Food and drink calculator
How much will your guests eat and drink?
Tell us how many people come and how long the party lasts. You get the usual amounts caterers plan with, and a margin for safety.
What to plan for
| Appetizers, pieces | 568 |
|---|---|
| Main course (meat or fish), kg | 17 |
| Side dishes, kg | 18.9 |
| Salads, kg | 9.5 |
| Bread, kg | 5.7 |
| Cake slices | 99 |
| Other desserts, pieces | 142 |
| Water and soft drinks, litres | 208 |
| Coffee and tea, cups | 132 |
| Alcoholic drinks, glasses | 493 |
| Wine, bottles (if half of the drinks are wine) | 50 |
| Sparkling wine for the toast, bottles | 15 |
How we count
For an adult at a seated dinner: 6 appetizers, 180 g of main course, 200 g of sides, 100 g of salad and 60 g of bread. A child counts as 0.6 of an adult. For drinks: two glasses in the first hour and one an hour after that for each adult who drinks, 0.35 litres of water and soft drinks per person per hour, 1.5 cups of coffee or tea per adult, and a glass of sparkling wine per adult for the toast. A bottle holds 5 glasses of wine or 6 of sparkling. A buffet and a cocktail reception use different amounts.
These are common starting points, not rules. Your venue, your caterer and your city will change the numbers.
More free tools
- Budget calculatorSplit your total between venue, food, photos and the rest, and see the cost per guest.
- Wedding checklistA complete checklist from a year before the wedding to the day after, ready to print.
- Seating chart templateHow many tables you need, and a printable chart with a line for every guest.
Turn the numbers into a plan
MarryPrep writes the checklist, splits the budget, keeps the guest list and draws the seating for you. Free to start.
Create your plan