How much food for 100/200/500 guests at an Indian wedding
A common planning rule is roughly 550-650 grams of food per adult guest across all dishes. For 100 guests that is about 55-65 kg total food; for 500 guests about 275-325 kg. These are approximate planning guides only, and Baljeet adjusts the exact kg for your actual menu and guest mix.
Working to a limited budget for the guest count you have? Don't worry, tell Baljeet the number and he plans a menu and quantity that fits it without waste.
Enter your guest count, see the kitchen slip
Move the slider or type the number, and pick the meal. The slip gives rough cooked quantities for a Punjabi menu with two sabzis, one dal, rice, breads and one sweet.
Kitchen slip · 200 guests
Approximate cooked quantities, no safety margin. Baljeet sets the real amounts for your menu.
How much food is needed for 100 guests at a wedding?
For 100 guests, a typical mixed menu of dal, one or two sabzis, rice, bread and a sweet works out to roughly 55-65 kg of food in total, using the common 550-650 gram per-guest planning figure. This is an approximate guide; the real split depends on how many dishes and counters are on your menu.
| Dish | Approx. quantity for 100 guests |
|---|---|
| Dal makhani | about 11 kg |
| Shahi paneer | about 11 kg |
| Veg biryani | about 17 kg |
| Rice + rajma | about 15 kg rice with 11 kg rajma |
| Motichoor ladoo | about 8 kg |
How much food is needed for 200 and 500 wedding guests?
The same per-guest ratio scales up: roughly 110-130 kg total food for 200 guests and 275-325 kg for 500 guests, spread across whichever dishes are on the menu. Live counters like chaat or jalebi are usually planned in smaller per-guest portions since guests take multiple light servings rather than one full plate.
- 200 guests: roughly double the 100-guest figures below
- 500 guests: roughly five times the 100-guest figures
- Live counters (chaat, jalebi, tandoor): planned separately, smaller portions per guest
- Always add a small buffer, discussed with Baljeet, not fixed here
How many starters per guest at an Indian wedding?
Two to three starter pieces per guest is a common planning figure when starters are one part of a larger spread with mains to follow. If starters are the main event, such as a cocktail-style evening, the count per guest is usually planned higher. Baljeet confirms this against your actual event format.
How much paneer, rice or dal per 100 plates?
As a rough planning guide, dishes like dal makhani or shahi paneer run about 11 kg per 100 guests, and rice-based mains like veg biryani run closer to 17 kg per 100 guests because rice absorbs more volume. These are approximate figures from planning tables, and the exact amount always depends on how many other dishes share the plate.
| Guests | Dal makhani | Shahi paneer | Veg biryani |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | about 6 kg | about 6 kg | about 9 kg |
| 100 | about 11 kg | about 11 kg | about 17 kg |
| 250 | about 25 kg | about 25 kg | about 38 kg |
| 500 | about 48 kg | about 48 kg | about 72 kg |
How many kg of sweets or ladoo for 500 guests?
For 500 guests, motichoor ladoo is planned at roughly 35 kg and besan ladoo at roughly 30 kg when they are two of two or three sweets on the table, not the only one. If a single sweet is meant to cover the full sweet table alone, the quantity is usually planned higher, which Baljeet will adjust for.
Will caterers get extra food than the guest count
Most caterers build in a small buffer above the confirmed guest count to cover last-minute additions, which is standard practice industry-wide rather than a fixed percentage anyone publishes. Discuss the buffer amount with your caterer directly rather than assuming a number.
Does the quantity change for a Jain menu?
Jain dishes replace onion, garlic and root vegetables with other ingredients, but the overall per-guest weight guide stays similar. Baljeet plans the Jain kitchen line quantities the same way, adjusted for the specific dishes chosen.
Should I plan differently for a lunch versus a dinner wedding function?
Lunch functions often see slightly lighter eating than a full evening dinner, so some hosts trim quantities a little for daytime events. This is a judgement call best discussed with Baljeet against your specific ceremony.
How do live counters affect the total food quantity?
Live counters like chaat, tandoor or jalebi are usually planned in smaller per-guest amounts since guests sample several items rather than one large plate, which can reduce the total kg needed on the main plated dishes.
What if my guest count is uncertain until close to the date?
Share your best estimate early and update Baljeet as RSVPs firm up; most quantity planning can be adjusted until close to the event, though very last-minute jumps are easier to handle with advance notice.
Don’t worry, we will take care of you
Tell us how many guests you have and how much you can spend. Baljeet plans a full, proper menu around that amount. He says plainly what it covers, with no hidden extras, whether it’s a 40-guest path at home or a 600-guest wedding.