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Templates / Proposal

Free Wedding Catering Proposal Template

A wedding catering proposal covers the service plan, the menu and staffing approach, the package price, and the retainer and sign-off terms.

Wedding Catering Proposal template preview

Language:

en

Category:

Last updated:

October 2026

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Speeches run long, the room gets hungry, and the venue and caterer can start pointing fingers about why food hit the floor late or cold. A wedding catering proposal gives the couple one place to read how dinner timing gets managed, what service is being provided, and what it costs, before anyone tries to lock a date. The document sits on a magenta and teal layout under Raleway headings with Roboto body text, so the schedule and service notes read in a clear order.

The proposal opens with In brief, then backs it up with A bit about us and the people involved in Meet the team and Team, so the couple can see who’s running kitchen, floor, and bar. Recent events and Portfolio show the types of service covered, then The plan to the day explains how the date gets held, how the walk-through and tasting feed into the run sheet, and how final numbers get confirmed. The couple reaches Pricing after the plan and service details, then Get started makes the acceptance step explicit: sign, pay the 25% retainer, and book the next planning milestones.

  • In brief Summarises how timing, venue coordination, and service flow get handled so dinner lands hot even when the run sheet shifts.
  • The plan to the day Explains how the date hold, walk-through, tasting, and final numbers feed into staffing and the run sheet.
  • Pricing Carries the priced item and gives you one place to replace the template figures with your own before sending.
  • Get started Carries the signature and fee summary so the couple can sign, pay the 25% retainer step, and move into planning.
  • Retainer States what makes the date held, when the balance is due, how final numbers are charged, and how service adjusts when timings move.

Once the proposal is in your workspace, you replace the numbers in the single Cook and serve option, send it to the couple, and they accept and sign online. Acceptance produces a signed copy with the fee summary and locks in the retainer step described in Retainer, leaving the couple clear on timing shifts, final numbers, and what happens after the tasting in Menu sign off.

We went from spending hours on every proposal to creating fully customized ones in under 5 minutes. That's not an exaggeration - we timed it.

Yazan & Mawaheb
Yazan & MawahebAgency Owners

What to include in a wedding catering proposal

PartWhat it covers

In brief

Frames the timing problem a wedding meal has to survive and explains how you coordinate with the venue so service stays steady when the schedule shifts.

A bit about us

Describes the service styles you cover and how responsibility is held from load-in to breakdown, including how roles and the run sheet prevent confusion on the day.

Meet the team

Introduces the on-day faces the couple will deal with across planning calls, tasting, and service.

Team

Lists the wedding lead, chef, service manager, and bar manager, with what each person owns so the couple knows who’s accountable for each part of the meal.

Recent events

Sets context for the kinds of wedding days you run and what changes when timings start moving.

Portfolio

Gives examples of different service approaches, including plated service, buffet drop-off and set, and arrivals and late-night service pacing.

The plan to the day

Walks through holding the date, then the walk-through and tasting, then the run sheet and final numbers so planning steps land in a sensible order.

On-site cooking and service

Explains what gets cooked and served on site and covers buffet service and canapé and welcome-drinks service windows.

Late-night food station

Covers late-night service timing and speed, plus staffed beverage service and how crockery and glassware responsibilities get confirmed.

Pricing

Carries Priced items for the package, leaving you to replace the template amounts with your own figures.

Get started

Carries the Signature and fee summary so the couple can accept, then move to the retainer and booking the walk-through and tasting.

Retainer

Spells out the 25% retainer requirement, how the remaining balance is invoiced and timed, how final numbers are treated, and what happens when speeches or room turns run long.

Menu sign off

Explains how menu approval works after the tasting, what venue access details are needed, how client-provided items get agreed, and what happens if the date changes or gets cancelled.

Who it is for

Wedding caterers quoting on-site cooking and service, buffet drop-off and set, canapé service, or staffed bar service for a couple and venue team that need timing to stay under control.

The proposal in full

In brief

Dinner lands on time for the room you have, service stays calm when the schedule shifts, and your guests eat well without you managing the logistics.

We’ll plan the menu, staff the service, and run timing with the venue so food stays hot and the room keeps moving even when speeches run long. Next up, we’ll hold your date and set a tasting.

We start with your venue’s setup and service rules, then build the meal around a run sheet that can flex. We plan stations, staff roles, and load-in so dinner can slide later without queues, cold plates, or a scramble in the kitchen.

A bit about us

We do weddings because they run on minutes. A room can be happy, or it can be hungry, and the difference is usually timing and coordination, not a fancier menu. Our work is on-site cooking and serving, buffet drop-off and set, welcome canapés, late-night stations, and a staffed bar, built around the way your venue actually operates.

Couples pick us when they want one team responsible for the flow from load-in to breakdown. We do a walk-through with the venue manager, we write the run sheet against speeches, and we assign clear roles for kitchen, floor, and bar so nobody is guessing. When the schedule moves, we adjust the firing and service pace, and your guests still get fed hot.

Meet the team

These are the people you’ll see on the planning calls, the tasting, and on the day keeping the room fed and moving.

Team

Agnieszka Lewandowska, Head of weddings. Agnieszka leads weddings and keeps the whole plan tied to the venue’s rules, your run sheet, and the final guest numbers.

Michał Nowak, Executive chef. Michał is our executive chef and plans the kitchen flow so mains and sides leave together, at serving temperature, even when timing shifts.

Karolina Wróblewska, Service manager. Karolina runs front-of-house and staffing, so guests know where to go, tables get cleared on time, and service looks easy from the outside.

Piotr Zieliński, Bar manager. Piotr manages the bar team and the pour plan so queues stay short and the drinks pace matches dinner and speeches.

Recent events

A few recent wedding days that show the range of service styles we run, and what we pay attention to when a schedule starts to move.

Portfolio

On-site dinner service. Cooked and served a plated dinner from the venue kitchen with a tight turn between ceremony and entrances. We staggered courses around speeches so the room ate together and the kitchen never stacked plates.

Buffet drop-off and set. Delivered a full buffet with labelled allergens and kids’ options, set chafers and serving order, and briefed venue staff on refills. Guests moved through in two lines so there was no bottleneck.

Welcome drinks and late-night. Ran canapés and welcome drinks at arrivals, then a late-night food station timed to the end of dancing. The station opened fast, served continuously, and closed without leaving a mess for the venue.

“Dinner was hot, the bar moved fast, and nobody queued all night.”

Bride and groom, a 120-guest wedding reception

The plan to the day

We work backwards from your wedding date so the venue, the menu, and the staffing plan line up before the final deadlines hit.

1. Hold the date Months out Once you’re ready to go ahead, we confirm the service style you want and the venue details we need to plan around. We take a 25% retainer when the agreement is signed, and that retainer holds your date in our calendar. 2. Walk-through and tasting Weeks out We do a site walk-through with the venue manager so we know the kitchen access, power, storage, service routes, and any house rules. Then we run a tasting session and you sign off the menu, including allergens, kids’ meals, and vegetarian or vegan choices. 3. Run sheet and final numbers Two weeks out We build a run sheet against your speeches and key moments, then set staffing levels and station layout from that. You’ll confirm your final guest numbers by a deadline we set, and we’ll set the balance due date from those final numbers. 4. Load-in to breakdown On the day We arrive on the agreed load-in window, check in with the venue manager, set stations, and brief the team on timings and roles. Service runs to the run sheet, and if speeches overrun we shift the kitchen firing and floor pacing so the room still eats smoothly.

On-site cooking and service

Our kitchen and service team cooks, plates or serves, and manages the pace so courses land together at the right time for your room.

WEDDING BUFFET CATERING

Buffet delivered and set with chafers, serving order, and labels for allergens. We can staff the buffet or set it for venue-led service, as agreed.

CANAPÉS AND WELCOME DRINKS

A set service window for arrivals, with staff circulating canapés and pouring welcome drinks so guests settle in without a queue at one table.

Late-night food station

A staffed station opened at a time you choose, designed to serve quickly and stay hot. Portions are planned for your guest count and service length.

BEVERAGE SERVICE WITH STAFF

Bar staff for softs, beer, wine, and cocktails, with a bar plan that matches your schedule so the bar doesn’t peak at the same minute as dinner.

CROCKERY AND GLASSWARE PLAN

We confirm what is supplied by the venue and what we supply, then build service around it so there are enough plates and glasses at each part of the night.

Pricing

Pick the package that matches your guest count and how much service you want us to run on the day. These are starting points, then we confirm after the walk-through and tasting.

Priced items

Get started

If you’d like us to hold your date and start planning the run sheet, the next step is quick and it locks the team in.

1. Sign the agreement beside this proposal. 2. Pay the 25% retainer to hold the date. 3. Book the site walk-through and tasting session.

Signature

Fee summary

Retainer

We hold your date once you sign and pay a 25% retainer. Until we have both, we keep planning, but we can’t block the team, equipment, or prep time.

Balance and invoices. The remaining 75% is due before the event, based on your final numbers, by a date we set with you. Each invoice is payable within 14 days of its date.

Final numbers. We ask for a final guest count and dietary list by a deadline we set with you. We plan staff and food to that number, and we charge from that number even if fewer guests attend.

Schedule changes. Speeches and room turns run long at a lot of weddings. We build a run sheet with your venue, then we adjust service on the day to keep food hot and courses moving.

Menu sign off

After the tasting, we’ll send the menu for sign-off. Changes after sign-off are still possible, but they may change staffing, prep time, or availability, and we’ll confirm any price change before we proceed.

Venue access. We need agreed load-in and kitchen access times, plus a named venue contact for the day. If access is delayed, we’ll shift the service plan, but it can affect timing and menu options.

Client-provided items. If you want us to serve cake, late-night snacks you supply, or your own alcohol, tell us early. We’ll confirm what we can handle safely, and any venue rules like corkage or service limits.

Cancellations and date moves. If you cancel or move the date, we keep enough of the fees to cover work already done and costs already committed, based on how close it is to the event. We’ll confirm the amounts in writing when you ask.

Questions about this proposal template

What should a wedding catering proposal include?

A wedding catering proposal usually includes the service approach, how timing is coordinated with the venue, the package price, and the acceptance and retainer terms. This one also covers the planning steps to the day and how menu sign-off works after the tasting.

What happens if speeches run over and dinner has to shift?

A wedding schedule can move, which means the proposal needs to explain how service pace and firing get adjusted to keep food hot and guests moving. This template includes wording on schedule changes and links the run sheet to venue coordination.

Do catering proposals include a retainer, and how much is normal?

Many caterers use a retainer to hold a date, because staffing and prep time get committed early. This proposal states a 25% retainer to hold the date and explains that the date isn’t held until signing and payment are both in.

Can a caterer work in a venue kitchen, or do they need a separate setup?

A venue’s kitchen access, power, storage, and house rules decide what’s possible on the day. This proposal includes a walk-through step to confirm access and service routes before finalising the plan and menu.

Do caterers provide plates, glassware, and table setup for weddings?

Responsibility varies between caterer and venue, so the proposal needs to say what’s supplied and what isn’t. This template includes a crockery and glassware plan section and asks for venue details so service can be built around what’s available.

How do catering proposals handle allergies, vegan meals, and kids’ options?

Dietary requirements usually get confirmed during planning, then locked at menu sign-off with a final list. This proposal includes menu sign-off wording that covers allergens, vegetarian or vegan choices, and kids’ meals, tied to the tasting and final numbers.

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