Intimate Wedding Catering in Bangalore: A Guide for 50–100 Guests

1. Start with the people eating, not the size of the wedding

As the head chef and owner of Upendar Caterers, a pure vegetarian catering business operating since 1995, I approach a micro wedding as a complete wedding service—not simply a large function divided into smaller portions. With 50–100 guests, delays and missing details are more noticeable because everyone is sharing the same small space.

Before discussing dishes, I ask who will eat, where they will sit and whether the ceremony has a dependable finish time. A gathering of 60 with many elders may need more table service than a standing buffet for 90 younger guests.

• Prepare separate counts for family and guests, children, and any priests, photographers, drivers or venue staff whose meals you are providing.
• Ask whether children are billed by age band, by portion or as full meals; do not assume a discount.
• Agree a final guaranteed count, ideally 48–72 hours before the function, subject to the booking terms.
• Discuss a 5–8% food reserve for unexpected attendance and seconds. Confirm whether it is included and how additional served meals are counted.
• Choose one family coordinator for catering decisions so the couple and their parents are not answering service questions during the ceremony.

2. What should a 50–100 guest wedding meal cost in 2026?

For planning, I would allow the following 2026 bands for one pure vegetarian main meal in Bangalore. These are indicative estimates, not a confirmed Upendar Caterers quotation. The exact rate depends on dishes, staffing, equipment, venue access and the agreed service duration; GST, where applicable, and separately charged items must be checked.

Small weddings have fewer plates over which to spread transport, setup and supervision costs. Ask for both the per-plate price and the total event price, with a clear list of inclusions. A supplier offering ₹600 per plate with a 100-plate minimum is not automatically cheaper for 50 guests than one quoting ₹750 with a 50-plate guarantee.

• Illustrative comparison only: at ₹650 per guest plus ₹8,000 in fixed service and logistics charges, 50 guests cost ₹40,500, 75 cost ₹56,750 and 100 cost ₹73,000, before applicable tax.
• In that example, the effective cost is ₹810, about ₹757 and ₹730 per guest respectively. The ₹8,000 is an example, not our standard fee.
• Check crockery, serving equipment, drinking water, transport, floor staff, waste removal and overtime individually. Do not add a separate charge twice if it is already included.
• Keep décor, venue hire and any additional breakfast or evening snack service outside the main-meal comparison.

3. Build a compact menu that can be served fresh

For an intimate wedding, I would rather serve one starter properly than keep three starters waiting while the rituals run late. Choose one coherent main meal, with enough variety for different ages but without repeating similar dishes. For 50 guests especially, every extra dish creates another preparation batch and serving vessel.

One workable vegetarian buffet is a small paneer starter, phulkas, vegetable pulao, a little steamed rice, one vegetable gravy, dal, a seasonal dry vegetable, curd and one sweet. Add a second dessert only if it genuinely matters to the family; it need not become another full-sized portion.

• For this specific menu, start with 50–60 g of starter, two small phulkas totalling approximately 60–70 g, and 160–180 g of cooked rice across both rice dishes per adult.
• Allow approximately 130–150 g of vegetable gravy, 100–120 g of dal, 60–80 g of dry vegetable, 60–80 g of curd and 60–80 g of sweet per adult. These are cooked or ready-to-serve planning weights, not raw purchasing quantities.
• Adjust bread and rice quantities together: if the family prefers rice, increase rice and reduce the bread allocation rather than increasing both automatically.
• Keep reserve food in suitable temperature-controlled storage and replenish in smaller batches instead of displaying the entire quantity at once.
• Confirm no-onion–no-garlic requirements and allergies before the tasting. Milk, nuts, wheat and other allergens need explicit discussion; vegetarian food is not automatically allergen-free.

4. Choose the service style before deciding staff numbers

For 50 guests, seated service can feel personal if there is comfortable access around the tables. For 75–100 guests in a compact venue, a buffet with table assistance for elders is often easier to manage. I would avoid making elderly guests carry a full plate through a crowded passage.

As a starting point, allow one floor server per 20–25 guests for a simple buffet, or one per 12–15 guests for seated service. The figures below exclude cooks and assume a separate captain and utility team; stairs, distant wash areas and simultaneous table service can increase staffing.

• Plan a kitchen team of roughly two people for a compact 50-guest menu and three for 75–100 guests, adjusting for fresh breads and the amount of preparation completed beforehand.
• Give the captain responsibility for the ceremony-to-meal handover, replenishment and the family's agreed special requests.
• Assign someone to serve the couple after photographs. Their meals should not depend on whatever remains on the buffet.
• Do not count the same person as a dedicated server, dishwasher and fresh-bread cook during peak service.

5. Make a home, terrace or small hall workable

An intimate venue can be beautiful but awkward for catering. A narrow staircase, no lift or a kitchen on another floor changes how food and used crockery move. I prefer to settle those practical questions before promising a service format.

For a compact buffet, start by allowing roughly 12–16 feet of serving-table length, plus room behind it for replenishment. Aim for a clear guest route of about 1.2 metres where the layout permits, without reducing any required exit width. This is a planning allowance, not a substitute for venue or fire-safety requirements.

• Separate drinking water from the main food queue so refills do not hold up meal service.
• Provide a clear return point for used plates, away from fresh food and the entrance.
• Confirm potable water, handwashing, drainage, electrical capacity and permitted cooking equipment.
• Do not assume an apartment clubhouse or terrace allows LPG, frying or live cooking. Obtain written venue approval for the proposed setup.
• For outdoor meals, arrange a rain alternative that protects both guests and food; an uncovered serving table is not a workable backup.
• If seating is limited, agree two meal sittings in advance and allow approximately 35–45 minutes per sitting, plus 10–15 minutes for clearing and resetting.

6. Use a short, flexible wedding-day meal timeline

For a main meal scheduled at 12:30 pm, I would normally request access around 10:30 am for a straightforward setup. The transport plan should account for the actual route, unloading arrangements and Bengaluru traffic rather than rely on a single optimistic travel estimate.

The meal should be ready for the agreed start, but we should not put everything out early just because the ceremony is running late. For temperature-controlled service, use hot holding at 65°C or above and chilled holding at 5°C or below, checked with a food thermometer. Tell the captain about a delay before the final service batches are prepared.

• 10:30–11:15 am: unload, position equipment and check water, power, guest movement and waste arrangements.
• 11:15 am–12 noon: complete service setup, organise safe holding and confirm seating for elders.
• 12 noon: family coordinator gives the captain a realistic ceremony update.
• 12:15 pm: prepare the final service batches and set out clean crockery and accompaniments.
• 12:30–1:45 pm: main service, with small-batch replenishment and assistance at tables.
• Around 1:30 pm: check whether the couple, priests and working vendors still need meals before closing any dish.
• After service: clear the dining area and agree any safe surplus handover. Record the overtime rate if service extends beyond the booked window.

7. Book around a clear scope, not a large-wedding package

A 50–100 guest wedding should be quoted for its actual requirements. I would first remove unnecessary counters and duplicate dishes—not reduce the staff needed to serve the meal well. Ask for a tasting focused on the dishes you intend to book, and check whether the tasting has a charge.

To discuss your function with Upendar Caterers, call 9661650666 with the date, guest count, venue details and preferred meal time. Our official office and kitchen address is Coffee Board Layout, Nagavara, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560024.

• Put the final menu, guaranteed count, per-plate rate and any minimum event billing in writing.
• List the service staff, equipment, crockery, setup time and meal-service duration included.
• Record the extra-guest rate and how attendance will be counted; a guest taking a second helping should not become another billable plate.
• Confirm who provides tables, chairs, linen, water and waste disposal.
• Agree advance payment, balance due date, cancellation terms and the deadline for changing the guest count.
• Decide how surplus food will be assessed and handled safely. Food that has been displayed or poorly temperature-controlled should not automatically be packed for later.

Areas we serve in Bengaluru

We cook on site across Bengaluru. Pick your neighbourhood for local menus, pricing and venue notes:

• Yelahanka catering
• RT Nagar catering
• Kalyan Nagar catering
• Nagavara catering
• Hebbal & Kempapura catering
• Sahakarnagar catering
• Thanisandra catering
• Manyata Tech Park catering