnic buffet includes disposable tableware). Also included is Milwaukee County tax and service charge. Be aware that when you have a smaller guest count, the per person charge can increase to cover staff overhead and other charges.
To create an even point of comparison, we used a 200 person guest count. We worked with Saz’s staff to develop a per person charge for five different tiers of meal options. Check out the graph below for a visual comparison.
Tier One: Picnic Buffet – $20 – $25 / Person
The first tier is Saz’s picnic buffet. It includes many of the Saz’s classic favorites including pulled bbq pork, chicken breast, brats with kraut, potato salad, and sour cream & chive fries among other things. As mentioned, above, this tier includes high quality disposable serving ware.
Tier Two: Two Entrée Buffet – $45 – $50 / Person
This second tier includes pre-dinner and late night table served hors d’oeuvres and fresh fruit and vegetable platters. Two main entrees are included as well as a table served salad, and various other vegetable and potato side dishes. This option would be comparable to a basic dinner buffet.
Tier Three: Two Entrée Sit Down Dinner – $65 – $70 / Person
This third tier includes passed hors d’oeuvres during cocktail hour, a table served gourmet salad, a chicken, beef and vegetarian option, with a pasta or potato side and a select vegetable. Also included in this package is post dinner coffee and a dessert bar.
Tier Four: Food Station (Six) – $70 – $75 / Person
This fourth tier includes six food stations. The example provided by Saz’s includes Asian, Italian, French and seafood stations, which include 3-4 entrée options at each chef-tended station. A unique twist added to this package is the risotto bar which allows your guests to create their own risotto dish with the knowledgeable assistance of that stations’s chef. Finally, a dessert station with seven different chocolate themed treats finishes off this package.
Tier Five: Eight Course Tasting Menu – Interactive Pod Experience – $115 – $125 / Person
This tier is the ultimate foodie experience. If you are looking to impress your guests, this is the option for you. It includes individual chefs cooking up eight small plate creations in the center of about 16 guests at each square table setting. Courses include hors d’oeuvres, salad, fish, beef, shellfish, pork and dessert courses. Late night appetizers are also included.
As you can tell, prices can range significantly for your food budget. While you can cut a few things here and there within your catering packages, such as dessert or limiting appetizer options, keep in mind that packages are generally developed to be balanced and keep your guests in mind. Don’t hold back from asking for modifications, but keep the advice of your caterer in the back of your mind.
In a past life I may have been surprised at self-serve being costlier than sit-down but now I know why – people eat more at a buffet!
Norman,
If you look at the Tiers in the graph above, you will see that the 2 Entree Buffet (Tier 1) and the 2 Entree Sit down (Tier 2) have two different prices (but are similar in food offerings). And the self serve is LESS expensive than the “sit-down.” The reason the Sit-down tends to be more expensive is because typically caterers need special equipment and in some cases additional rentals to keep the food temp warm for each plate. With buffet the chafers keep the food warm all in one place. Also additional staff is typically needed to serve all of the tables in a timely manner for sit down. So when considering a large event like a wedding, typically buffet / food station is going to be less expensive per guest even though in theory they may eat more than plated. I hope this helps!