Wedding Reception Catering Checklist: Everything You Need

Planning the catering for a wedding? Whether you’re the lucky bride or groom handling your own catering, or you’re a planner looking for the specific supplies you need, Event Supplies has created this useful checklist for your wedding catering needs. 

You can also use our interactive party supplies calculator to get specific numbers for your wedding or event!

For a 100-guest wedding reception you'll typically need around 200-300 wine glasses, 100-200 champagne flutes for the toast, 150-250 cutlery sets, 150-200 plates across the courses and cake, and 300-400 napkins. As a rule of thumb, plan for roughly 2-3 wine glasses, 2-3 cutlery sets and 3-4 napkins per guest across the whole day, because guests swap glasses, courses need fresh cutlery, and napkins always go faster than you expect. The full checklist below breaks it down by category, with quantity guidance you can scale to your exact headcount.

How many of each do you need per wedding guest?

These are planning rules of thumb for a full-day reception (drinks reception, sit-down meal and evening). Round up for self-service and always allow spares for breakages.

The full wedding reception checklist

Glassware & drinks

The drinks reception and toast set the tone, so glassware is where most of your budget and quantity go. Champagne flutes cover the welcome drink and the toast; allow extra so guests aren't left waiting during top-ups. Wine glasses are the workhorse of the dinner - plan for guests to use more than one as reds, whites and refills come round. Add water tumblers for the tables and large jugs for the bar.

• Champagne / prosecco flutes (reception + toast)

• Red and white wine glasses

• Water tumblers for tables

• Jugs and pitchers for water and soft drinks

Tableware

If you're self-catering or supplementing a venue, count plates by course, not by head: starter, main, dessert and a separate plate for cake all add up. A useful note on compliance - under the England single-use plastics rules in force since October 2023, single-use plastic plates and cutlery (including compostable "PLA" plastic) can't be supplied in the course of business, so caterers should choose bagasse or palm-leaf plates and wooden cutlery rather than plastic versions.

• Dinner plates (one per main course)

• Side / starter plates

• Dessert and cake plates

• Bowls for soups or plated desserts

Cutlery

Each course wants its own cutlery, plus dessert spoons and cake forks, which is why two to three sets per guest is the safe figure. For a polished look that still meets the plastics rules, wooden cutlery or premium disposable sets work well.

Napkins & linen

Napkins do double duty at a wedding - on the table setting and at the bar and cake station - so they run out first. Coloured or premium napkins in your wedding palette are an easy, low-cost way to lift the table styling.

Serving & catering

Behind the scenes you'll need serving solutions: food trays and platters for canapés and the buffet, serving spoons and tongs, and foil containers for keeping food warm.

Evening & clean-up

An evening reception usually means tea, coffee and a late buffet, so add hot drink cups, extra napkins and plenty of bin bags. Set up clearly labelled waste and recycling stations to keep the venue tidy as the night goes on.

Wedding catering FAQs

How many glasses do I need per guest at a wedding?

Allow roughly 2-3 wine glasses and 1-2 champagne flutes per guest across the whole day. Guests put glasses down and pick up fresh ones, and you'll want spares for breakages, so it's better to over-cater slightly than run short during the toast.

Can you use disposable plates and cutlery for a wedding?

Yes, and modern bagasse, palm-leaf and wooden ranges look smart enough for receptions. Note that under England's single-use plastic rules, businesses can't supply single-use plastic plates or cutlery - including compostable PLA plastic - so choose wood, paper or plant-fibre alternatives.

How much cutlery do I need for a wedding?

Plan for 2-3 cutlery sets per guest. A sit-down meal uses a fresh set per course, and you'll need separate dessert spoons and cake forks, so the totals add up quickly across starter, main, dessert and cake.

Are plastic glasses acceptable for a wedding toast?

Plastic champagne flutes are widely used for outdoor weddings, marquees and large guest counts where real glass is impractical or a breakage risk. They aren't covered by the single-use plastics ban (which applies to plates and cutlery), and premium crystal-effect flutes look the part in photos.