How many canapés should you plan per guest at a wedding?

Couples almost always ask it: how many canapés do we need, and which ones should we choose? For you, that's a menu question and a sum that hits your margin directly. Plan too few, and the trays sit empty while the queue hasn't gone down yet. Plan too many, and you throw away food and profit at the same time at the end of the night.

This article covers how to arrive at a realistic number for each moment of the evening, and how to turn that into a clear line in your quote.

Why there's no fixed number

The answer depends on one simple question: do the canapés replace dinner, or come alongside it? Before a sit-down dinner, nobody needs to be full yet. At a walking dinner, the canapés are the meal, and then you work it out differently.

Timing plays a part too. People eat very differently at a five o'clock reception than at eleven at night, after a few hours of dancing.

Rules of thumb per moment of the evening

• Reception before dinner (about 1 hour): 4 to 6 canapés per guest. This is a warm-up, not a meal.
• Walking dinner replacing the meal: 10 to 14 canapés per guest, spread over two to three hours and built up in rounds (cold, hot, something sweet).
• Late in the evening, after the dancing: 2 to 3 pieces per guest. Think rich or savoury. At this point, guests mostly want something substantial, not fine dining.

On top of these numbers, always plan a margin of 10 to 15 per cent. Not everyone shows up, some guests eat twice as much as others, and an empty tray during the reception is the first thing a couple will remember.

With larger groups, that margin can be a bit lower. At 200 guests, eating habits average out, at 40 guests, five big eaters can throw off your whole calculation.

The type of canapé changes the count

A bitterbal and an oyster both count as "one canapé", but they fill you up very differently. Rich, heavy canapés (cheese, meat, deep-fried) fill people up faster, so you can plan a touch more cautiously there. Light, cold canapés (fish, vegetables, something fresh) disappear in bigger numbers.

Also factor in the share of vegetarian and allergen-free options. Plan on at least 20 to 25 per cent of your total being a vegetarian version, and ask about allergies yourself at the intake instead of waiting for the couple to bring it up.

From rule of thumb to quote line

The sum above is only useful if it actually lands in your quote. Group the canapés by moment (reception, walking dinner, late in the evening) instead of as one long list. That way the couple sees exactly where the cost comes from.

Work out the price per piece, multiply by the number of guests and the rule of thumb for that moment, and add the margin as a separate line. Don't hide it in the unit price, because then you can't explain it later either if the couple wants to cut something.

If you do this often, set the three moments as standing rules in your quote template. That way you don't have to work out from scratch how many bitterballen fit into a walking dinner for 80 guests every time, and you won't forget a moment in the price.

Want to stop working out your canapé lines, numbers and margins from scratch every time? Try Catermonkey for free and set them up once as standing quote lines.

Frequently asked questions

How many canapés do you plan for a pre-dinner reception?

Plan on 4 to 6 canapés per guest for a reception of about an hour. This is a warm-up for dinner, so guests don't need to fill up on it.

How many canapés do you plan for a walking dinner?

At a walking dinner, the canapés replace dinner, so plan on 10 to 14 canapés per guest, spread over two to three hours in rounds of cold, hot and sweet.

How many canapés do you plan late in the evening?

After the dancing, 2 to 3 pieces per guest is enough. Choose something rich or savoury, guests mostly want something substantial at this point.

How many vegetarian or allergen-free canapés should you bring?

Plan on at least 20 to 25 per cent of your total being a vegetarian version, and ask about allergies yourself at the intake instead of waiting for the couple to bring it up.

Do you add a margin on top of the canapé count?

Yes, always plan 10 to 15 per cent extra. Not everyone shows up, some guests eat twice as much as others, and an empty tray during the reception looks sloppy.

Do children count in the canapé count per guest?

Plan on a child eating about half of what an adult does, and set something aside that they'll recognise. Children rarely eat from the tray of fish or spicy canapés, so if you count them in fully, you'll have leftovers at the end of the night.

How much staff do you need to carry canapés around?

For a reception with canapés circulating, plan roughly one member of staff per 25 to 30 guests. At a walking dinner with several stations, that's higher, because each station needs to stay staffed for as long as that course runs.

Catermonkey puts the canapés per moment in your quote, works out the count from the number of guests, and shows the margin per line. If the guest count changes two weeks before the wedding, the numbers and the price shift along automatically.

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