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Wedding cost guide

Wedding catering cost per plate in India: rates and GST

Compare hotel, banquet and independent caterer budgets, with GST, menu upgrades, bar options and minimum guarantees explained.

By WedAGI Editorial Team · Reviewed · 11 min read · 14 sources

Quick answer

₹1,050–₹3,675 per plate is a useful planning range for independent caterers and banquet halls, versus ₹2,360–₹9,440 for hotel and luxury-resort categories, including the modelled GST, as of 2026.1 Wedding catering cost per plate in India depends on city, menu, service and the billing guarantee. Alcohol, venue hire and premium upgrades are separate in these ranges.1

  • Compare GST-inclusive catering totals, not just advertised plate rates; the tax depends on supply classification.2
  • A minimum guarantee can remain payable even when fewer guests attend.3
  • Confirm whether mixed-menu prices apply to everyone before comparing vegetarian and non-vegetarian quotes.
  • Compare bar packages against liquor purchases plus corkage, handling and applicable taxes.4

Wedding catering cost per plate in India becomes comparable only when quotes describe the same meal and service. Treat the plate rate as part of a function-level bill: food, approved extras, applicable taxes and any separate space charge.5 Decide which guests eat at each function before choosing the menu.

How does wedding catering cost per plate in India vary?

Independent catering and non-hotel banquets generally sit below premium hotel catering in this planning model; a smaller destination does not automatically mean a cheaper luxury menu. These are category estimates, not offers from individual properties.1

Category and city-tier planning ranges, as of 20261,2,6,7,8,9,10
Venue category and city-tier referenceVeg (₹/plate, before GST)Mixed non-veg (₹/plate, before GST)Modelled GST (%)Veg (₹/plate, GST included)Mixed non-veg (₹/plate, GST included)
Independent caterer; smaller-city market, Jaipur/Dehradun reference1,000–2,0001,300–2,60051,050–2,1001,365–2,730
Standalone banquet; metro market, Mumbai reference1,800–3,0002,200–3,50051,890–3,1502,310–3,675
5-star city hotel; smaller-city market, Jaipur reference2,000–3,5002,500–4,500182,360–4,1302,950–5,310
5-star city hotel; metro market, Mumbai reference3,500–6,0004,000–6,500184,130–7,0804,720–7,670
Luxury resort or palace hotel; Rajasthan reference3,500–6,5004,500–8,000184,130–7,6705,310–9,440
Food with routine buffet service only. The 5% rows require eligible suppliers and non-specified premises; hotel rows assume specified premises. Venue hire, rooms, alcohol, specialist counters and exceptional logistics are excluded. City tiers are comparison labels, not official classifications.

Do not compare a delivered-food quotation with a hotel banquet package without adding the missing service scope. Ask whether the caterer brings buffet equipment, crockery, service staff and kitchen support, and whether the venue separately charges for access or utilities. A low food-only price is not a complete function price.5

Compare neighbourhood and service level alongside city. A lawn requiring a transported kitchen should be costed differently from an equipped city banquet, even with an identical menu.11 Use the Delhi NCR venue-cost guide and Mumbai venue-cost guide for costs beyond food.

Which GST rate applies to wedding catering?

Use 18% GST at specified premises; eligible outdoor catering and qualifying catering-plus-premises supplies elsewhere attract 5% without input tax credit, subject to supplier conditions.2 “Outdoor catering” also covers event-based indoor functions, so a roof or lawn does not settle the rate.2

Specified-premises status depends on the preceding financial year’s accommodation values or a valid opt-in, not the star label.12 A room supplied above ₹7,500 per unit per day in that preceding year can trigger the classification.12 A discounted wedding room block does not by itself change that status.12

Ask the supplier to state the classification and tax line in writing. Request separate classifications for independently charged venue hire, equipment and other services rather than copying the food rate onto everything. Ask for any service charge to be identified separately from GST.

Menu composition and handling matter more than simply counting dishes. Compare vegetarian and mixed menus at the same service level before treating their difference as the meat premium.14

An indicative non-vegetarian uplift is ₹300–₹800 per plate before GST for broadly comparable standard menus as of 2026; seafood and premium meat selections can exceed it.15 “Non-veg” here means a mixed spread containing vegetarian food too.14 Ask whether the mixed-menu rate applies to the entire guarantee or separately agreed meal counts.

Counters and international cuisines

Treat a live station as a staffing-and-equipment decision, not just another dish.16 For premium hotel comparisons, model an added specialist counter at ₹500–₹2,000 per guest before GST, or ₹590–₹2,360 with modelled 18% GST, excluding other separately agreed fees.17 Confirm whether charging is per guaranteed guest, per portion or per setup.

Instead of asking for “international cuisine”, specify ingredients and preparation: a pasta station and a specialist sushi counter are not interchangeable services.16 Ask for the existing menu to be repriced after substitutions; adding a station while retaining every original item is not the same comparison.

Jain and satvik preparation

For Jain food wedding catering, write the family’s ingredient exclusions and separation requirements into the brief. Ask about root vegetables, onion, garlic, shared utensils, stocks and preparation surfaces. For satvik menus, have the family or officiant approve the ingredient list rather than assuming every kitchen interprets the label identically.

An adapted vegetarian menu and a separately staffed dietary kitchen are different services. This guide therefore applies no universal Jain or satvik surcharge: ask the caterer to price the actual preparation arrangement.18

Keep dietary headcounts inside the overall meal count unless the contract explicitly prices them differently. Ask who will supervise the special counter and how guests will identify the correct food. For families needing strict separation, review the preparation arrangement at the tasting rather than accepting only a separate sign on a shared buffet.

What does a wedding bar cost?

Hotel packages buy convenience; own-liquor arrangements should be compared only after corkage and handling are included. Match brands, service hours and chargeable guest counts before choosing.4

Use ₹2,500–₹5,000 per chargeable adult before applicable taxes as an initial hotel/resort hosted-bar allowance as of 2026, not a nationwide tariff or fixed-duration offer.19 Ask for the brand list, service window, mixers, water, bartenders and non-drinker charging policy in writing.

Ask what starts the package clock and whether delayed speeches or ceremonies reduce the usable service time. Establish who can authorise extra hours or premium bottles. For guests who do not drink alcohol, agree a separate beverage arrangement rather than discovering their billing treatment after the event.

At an illustrative 80 chargeable adults, that allowance is ₹2–₹4 lakh before applicable taxes.20 Do not multiply it by the full wedding list unless the contract bills everyone. For consumption billing, require opening-stock records, approved refills and closing reconciliation.

For a resort or banquet permitting outside spirits, ₹500–₹1,500 per bottle before applicable taxes is a provisional corkage allowance, not a nationwide rule.21 Bottle size and category must match the quote, and handling can be separate.21

Calculate the own-liquor option as tax-paid purchases plus corkage, separately quoted mixers, ice, glassware, staff, handling and permit costs, then add taxes not already included.4 Do not double-count services covered by corkage. Subtract these costs from the comparable package to see whether bringing your own stock actually saves money.

Alcoholic liquor for human consumption is outside GST; applying the food GST rate to an entire bar invoice is therefore unsafe.22 Ask for separately identified liquor levies and taxes on taxable services, with an inclusive final total.

Confirm permissions before buying stock. Maharashtra, for example, lists distinct licence categories for hotel/restaurant service and temporary special functions.23 Obtain venue confirmation and check the event state’s purchase, transport, age, dry-day and service requirements with the relevant excise authority; a corkage quote is not proof of legal permission.23

How should you estimate the final catering count?

Set the minimum guarantee from function-wise confirmations, not the invitation list. Published banquet terms show that guaranteed guests can remain payable when attendance falls, while overflow can attract different rates.3

For illustration, a guarantee of 200 at ₹3,000 per plate including GST creates a ₹6 lakh food floor: 180 arrivals still cost ₹6 lakh, while 215 cost ₹6.45 lakh if extras use the same rate.24 Check the actual overflow clause rather than assuming this model applies unchanged.

Build a named RSVP list for each function. Record confirmed adults, children under the venue’s charging policy, likely local additions and crew meals separately. Use travel confirmations for outstation guests, then call undecided households. Do not treat an invitation or room reservation alone as confirmed meal attendance.

A forecasting illustration: 180 confirmed guests plus 40 tentative guests assessed at half attendance gives 200 expected covers.25 That tentative assumption is an input you choose, not an industry default. Test a higher-attendance scenario before settling the guarantee and emergency top-up arrangement.

Agree the final-count deadline, permitted top-up capacity, overflow menu and escalation rate before signing. Published supplier terms use different advance locks and amendment windows, so do not assume a universal right to reduce numbers shortly before service.26

Keep a budget forecast and a contractual guarantee as separate fields. The forecast describes whom you expect; the guarantee describes what you have promised to pay. Reconcile them before the amendment deadline, and ask how extra food will be produced and served if attendance exceeds the latest forecast.

Nominate a family representative to approve additional covers. Specify whether counting uses entry records, coupons or plates, and how replacement plates, children and crew are handled. Agree how both sides sign off the count during service rather than leaving the reconciliation until checkout.

What will catering cost across the wedding functions?

An illustrative mid-to-upscale hotel plan for 3 functions comes to ₹20.06–₹25.96 lakh for 200 guests or ₹40.12–₹51.92 lakh for 400, including 18% GST.27 This is food-and-routine-service modelling, not a total wedding budget.27

Illustrative hotel catering model for 3 functions, as of 202627
FunctionFood/service (₹ per guest, before GST)With 18% GST (₹ per guest)200 guests (₹ lakh, GST included)400 guests (₹ lakh, GST included)
Vegetarian lunch2,000–2,5002,360–2,9504.72–5.909.44–11.80
Mixed-menu sangeet dinner3,000–4,0003,540–4,7207.08–9.4414.16–18.88
Mixed-menu reception dinner3,500–4,5004,130–5,3108.26–10.6216.52–21.24
Total across all functions8,500–11,00010,030–12,98020.06–25.9640.12–51.92
Same attendance at each function: 600 meal covers for the smaller wedding and 1,200 for the larger. Excludes venue hire, rooms, alcohol, premium counter supplements, other meals, production and contingency. No bulk discount is assumed.

The meal rates were chosen within the category bands for a vegetarian lunch and mixed-menu dinners; they are not average prices for all hotels.27 Replace uniform headcounts when travel schedules reduce lunch attendance or local invitations expand the reception.

Keep breakfasts, arrival refreshments, late-night snacks and crew meals separate unless another contract already includes them. Use these food totals alongside the destination wedding budget guide for room blocks and production, rather than treating catering as the complete celebration cost.

What should a comparable catering quote include?

A comparable quote must describe the same menu, attendance assumptions, service and tax treatment. Ask shortlisted venues and caterers to complete the same written brief before negotiating the headline rate.5

  • Food and service: Specify dishes, ingredient substitutions, dietary handling, service hours, live counters and what happens when an item runs out.
  • Commercial terms: Record the guarantee, counting method, amendment deadline, overflow pricing, children’s policy, crew meals, payment schedule and cancellation terms.
  • Inclusions and extras: Require itemised staff, crockery, water, power, transport, setup, overtime, venue hire, bar charges and tax treatment.

Request a fully costed sample invoice and an event order recording the final menu and commercial terms. Confirm exactly what any hall-rent waiver depends on; do not replace a written minimum-spend condition with a verbal assurance.5

Negotiate the scope before asking for a discount. Removing an unwanted station, simplifying a dessert selection or changing the service format creates a concrete revised brief. Ask the supplier to show the revised guaranteed bill, not merely a lower headline rate paired with a higher minimum or extra exclusions.

When comparing a kitchen-equipped venue with external catering on a lawn, include the missing infrastructure before choosing the apparent bargain.11 The hotel wedding quote guide helps organise the room, food, venue and tax lines.

How we estimated these numbers

These are category-level planning estimates as of 2026, assembled from Indian operator guides, hotel-authored banquet menus and official tax notifications.28 They are not averages from a representative national survey or live negotiated proposals.28

Mumbai and Jaipur provide the principal city anchors, with regional caterer menus supporting the lower bands. Hotel brochures helped test premium positioning and counter charges; publication dates are not always stated, so those menus were not treated as date-locked offers.28

Inputs are normalised to the GST assumptions shown in each table. Exact rupee endpoints reflect multiplication, not greater certainty about market prices. Where published inputs did not specify GST, they were treated as before-tax planning allowances rather than presumed inclusive offers.28

Replace the planning figure with an itemised proposal before paying a deposit. Reconfirm the actual menu, service window, guaranteed count, tax classification and permissions for the event instead of relying on a general category label.

Frequently asked questions

Does per plate mean per guest or every plate picked up?

Treat it as a contract term, not an automatic definition. Published banquet terms can price per person while using plate counting for reconciliation.3 Agree the system and how replacement plates, children and staff are handled before the event; the word “plate” alone does not settle a billing dispute.

Can we pay the non-vegetarian rate only for guests who eat meat?

Only budget that way when the written quotation accepts separate chargeable counts. A mixed menu also contains vegetarian food.14 Ask the supplier to record vegetarian and mixed-menu guarantees, how they are counted and whether dietary meals are included within those totals rather than added again.

Are Jain and satvik menus always more expensive?

This guide applies no universal surcharge. Modifying a vegetarian menu and arranging separate preparation and staffing are different operations.18 Have the family confirm ingredients and separation requirements, then obtain a price for that arrangement rather than accepting an unexplained dietary premium.

Are children’s meals and vendor meals discounted?

Do not assume so: published banquet terms can explicitly provide no child discount.3 Request written child age bands and charges, then agree whether vendors receive the guest buffet or a separate crew menu. Make sure those meals are not accidentally counted in both the guest guarantee and a separate bill.

Will doubling the guest list reduce the rate per plate?

Not automatically. Higher guarantees can spread fixed costs, but staffing, counters and equipment requirements can also rise.29 The worked table deliberately holds unit rates constant, so the attendance effect is transparent. Any negotiated volume discount should appear in the revised written quotation.27

Is the tasting included in the catering price?

Confirm this in the quotation rather than assuming it is included. Ask to taste the dishes and ingredients proposed for the event, record accepted changes, and have the final menu attached to the event order. A tasting should resolve substitutions and dietary handling, not leave them as verbal promises.

Notes and sources

Prices move every season and differ by date, menu and negotiation. Treat these as planning ranges and confirm current rates with each venue.

  1. As of 2026, this food-and-routine-service model spans ₹1,050–₹3,675 per plate including conditional GST for independent caterers and standalone banquets, and ₹2,360–₹9,440 for the selected hotel and luxury-resort categories, excluding venue hire, rooms, alcohol and premium upgrades. WedAGI estimate: Combines the category inputs in the rate table, applying 5% only to qualifying non-specified-premises catering and 18% to modelled specified-premises hotel catering; endpoints are the lowest vegetarian and highest mixed-menu results, not national minima, maxima or surveyed averages. Sources: How Much Does Wedding Catering Cost in Mumbai? A 2025 Guide. (Jaffer Bhai's Delhi Darbar Catering); Indian Wedding Food Menu List With Price: Complete 2026 Guide (Blurry Curry Catering, 2026-08); Indian Wedding Catering Cost in Jaipur 2026 – Per Plate Rates, Menus and Tips (The Prince Group of Events, 2026-04); Ballroom Menu (Marriott International); Notification No. 20/2019–Central Tax (Rate) (Government of India, Ministry of Finance; GST Council repository, 2019-09); Notification No. 05/2025–Central Tax (Rate) (Government of India, Ministry of Finance; GST Council repository, 2025-01)
  2. Eligible outdoor catering and qualifying catering-plus-premises supplies outside specified premises attract total GST of 5% without input tax credit subject to supplier conditions, while catering at specified premises attracts 18%, and the outdoor-catering definition also covers occasional indoor events. Sources: Notification No. 20/2019–Central Tax (Rate) (Government of India, Ministry of Finance; GST Council repository, 2019-09); Notification No. 05/2025–Central Tax (Rate) (Government of India, Ministry of Finance; GST Council repository, 2025-01)
  3. Published hotel banquet terms demonstrate that minimum guarantees can remain payable despite lower attendance, with contract-specific plate counting, overflow rates and child-charging policies. Sources: Banquet Brochure (Radisson Hotel Group)
  4. Published resort terms distinguish beverage packages from outside-liquor corkage and additional handling, making a comparison of complete bar arrangements necessary. Sources: Payment Policy (Discover Resorts Limited)
  5. Catering quotes should be compared at function level with the same menu, chargeable attendance, service scope, exclusions and tax treatment. WedAGI estimate: This is a comparison framework derived from itemised caterer guidance and published banquet billing terms, not a claim that every supplier includes the same services. Sources: Banquet Brochure (Radisson Hotel Group); How Much Does Wedding Catering Cost in Mumbai? (Sweekaar Hospitality); Notification No. 20/2019–Central Tax (Rate) (Government of India, Ministry of Finance; GST Council repository, 2019-09)
  6. The smaller-city independent-caterer model uses ₹1,000–₹2,000 vegetarian and ₹1,300–₹2,600 mixed-menu rates before GST, becoming ₹1,050–₹2,100 and ₹1,365–₹2,730 respectively with conditional 5% GST. WedAGI estimate: Uses regional standard and premium menu anchors rather than the cheapest home-function offerings, allowing a broader mixed-menu selection; city labels identify evidence anchors and do not imply a measured average for every supplier. Sources: Indian Wedding Food Menu List With Price: Complete 2026 Guide (Blurry Curry Catering, 2026-08); Indian Wedding Catering Cost in Jaipur 2026 – Per Plate Rates, Menus and Tips (The Prince Group of Events, 2026-04); Notification No. 20/2019–Central Tax (Rate) (Government of India, Ministry of Finance; GST Council repository, 2019-09)
  7. The metro standalone-banquet model uses ₹1,800–₹3,000 vegetarian and ₹2,200–₹3,500 mixed-menu rates before GST, becoming ₹1,890–₹3,150 and ₹2,310–₹3,675 respectively with conditional 5% GST. WedAGI estimate: Starts from the Mumbai operator’s mid-size banquet category bands and calculates GST only for the explicitly assumed qualifying supplier and premises; separate hall hire is excluded. Sources: How Much Does Wedding Catering Cost in Mumbai? A 2025 Guide. (Jaffer Bhai's Delhi Darbar Catering); Notification No. 20/2019–Central Tax (Rate) (Government of India, Ministry of Finance; GST Council repository, 2019-09)
  8. The smaller-city five-star hotel model uses ₹2,000–₹3,500 vegetarian and ₹2,500–₹4,500 mixed-menu rates before GST, becoming ₹2,360–₹4,130 and ₹2,950–₹5,310 respectively at modelled 18% GST. WedAGI estimate: Selects planning bands within pooled Jaipur city-hotel tiers, treating unclear tax presentation as pre-tax for budgeting; assumes specified-premises status rather than deriving tax from the star label. Sources: Indian Wedding Catering Cost in Jaipur 2026 – Per Plate Rates, Menus and Tips (The Prince Group of Events, 2026-04); Notification No. 20/2019–Central Tax (Rate) (Government of India, Ministry of Finance; GST Council repository, 2019-09); Notification No. 05/2025–Central Tax (Rate) (Government of India, Ministry of Finance; GST Council repository, 2025-01)
  9. The metro five-star hotel model uses ₹3,500–₹6,000 vegetarian and ₹4,000–₹6,500 mixed-menu rates before GST, becoming ₹4,130–₹7,080 and ₹4,720–₹7,670 respectively at modelled 18% GST. WedAGI estimate: Uses Mumbai premium-hotel category anchors, separating vegetarian and mixed-menu planning bands conservatively and checking positioning against hotel-authored banquet menus; assumes specified premises. Sources: How Much Does Wedding Catering Cost in Mumbai? A 2025 Guide. (Jaffer Bhai's Delhi Darbar Catering); Ballroom Menu (Marriott International); Notification No. 20/2019–Central Tax (Rate) (Government of India, Ministry of Finance; GST Council repository, 2019-09); Notification No. 05/2025–Central Tax (Rate) (Government of India, Ministry of Finance; GST Council repository, 2025-01)
  10. The Rajasthan-reference luxury-resort and palace-hotel model uses ₹3,500–₹6,500 vegetarian and ₹4,500–₹8,000 mixed-menu rates before GST, becoming ₹4,130–₹7,670 and ₹5,310–₹9,440 respectively at modelled 18% GST. WedAGI estimate: Pools Jaipur luxury-category evidence and cross-checks the premium level against hotel banquet menus; it is a selected planning envelope, not a ceiling for iconic properties or a specific venue’s offer. Sources: Indian Wedding Catering Cost in Jaipur 2026 – Per Plate Rates, Menus and Tips (The Prince Group of Events, 2026-04); Ballroom Menu (Marriott International); Notification No. 20/2019–Central Tax (Rate) (Government of India, Ministry of Finance; GST Council repository, 2019-09); Notification No. 05/2025–Central Tax (Rate) (Government of India, Ministry of Finance; GST Council repository, 2025-01)
  11. An equipped banquet and a lawn requiring transported kitchen infrastructure can have different catering costs despite an equivalent menu. Sources: How Much Does Wedding Catering Cost in Mumbai? (Sweekaar Hospitality); Indian Wedding Food Menu List With Price: Complete 2026 Guide (Blurry Curry Catering, 2026-08)
  12. Specified-premises status can arise from an accommodation unit supplied above ₹7,500 per day in the preceding financial year or an applicable opt-in declaration, rather than the property’s star label or only the wedding’s discounted room rate. Sources: Notification No. 05/2025–Central Tax (Rate) (Government of India, Ministry of Finance; GST Council repository, 2025-01)
  13. An illustrative food rate of ₹3,000 before GST becomes ₹3,150 at 5% or ₹3,540 at 18%. WedAGI estimate: Multiplies an explicitly hypothetical base rate by 1.05 or 1.18; these alternatives depend on the actual supply classification and are not freely selectable. Sources: Notification No. 20/2019–Central Tax (Rate) (Government of India, Ministry of Finance; GST Council repository, 2019-09)
  14. Menu comparisons should distinguish a vegetarian spread from a mixed spread containing vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes, while ingredient quality and service format influence the comparison. Sources: Indian Wedding Food Menu List With Price: Complete 2026 Guide (Blurry Curry Catering, 2026-08); Veg vs Non-Veg catering menu options in Mumbai -2026 (Jaffer Bhai's Delhi Darbar Catering)
  15. As of 2026, ₹300–₹800 per plate before GST is an indicative planning uplift for broadly comparable standard mixed menus over vegetarian menus, not a cap on seafood or premium-meat upgrades. WedAGI estimate: Uses the Jaipur operator’s reported ₹300–₹800 difference and the Mumbai caterer’s narrower ₹400–₹700 difference; assumes equivalent base menu and service and treats unclear tax inclusion conservatively as pre-tax. Sources: Indian Wedding Catering Cost in Jaipur 2026 – Per Plate Rates, Menus and Tips (The Prince Group of Events, 2026-04); Veg vs Non-Veg catering menu options in Mumbai -2026 (Jaffer Bhai's Delhi Darbar Catering)
  16. Live counters, specialist ingredients, separate dietary preparation and service format can alter the labour, equipment and ingredient scope of a catering quote. Sources: Indian Wedding Food Menu List With Price: Complete 2026 Guide (Blurry Curry Catering, 2026-08); How Much Does Wedding Catering Cost in Mumbai? (Sweekaar Hospitality); Veg vs Non-Veg catering menu options in Mumbai -2026 (Jaffer Bhai's Delhi Darbar Catering)
  17. For premium hotel comparisons as of 2026, an added specialist counter can be modelled at ₹500–₹2,000 per guest before GST, or ₹590–₹2,360 with modelled 18% GST, excluding any other separately agreed fees. WedAGI estimate: Brackets published hotel-menu station supplements for enhanced chaat, dim sum, sushi and premium grilled or roasted selections, corroborated by operator upgrade ranges, then multiplies by 1.18; not every basic counter incurs this uplift. Sources: Ballroom Menu (Marriott International); How Much Does Wedding Catering Cost in Mumbai? A 2025 Guide. (Jaffer Bhai's Delhi Darbar Catering); Notification No. 20/2019–Central Tax (Rate) (Government of India, Ministry of Finance; GST Council repository, 2019-09)
  18. The guide applies no universal Jain or satvik surcharge because adapting a vegetarian menu and providing separate preparation and staffing are different operational scopes. WedAGI estimate: The supplier explicitly distinguishes dietary adaptation from separate handling; recommendations translate that distinction into an ingredient-and-separation brief rather than inventing a fixed religious-menu premium. Sources: How Much Does Wedding Catering Cost in Mumbai? (Sweekaar Hospitality)
  19. As of 2026, ₹2,500–₹5,000 per chargeable adult before applicable taxes is an initial hotel/resort hosted-bar planning allowance, not a nationwide tariff or a fixed-duration offer. WedAGI estimate: Combines an operator’s hosted open-bar range with primary resort evidence of time-limited beverage packages and a planner’s tiered hotel-bar estimates; duration, brands and the billed adult count must be re-quoted. Sources: Veg vs Non-Veg catering menu options in Mumbai -2026 (Jaffer Bhai's Delhi Darbar Catering); Payment Policy (Discover Resorts Limited); Alcohol Cost at an Indian Wedding 2026: Bar Budget Per Guest, Corkage and Liquor Licence Fees (Dream Weddings by TRIPN, 2026-08)
  20. At an illustrative 80 chargeable adults, a ₹2,500–₹5,000 hosted-bar allowance gives ₹2–₹4 lakh before applicable taxes. WedAGI estimate: Multiplies 80 by the lower and upper planning rates; the adult count is an illustrative input, not a predicted drinking proportion of wedding guests. Sources: Veg vs Non-Veg catering menu options in Mumbai -2026 (Jaffer Bhai's Delhi Darbar Catering); Payment Policy (Discover Resorts Limited)
  21. For venues permitting outside spirits, ₹500–₹1,500 per bottle before applicable taxes is a provisional corkage planning allowance, with bottle category, size and additional handling requiring confirmation. WedAGI estimate: Uses the planner’s broad corkage band, corroborated by a resort operator’s separately published Indian and imported spirits corkage inside that band; this is not a national average and does not imply outside alcohol is legally permitted everywhere. Sources: Payment Policy (Discover Resorts Limited); Alcohol Cost at an Indian Wedding 2026: Bar Budget Per Guest, Corkage and Liquor Licence Fees (Dream Weddings by TRIPN, 2026-08)
  22. Alcoholic liquor for human consumption is excluded from GST, so the food GST rate should not be applied indiscriminately to a combined bar invoice. Sources: Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017, section 9 (Government of India; GST Council repository, 2017)
  23. Maharashtra’s excise authority identifies distinct licence categories for hotel/restaurant liquor service and temporary special-function service, illustrating the need to verify event-specific permissions locally. Sources: Type of License (Maharashtra State Excise Department)
  24. In an illustration with a 200-person guarantee at ₹3,000 per plate including GST, 180 arrivals still incur a ₹6 lakh food floor and 215 arrivals cost ₹6.45 lakh if all extras use the same rate. WedAGI estimate: Uses the higher of guaranteed and actual attendance: 200 multiplied by ₹3,000 gives ₹6 lakh for the lower-attendance case, and 215 multiplied by ₹3,000 gives ₹6.45 lakh for the overflow case; no surcharge, child discount or other fee is assumed. Sources: Banquet Brochure (Radisson Hotel Group)
  25. An illustrative forecast of 180 confirmed guests plus 40 tentative guests at half attendance produces 200 expected meal covers. WedAGI estimate: The framework uses realistic function-wise attendance, but all numerical inputs and the half-attendance assumption are chosen purely for the example: 180 + 40 × 0.5 = 200, not an industry attendance benchmark. Sources: Indian Wedding Food Menu List With Price: Complete 2026 Guide (Blurry Curry Catering, 2026-08); How Much Does Wedding Catering Cost in Mumbai? (Sweekaar Hospitality)
  26. Published catering and hotel terms use different advance menu and guarantee amendment deadlines, so a universal last-minute revision entitlement should not be assumed. Sources: Banquet Brochure (Radisson Hotel Group); Terms And Conditions (Black Diamond Caterer)
  27. The illustrative three-function hotel food-and-routine-service model totals ₹20.06–₹25.96 lakh for 200 guests or ₹40.12–₹51.92 lakh for 400 guests, including 18% GST but excluding venue hire, rooms, alcohol, extra meals, production and contingency. WedAGI estimate: Uses vegetarian lunch at ₹2,000–₹2,500, mixed sangeet dinner at ₹3,000–₹4,000 and mixed reception dinner at ₹3,500–₹4,500, all per guest before GST; their sums are ₹8,500–₹11,000 before GST and ₹10,030–₹12,980 including GST. Multiplication by 200 or 400 gives each table row and total, with 600 or 1,200 meal covers across three functions; no bulk discount is assumed. Sources: Indian Wedding Catering Cost in Jaipur 2026 – Per Plate Rates, Menus and Tips (The Prince Group of Events, 2026-04); How Much Does Wedding Catering Cost in Mumbai? A 2025 Guide. (Jaffer Bhai's Delhi Darbar Catering); Notification No. 20/2019–Central Tax (Rate) (Government of India, Ministry of Finance; GST Council repository, 2019-09); Notification No. 05/2025–Central Tax (Rate) (Government of India, Ministry of Finance; GST Council repository, 2025-01)
  28. The guide’s as-of-2026 category estimates combine Indian operator price guides, hotel-authored menus and official GST rules, with exact tax arithmetic but without a representative national sample or live negotiated offers. WedAGI estimate: Mumbai and Jaipur provide the principal city anchors and regional menus the lower-price cross-check; undated hotel menus establish scope and premium positioning, while inputs without clear GST treatment are conservatively treated as pre-tax planning allowances. Sources: How Much Does Wedding Catering Cost in Mumbai? A 2025 Guide. (Jaffer Bhai's Delhi Darbar Catering); Indian Wedding Food Menu List With Price: Complete 2026 Guide (Blurry Curry Catering, 2026-08); Indian Wedding Catering Cost in Jaipur 2026 – Per Plate Rates, Menus and Tips (The Prince Group of Events, 2026-04); Ballroom Menu (Marriott International); Notification No. 20/2019–Central Tax (Rate) (Government of India, Ministry of Finance; GST Council repository, 2019-09); Notification No. 05/2025–Central Tax (Rate) (Government of India, Ministry of Finance; GST Council repository, 2025-01)
  29. Higher guest counts can spread fixed catering costs but can also require additional staffing, counters and equipment, so a volume discount is not automatic. Sources: How Much Does Wedding Catering Cost in Mumbai? (Sweekaar Hospitality)