Wedding catering in Toronto and the GTA

What wedding catering includes with us

A wedding quote from Silver Feast Catering covers four things, priced separately so you can see where the money goes: the food itself (per guest), the service team (chefs, servers, captain), rentals we coordinate (plates, glassware, linens, kitchen equipment where the venue has none), and fees such as delivery and the service charge. HST at 13% is added to all of it, because catered food and service are taxable in Ontario.

Most couples choose one of three shapes of day, and each has its own planning page:

• Cocktail-style reception: canapés, small plates and a station or two instead of a seated dinner. Works well in lofts and galleries with limited seating.
• Micro-weddings: 50 guests or fewer, usually a long-table or plated dinner at home, in a private space or after a City Hall ceremony.
• Backyard and tent weddings: a family property or rented field, where we build the kitchen from scratch and plan around power, water, permits and weather.

Within any of these you can still choose how dinner is served: a buffet, food stations, family-style platters or a plated dinner. The format changes the price and the staff count more than the menu does.

What wedding catering costs in Toronto

Industry guides put the range wide. EventSource's 2025 overview of Toronto and GTA wedding catering gives roughly $30 to $150 per guest overall, with most couples spending $50 to $100; cocktail-style receptions around $40 to $90, buffets $50 to $100, stations $60 to $120 and plated dinners $80 to $150 or more, plus a 15 to 20% service charge.

Our own starting points, before HST and service charge:

• Canapé reception: from $38 per guest
• Wedding buffet: from $68 per guest
• Food stations: from $72 per guest
• Family-style dinner: from $78 per guest
• Plated dinner: from $92 per guest

Two line items surprise couples most often. The first is staffing: a plated dinner needs roughly one server per 10 to 12 guests, while a buffet can run on about half that, so the same 150 guests can need 13 servers or 6. The second is rentals at venues that supply nothing: china, cutlery, glassware, linens and a portable kitchen can add a meaningful amount per guest. We put both in the first proposal rather than after the tasting. The full breakdown sits on our pricing page, and our wedding catering cost guide walks through what different budgets buy.

When to book, and what happens between booking and the day

For a Saturday between June and September, start the conversation at least 6 months ahead. Those months are the core of the Ontario wedding season, and planners commonly report August and September as the most booked. Friday, Sunday and off-season dates (November through April) are easier to secure on shorter notice.

After you accept a proposal, the work runs in a predictable order: menu decisions and tasting, a site visit if the venue is new to us, a draft run of show shared with your planner or venue coordinator, dietary and allergy details collected per guest, and final numbers by the date written in your agreement. Our how it works page lays out each step.

Venues: what to check before you commit to a caterer

Many Toronto venues have an exclusive caterer, and some have a preferred list with a buy-out fee for anyone else. Ask the venue directly, in writing, whether outside catering is allowed and what it costs (kitchen fee, cleaning fee, required insurance certificate, load-in window). Our guide to venues that allow outside catering has the full list of questions.

The venue type shapes the menu. A loft with no kitchen and a freight elevator suits cold canapés and dishes finished in portable ovens; a gallery may restrict red wine and open flame; a banquet hall kitchen can handle a hot buffet for 300. We plan by venue type rather than by a list of partner venues, and our venue planning guides cover lofts, galleries, backyards, barns and halls.

Dietary needs at a wedding

At a 150-guest wedding it is normal to have a dozen or more special meals: vegan, gluten-free, halal, nut allergies, pregnancy restrictions, children. We ask you to collect these with your RSVPs, and we match each meal to a name and a table so servers are not guessing on the night.

We cook plant-based and gluten-free menus as full menus rather than substitutions. For halal requirements, tell us which standard your family follows and we will confirm in writing exactly what we can provide and how it is sourced and prepared. Our kitchen is shared, so we are precise about the difference between a gluten-free dish and one suitable for a guest with celiac disease.

Alcohol at Ontario weddings

In Ontario, alcohol at a private wedding reception is usually covered by a Special Occasion Permit (SOP) issued by the AGCO to someone in the wedding party. According to the AGCO, the permit costs $50 per day for a no-sale event (an open bar you pay for) or $150 per day if drinks are sold, applications should go in at least 10 days before a private event, and service must run between 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 a.m. The alcohol is bought in Ontario from the LCBO or another authorized retailer using the permit number.

Our role is food, service staff and, where agreed, bartenders who pour the alcohol you bought. Details of bar service and what we can and cannot supply are set out in your proposal, and our SOP guide explains the application step by step.