Catering quotes

My plating was quoted $65 a person the next day she upped her prices on her website to $75. that was a year ago and now she's up to $95 a plate. this is here in Ottawa. Last year my friend paid $100 a plate for her wedding at the Strathmere, Inflation is high, and venues and caterers are making up for lost times from Covid.

We paid $70 a person, this included the buffet dinner, 4 appetizers during cocktail reception and 2 meat and cheese boards. All non alcoholic and alcoholic drinks along with rentals were separate cost.

We’re paying $36 a plate for buffet, only for the food. Everything else is a separate charge (staff, serving dishes, plates, tables, linens, cutlery, drinks, venue, etc.)
Most quotes we received were between 70-100, depending on what you wanted included. None of them included venue rental cost, alcohol, or taxes/ gratuity.

Catering costs will vary wildly based on many factors: availability of in-house kitchen at venue, how much stuff like plates and cutlery they have to bring in, bar service and type of alcohol, type of food, number of courses, number of staff provided etc. And just because your friend used the same caterer, doesn't mean she ordered the same meal or used the same tier of service.

If it's $200 including bar and taxes/gratuity, I would say that's fairly in-line with a typical external caterer when some in-house prices can get close to that range at some venues.

We are paying $79 a head for a nice buffet in Banff.

I’m paying $32 a head for a buffet meal.

My husband and I paid $89 dollars a head last summer in BC