The question, from a real bride in a Toronto wedding group: she has been getting catering quotes for a buffet for 60 people ranging from $10,000 to $15,000. Her original budget idea was $5,000. She wants to know if she is being delusional about what buffet catering costs these days, and what affordable options exist.
The short answer: she is not delusional, but $5,000 is tight for a full-service buffet. Here is the math.
Do the per-person math
$5,000 divided by 60 guests is about $83 per person, all in. The quotes she received work out to roughly $167 to $250 per person. That gap is not caterers gouging her. It is the difference between food cost and full-service cost.
A full-service buffet quote usually includes the food, chefs and serving staff for the evening, delivery and setup, rentals like chafing dishes and servingware, plus HST. One Toronto caterer, Encore Catering, publishes that catering in the city typically ranges from $15 to $150+ per person depending on whether you choose drop-off, buffet, or full-service with staff and rentals. Her quotes sit at the full-service end of that range. Her budget sits near the drop-off end.
Where the money actually goes
- Staffing is the biggest surprise. Chefs, servers, and bartenders for an evening often cost as much as the food itself.
- Rentals add up fast: chafing dishes, plates, cutlery, glassware, linens, tables.
- Service style matters more than the menu. Plated dinners cost the most, buffets sit in the middle, and drop-off catering where the food arrives ready to serve costs the least.
How to actually hit $5,000 for 60 people
- Ask for drop-off catering. The caterer delivers hot, ready-to-serve food and leaves. You handle setup and serving, often with help from family or a day-of coordinator. This is the single biggest lever.
- Consider a lunch or brunch reception. Daytime menus are cheaper than dinner menus at almost every caterer.
- Look at restaurant catering. Local restaurants, especially South Asian, Middle Eastern, and Caribbean spots, often cater events at far lower per-person prices than wedding-specific caterers.
- Simplify the bar. A full open bar can double a catering bill. Beer, wine, and a signature cocktail keep it celebratory without the top-shelf price.
- Skip the wedding cake markup. A dessert table or a cake from a bakery instead of a tiered wedding cake saves hundreds.
Questions to ask every caterer
- What service styles do you offer for our guest count, and what is the per-person price for each?
- What exactly is included: staff, rentals, delivery, setup, teardown?
- Is there a food and beverage minimum, and does it change by day of week or season?
- Can we do a tasting before committing?
Get three quotes with the same service style and the same inclusions. Comparing a drop-off quote to a full-service quote is how budgets get blown.
GTA caterers worth a quote
A few caterers from the directory to start with:
Encore Catering
Toronto · Family-owned since 1979 · Buffet, plated, stations, family style
Browse the full list of wedding caterers in the GTA, and check the review links on their cards so you can verify before you inquire.