Planning a wedding usually starts with a budget, and national numbers can give couples a helpful place to begin. According to The Knot 2026 Real Weddings Study, which surveyed 10,474 US couples married in 2025, the average wedding cost was $34,200. The same study found the average guest count was 117 people, with couples spending about $292 per guest. In North Carolina, the average wedding cost came in around $29,000.
Guest count can have a large effect on the total. The Knot reports that weddings with 1 to 50 guests averaged $17,100, weddings with 51 to 100 guests averaged $27,200, and weddings with more than 100 guests averaged $43,300.
Catering is often one of the larger line items in a wedding budget, and because most catering is priced per guest, it grows with every name added to the list. The Knot reports that couples spent an average of $80 per person on catering in 2025. Looking at food costs by wedding size can help couples set a realistic budget and guest count early in planning. The estimates below use Catering by Design’s published wedding menu pricing to give couples in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, and the surrounding Triangle area a starting point.
The tables below show the base cost of food only. Additional services such as full service staffing, bartending, stations, and linens & dishware are not included in these numbers. These services are custom to each wedding, so couples will need to contact Catering by Design for a quote. Each service is described further down this page.
Please Note: The figures on this page are estimates and general guidelines, not exact quotes. Your final price will depend on your menu, service style, wedding date, venue, and guest count. For pricing on your specific wedding, call Catering by Design or request a quote online.
An elopement is a very small wedding, often with only the couple, an officiant, and a handful of close family members or friends. It may suit couples who want a quiet, personal ceremony, who are working with a tight budget or timeline, or who would rather put more of their money toward a honeymoon or a first home. Many elopements are followed by a casual meal with the few guests in attendance instead of a full reception.
A micro wedding usually includes the couple’s closest family and friends, with a guest list of 50 people or fewer. It keeps many parts of a traditional wedding, like a ceremony, a meal, and toasts, on a smaller scale. A micro wedding may be a good fit for couples who want a full celebration but would like more time with each guest, or who want to spend more per person on food and details.
| Menu Tier | 50 Guests |
| Budget Friendly | $2,800.00 |
| Menu Average | $3,590.50 |
| Premium | $5,150.00 |
Because Catering by Design’s wedding menus start at 50 guests, these estimates reflect a 50-person count.
A small wedding gives couples room to invite close family and friends, plus some extended relatives or coworkers, while keeping the guest list manageable. Many small weddings still include a full reception with dinner and dancing. This size may suit couples who want a traditional celebration without the cost that comes with a large guest count. The Knot reports that weddings in the United States with 51 to 100 guests averaged $27,200 in 2025.
| Menu Tier | 50 Guests | 75 Guests | 100 Guests |
| Budget Friendly | $2,800.00 | $4,200.00 | $5,600.00 |
| Menu Average | $3,590.00 | $5,385.00 | $7,181.00 |
| Premium | $5,150.00 | $7,725.00 | $10,300.00 |
A medium wedding sits close to the national average guest count of 117 reported by The Knot. This size often includes extended family, family friends, and coworkers, along with a full reception. It may be a good fit for couples with larger families or wide friend groups who still want a reception that feels personal. With more guests, venue capacity and service style start to play a bigger role in planning.
| Menu Tier | 100 Guests | 125 Guests | 150 Guests |
| Budget Friendly | $5,600.00 | $7,000.00 | $8,400.00 |
| Menu Average | $7,181.00 | $8,976.00 | $10,771.00 |
| Premium | $10,300.00 | $12,875.00 | $15,450.00 |
A large wedding usually means a full guest list of family, friends, coworkers, and plus-ones. Couples planning at this size often need a venue with more space and more staff to keep food service moving. A large wedding may suit couples with big families, couples bringing together two large social circles, or families with a tradition of big celebrations. The Knot reports that weddings in the United States with more than 100 guests averaged $43,300 in 2025.
| Menu Tier | 150 Guests | 200 Guests | 250 Guests |
| Budget Friendly | $8,400.00 | $11,200.00 | $14,000.00 |
| Menu Average | $10,771.00 | $14,362.00 | $17,952.00 |
| Premium | $15,450.00 | $20,600.00 | $25,750.00 |
A grand wedding brings together 250 or more guests, often for a formal reception at a large venue. Weddings at this size can include several food stations, more than one bar, and a larger service team. This size may be right for couples with very large families, cultural traditions that welcome a wide community, or families hosting many guests from out of town. Planning ahead gives couples more time to work out menu, staffing, and venue details.
| Menu Tier | 300 Guests | 350 Guests | 400 Guests |
| Budget Friendly | $16,800.00 | $19,600.00 | $22,400.00 |
| Menu Average | $21,543.00 | $25,133.00 | $28,724.00 |
| Premium | $30,900.00 | $36,050.00 | $41,200.00 |
Couples expecting more than 400 guests can call Catering by Design for an estimate based on their full guest count.
The estimates above cover the base cost of food only. Most weddings include other catering services that add to the final bill. The services below are custom to each wedding, so couples will need to contact Catering by Design for a quote.
With full-service catering, Catering by Design’s staff handles setup, service, and cleanup. Couples can choose buffet service or plated service, where staff bring each plate to the table. For buffets, the team arrives before the event begins to set up the food, and staff clear plates during the meal. After the event, the team returns to clean up and pick up equipment. Full service lets couples and their families spend the reception with their guests instead of managing the food.
Catering by Design offers bartending services for weddings with friendly, experienced bartenders. The team sets up the bar and buys the supplies, and the drink menu can be customized with beer, wine, top-shelf liquor, nonalcoholic drinks, and signature cocktails that reflect the couple. Catering by Design carries general liability, liquor liability, and workers’ compensation coverage. Bar costs can vary based on drink selections, guest count, and the length of the reception.
Stations can give guests a hands-on dining experience. Catering by Design offers food bars such as a slider bar, macaroni and cheese bar, bruschetta bar, mashed potato bar, fajita bar, and biscuit bar. Chef-manned action stations include shrimp and grits, a pasta station, a jambalaya station, a carving station with NY strip or prime rib, and a macaroni and cheese station. Stations can be added to a wedding menu, and pricing is available on request.
Linens, china, glassware, and specialty serviceware can be coordinated through Catering by Design, which gives couples one point of contact for food and rentals. When requesting a quote, couples can choose a setup with disposable plates and flatware or a setup with china. The linens and dishware a couple selects can change both the look of the reception and the final catering cost.
The time of year can affect vendor availability and the overall cost of a wedding. According to The Knot Real Weddings Study, about 76% of US weddings take place between May and October, which The Knot considers the peak wedding season. Prices can run higher during these months because more couples are booking venues and vendors for the same dates.
| Season | Share of US Weddings | Most Popular Month |
| Fall | 35% | October |
| Summer | 33% | June |
| Spring | 25% | May |
| Winter | 7% | January and February |
Data from The Knot, When Is Wedding Season?
The Knot also tracks how the total cost of a wedding changes by time of year. In the 2026 Real Weddings Study, weddings held between July and September averaged the highest total cost in the United States, while weddings in the first and last quarters of the year averaged the lowest.
| Wedding Dates | Average Total Wedding Cost (US) |
| January through March | $33,200 |
| April through June | $34,300 |
| July through September | $35,400 |
| October through December | $33,200 |
Data from The Knot, The Average Wedding Cost
Every wedding menu from Catering by Design can be customized, with options for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and allergy-friendly needs. To get an exact quote for your guest count, menu, and services, call Catering by Design or request a quote through the wedding menu page.
