(Guide) Wedding Catering Costs
A transparent, no-nonsense 2026 pricing guide for couples planning a wedding in Denver, Boulder, or the Colorado Front Range. Real per-guest numbers, what's included, and what drives the bill up or down.
Most Denver-area couples spend $55–$95 per guest on wedding food catering — but that range hides a lot. Service style, guest count, protein selection, travel, and rentals all move the number.
We built Cedar BBQ around transparent pricing. No hidden fees, no per-plate surprises, no upcharges for the cake-cutting. This guide walks through what BBQ wedding catering really costs across the Front Range — what you get at each price point, three real sample budgets, and the eight cost drivers that determine where you land.
For couples comparing caterers in Denver, Boulder, Longmont, Fort Collins, or the mountain corridor: this is what we'd tell a friend.
Service styles & pricing
$28–$42 / guest
Best forCasual welcome dinners, rehearsal dinners, smaller backyard weddings under 60 guests.
IncludesHot, packaged BBQ delivered ready to serve. Disposable serving utensils included. No on-site staff.
NotesLowest cost-per-head, but you handle serving, refills, and breakdown. Best when a venue coordinator or family member can manage the table.
$48–$72 / guest
Best forMost Denver and Boulder weddings, 100–300 guests. The Front Range standard.
IncludesPolished chafers, cedar accents, uniformed attendants, two proteins + four sides, fresh-baked rolls, sweet tea station.
NotesBest value for the dollar — staffed, beautiful, and fast through a line. Add a carving station for $8–$12 / guest more.
$72–$98 / guest
Best forCouples who want a warm, communal reception feel. 100–220 guests.
IncludesCedar platters dropped at every table, two proteins + three sides, attendants per 25 guests, refills throughout dinner.
NotesHigher staff ratio and rental count drives the price. Stunning on long farm tables — popular at Lyons, Boulder, and Estes Park venues.
$95–$135 / guest
Best forBlack-tie weddings, estate venues, downtown Denver hotel ballrooms. 80–250 guests.
IncludesCoursed plated service, full FOH staffing, china and linen coordination, dietary plates per guest count.
NotesTrue fine-dining pacing with BBQ as the centerpiece. Requires venue kitchen access or extended on-site cook time.
+$12–$22 / guest add-on
Best forCocktail hour or buffet centerpiece. Reverse-seared prime rib, tomahawk, whole brisket.
IncludesChef-led station, carving boards, sauces, hand-cut portions to order, branded cedar bar.
NotesThe most-talked-about element of a Cedar wedding. Pairs with buffet or plated to elevate the visual moment.
Cost drivers
The single biggest lever. Per-head pricing drops as scale rises — a 250-guest wedding usually books at a lower per-head rate than a 90-guest wedding.
Drop-off is the cheapest; plated dinners run 2.5–3× per guest. Buffet is the Front Range sweet spot.
Brisket, prime rib, and tomahawk run higher than pulled pork, smoked chicken, or sausage. Most couples pick two proteins; we recommend pairing one premium with one accessible.
Family-style and plated need more attendants per guest than buffet. Plan ~1 attendant per 20 guests for plated, 1 per 35 for buffet.
Within 50 miles of Longmont, travel is included. Mountain venues (Estes Park, Allenspark, Winter Park) and Denver-south venues (Castle Rock, Sedalia) add a per-mile travel fee.
If your venue doesn't supply china, glassware, linens, or chafers, we coordinate them. Budget $14–$28 / guest for full rental packages.
We do not hold a liquor license, but we coordinate with your venue or bar service. Non-alcoholic beverage stations (sweet tea, lemonade, infused water) are included in buffet pricing.
May–October Saturdays are peak. Friday, Sunday, and off-season (Nov–April) dates book at a 10–15% lower rate.
Sample wedding budgets
Estimated total: $5,280 (~$66 / guest)
Estimated total: $15,575 (~$89 / guest)
Estimated total: $41,990 (~$162 / guest)
Sample budgets are illustrative 2026 estimates based on typical Cedar BBQ events. Your final quote depends on menu, headcount, venue, and date.
FAQ
For a Denver-area wedding of 100–200 guests, most couples spend between $55 and $95 per guest for plated or staffed buffet BBQ service. That works out to roughly $9,000–$19,000 for food, staffing, and on-site cooking — before bar, rentals, and travel to mountain venues.
Boulder venues skew slightly higher than Denver because of travel from Longmont and more outdoor venues that need rental coordination. Plan $60–$100 per guest for a fully-staffed buffet or family-style Cedar service, with the same proteins, sides, and presentation we run in Denver.
Yes — buffet typically runs 30–45% less per guest than plated, because plated service requires more attendants, longer cook time, and tighter rental coordination. For most Front Range weddings under 250 guests, a polished buffet looks beautiful and delivers the best value.
Cedar's per-guest pricing includes service staff, setup, breakdown, serving equipment, the branded cedar station, and disposables. Rentals (china, linen, glassware) and travel beyond 50 miles from Longmont are itemized separately so you see exactly where the money goes.
Peak Saturday dates (May–October) book 9–14 months out. Off-peak dates and weekday weddings typically need 4–8 weeks of lead time. We hold tasting appointments year-round at our Longmont kitchen.
Yes — vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free options are built into every Cedar menu at no upcharge for the first 10% of your guest count. We coordinate individual allergy plates directly with your planner.
Get your real number
Share your date, headcount, and venue. We'll come back with an itemized quote — no padded line items, no surprises.