Food, per guest
Buffet $54–$85 · family-style $60–$90 · plated $72–$110 per guest, depending on headcount — larger weddings earn the lower rates. Scratch-made and seasonal, designed with you at a tasting.
See a sample menu →
Honest Numbers · 2026
What wedding catering actually costs here
Real per-guest ranges, a fully itemized 100-guest example, and every fee explained — from a working Santa Barbara wine-country caterer. No “inquire for pricing.”
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The Short Answer
Most full-service weddings with us land between $130 and $195 per guest, all-in
That’s everything — scratch-made food, professional staff, bar service, tax, and fees. Where you land in that range comes down to three choices: service style (buffet, family-style, or plated), the bar, and guest count (per-guest rates come down as headcount rises). The numbers on this page are computed from the same pricing engine that builds our real client estimates.
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Where the Money Goes
The four lines that shape a catering estimate
Bar, per guest
Beer & wine service $14 · full craft-cocktail bar $29 per guest — certified bartenders, our floral cocktail program, mixers, and setup. We don’t mark up alcohol: you buy the bottles at retail and we tell you exactly what to get.
The craft bar →Staff, by the hour
Waitstaff $40/hr and a captain $50/hr, staffed to your service style — about one server per 25 guests for buffet, per 13 for family-style, per 10 for plated — for event hours plus 4 hours of setup and breakdown.
Extras, à la carte
Passed appetizers $3/person per selection · late-night bites $8/guest · graze table $14/guest · kids menu $25/child. Only what you choose — nothing bundled in.
A Real Example
100 guests, family-style, full craft bar
A 6-hour reception with 3 passed appetizers — itemized the way your actual estimate would be.
| Food — family-style, $66 per guest | $6,600 |
| Event staff — 7 servers + 1 captain, 10 hrs (incl. setup & breakdown) | $3,300 |
| Passed appetizers — 3 selections | $900 |
| Full craft bar — $29 per guest, 2 bartenders | $2,900 |
| Service fee (10%), sales tax & card processing | $2,911 |
| All-in total | $16,611 |
| ≈ $166 per guest · 25% deposit to reserve the date ≈ $4,153 |
The same 100 guests as a buffet with beer & wine runs about $12,853 (≈$129/guest); as a plated dinner with the full bar, about $19,279 (≈$193/guest). Paying by check or bank transfer instead of card saves the processing fee — about $480 on this example.
The Fine Print, In Plain Language
Minimums, fees & payment terms
- $5,000 event minimum — Saturdays only. Friday, Sunday, and weekday weddings have no minimum.
- 10% service fee is typical (it varies a little by event scope), plus local sales tax — the rate depends on where your venue is (about 7.75% in the Santa Ynez Valley).
- 3.5% card processing applies only if you pay by card — check, Zelle, or bank transfer skip it.
- A 25% deposit reserves your date; the balance is due 30 days before the event. Events booked inside 30 days are simply paid in full.
- Adding a rehearsal or welcome dinner to the weekend? Its food is 20% off — the multi-day perk, shown as a visible discount line.
Micro-Weddings & Intimate Dinners
Small guest counts price differently
Under 25 guests, the kitchen effort barely changes between service styles — so we use one flat rate whatever style you choose: up to 14 guests is $135 per guest, and 15–25 guests is $99 per guest, plus staff and any bar. An elopement dinner for twelve gets the same scratch kitchen and floral bar as a wedding for two hundred.
Venues We Know
What catering costs at the venues we work most
The venue changes the plan more than the price — here’s what only a caterer with history at these properties can tell you.
Zaca Lake
Our most-catered venue. It’s a remote, full-buyout retreat, so the crew and timing plan matter more than at an in-town venue — but the on-site commercial kitchen keeps catering costs in the typical range. Budget normally; the magic is included.
Catering at Zaca Lake →Sunstone Villa
We’re a preferred caterer here with an agreement on file. There’s no permanent kitchen, so we bring a complete field kitchen — expect the equipment and rentals line to run higher than at a kitchen-equipped estate.
Catering at Sunstone Villa →Gainey Vineyard
A full catering kitchen on site means plated and family-style dinners run seamlessly, with no field-kitchen build-out — one of the friendlier venues for a plated-service budget.
Catering at Gainey Vineyard →Good to Know
Wedding catering cost — your questions
How much does wedding catering cost for 100 guests in Santa Barbara?
Roughly $12,853 to $19,279 all-in with our team — that's food, professional staff, bar service, tax, and fees for a 6-hour reception. The spread comes down to service style (buffet vs. plated) and the bar package. A fully itemized example is on this page.
Is there a minimum spend?
Only on Saturdays: Saturday weddings carry a $5,000 event minimum. Friday, Sunday, and weekday weddings have no minimum at all.
What is included in the per-person food price?
The menu itself — scratch-made, seasonal, designed around you after a tasting. Staffing, bar, appetizers, and add-ons are itemized separately on your estimate, so you only pay for what your event actually needs and you can see exactly where every dollar goes.
Does the bar price include alcohol?
No — and that's a saving, not a catch. You purchase the alcohol yourself at retail (we tell you exactly what and how much to buy), so there's no caterer markup on bottles. Our $14–$29 per guest covers certified bartenders, the floral craft-cocktail program, mixers, and full bar service.
How do deposits and payments work?
A 25% deposit reserves your date, and the balance is due 30 days before the event. Card payments carry a 3.5% processing fee — paying by check or bank transfer avoids it entirely.
Why do you publish your prices when other caterers don’t?
Because guessing helps no one. These are the same planning rates our instant-estimate tool and our real client estimates are built from. Your final number moves with your menu, headcount, and venue — but you deserve to know the honest starting point before you ever get on a call.
Planning the rest of the day? Start with wedding catering, browse the sample menu, or see the floral craft bar.
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