When trying to decide on food for your big day, few can bring dishes as warm and comforting as Italian catering for weddings. But with such rich and hearty platters, dishes, and desserts, you might wonder if there’s a way to provide your wedding with such a feast at an affordable price: the short answer is yes! With Stancato’s catering, whether you’re hosting a 20-guest micro-wedding or a crowd of 100, there’s a way to tailor your catering to match everyone’s tastes and your budget.
In this guide, you’ll learn more about what a good budget is for Italian catering at weddings, what should be included in a catering package, how to choose between plated or buffet, what makes Italian catering both affordable AND delicious, and how far in advance you should book for wedding catering!
Can Italian Catering Be Affordable AND Delicious?
Yes, Italian catering can be affordable and delicious with the careful choosing of menu items and quantities to serve your wedding guests.
Italian catering can absolutely be affordable and delicious for your wedding, even if it isn’t a full multi-course meal being served to your guests. The customizability of wedding catering allows you to pick and choose which types of menu items will be served, and at what quantities.
For over 40 years, Stancato’s catering has offered an abundance of options ranging from vibrant antipasto platters and grazing tables to aromatic entrees and generous buffets. And of course, you can’t forget the delectable desserts, whether you’d like to have it served to your guests or elegantly presented on a self-service dessert table.
What is a Good Budget for Wedding Catering?
A good budget for wedding catering is determined by the cost per person, what menu items or complete meals are being selected, and how many guests will be attending your wedding.
A good budget will depend on both your guest numbers as well as food choices—a micro-wedding may have somewhere between 10-50 people while a full wedding can have anywhere from 100 or more. Fortunately, wedding caterers often have pricing listed as per person or a group of people, making it easy to calculate so that your big day goes as deliciously as possible without breaking your bank.
Here are some examples of how Stancato’s can help you form your budget for affordable Italian wedding catering from the cost per person, pasta bar pricing, and even an idea of how much it would cost to feed 100 people at a wedding…
How Much Does Wedding Catering Cost Per Person?
Depending on what you choose for your catering menu, your per-person catering may be low per person if it’s for a single or smaller dish. But there may be a minimum count, such as a minimum of 10 orders. For example, say you have a micro-wedding of 40 people and you wish to treat them to one of Stancato’s “Complete Meals” that range from $9.99 to $13.99 per person (entrée plus salad and dinner rolls)—you would need to total up the possible cost of 40 of those Complete Meals.
Some menu options may only be ordered in certain increments due to the amount made. Certain platter choices may be made in batches for 30 people or 50 people each. For example, with a guest list of 40 people, you’d need to order the larger set for 50.
What About Pasta Bar Pricing?
What is Italian cuisine without pasta? Pasta bars are often made to serve multiple people, such as 25 people per pasta bar, and are priced per person. With an example guest list of 40, you would want to take a closer look at the catering menu to see if you’re paying per person or for the number of servings per pasta bar. Stancato’s charges per person and prepares enough to serve 25 per pasta bar.
How Much Does It Cost to Feed 100 People at a Wedding?
With the generous portions associated with Italian cuisine and catering, feeding 100 guests at your wedding is more than possible with Stancato’s.
- Individual platter or entree per-person prices ranging from $4.99 (such as the Italian Herb Chicken Cutlet) to $32.99 for Stancato’s own themed “The Ritz” beef tenderloin meal.
- Some menu options are designed to serve a certain number of people with Half Pan or Full Pan orders. Stancato’s Half Pans serve around 10-15 people while Full Pans serve around 25-30.
- Example: For a group of 100, you may want to order four Full Pans of antipasti, which can range from $55.99 to $159.99 per Full Pan depending on the food item.
Knowing your budget is only the beginning—determining your wedding catering package will involve selecting menu items and the kind of service you want from the caterers.
What Should Be Included in a Wedding Catering Package?
Your wedding catering package should generally include an appetizer selection, a main course, and dessert—you’ll also want to decide on the level of service provided by the caterer.
Your wedding’s catering package is often customizable, allowing you to shape your Italian catering ideas to your wedding size. Full-service wedding catering is always available for weddings of any size, especially for groups of 100 or more. Budget catering packages can be assembled for smaller, micro-weddings as well.
What Kinds of Catering Service Does Stancato’s Offer?
- Full Service: Staffing for your wedding, equipment rentals, personalized menus, and venue options for your wedding catering to take place.
- Delivery & Setup-Up: Same day order delivery, available 24/7.
- Pickup: Order and pick your orders up from Stancato’s.
Want a fully staffed catering experience at your wedding venue? Or maybe you want to just pickup the catering and have a more intimate wedding event? The choice is yours, and it doesn’t end with the main course—wedding catering offers dessert options that remain affordable.
Can Catering and Dessert Be Combined into an Affordable Catering Package?
Yes, catering and dessert can be combined into an affordable catering package by considering what desserts you wish to add to your catering and determining how you’d like the desserts to be served.
You should be allowed to have your wedding cake and eat it! Wedding plans often involve combining catering and dessert together into an affordable catering package. Along with the main courses and antipasti options, Stacato’s offers a variety of dessert options that are priced to specific amounts such as chocolate chip cookie platters in 30-pieces and 60-piece options.
Adding dessert to your wedding catering is easy and can be presented in a number of ways such as dessert stations or served to guests at their tables.
But now that you’ve chosen your dishes and sweet treats, you might be wondering what kind of catering format you may want. Should you aim for a more traditional, plated presentation, or a generous and welcoming buffet for your guests to help themselves to?
Plated or Buffet: Is It Okay to Have a Buffet for a Wedding?
Yes, buffet-style Italian catering is a growingly popular format because how shareable many Italian dishes are, and buffets may be more budget-friendly versus a plated approach.
Choosing between a plated and buffet catering experience will depend on the kind of mood and atmosphere you’re trying to present for your wedding. While plated catering creates a formal and traditional atmosphere, a buffet is a popular format because of the shareable nature of many Italian dishes such as hearty lasagna and other pasta dishes, fresh bread baskets, and mouthwatering antipasti platters.
Buffets may be more budget-friendly compared to a plated approach.
Self-portioning by guests can reduce food wastage.
There can always be more than one buffet table to accommodate a larger wedding size.
Ultimately, a buffet can be just as crowd-pleasing as a plated meal experience if you’re aiming for a more communal atmosphere where everyone can share in the joy of delicious food while celebrating your big wedding.
Now that you’ve determined your budget, your menu items and catering package, and the format in which food is served, you’re ready to begin reaching out to Italian food caterers like Stancato’s for consultation and scheduling.
How Far In Advance Should I Book a Wedding Caterer?
You should book your Cleveland wedding catering about six to eight months in advance.
Ideally, you’ll want to begin preparations about 10 to 12 months in advance, having decided on a caterer by around six to eight months ahead of your wedding to ensure that everything is in place.
Stancato’s catering can shape itself to your needs for the perfect catering experience—whether you’d like a fully-staffed catering service at your wedding venue, catered private dining at Stancato’s, or pickup/carry-out. Contact Stancato’s to begin your catering consultation and make your dream wedding come true!
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