Catering invoicing turns on one number that keeps changing until the last minute: how many people are coming. Everything else — food cost, staffing, hire quantities — follows from it, and you are buying stock days before you know it for certain.
The way professional caterers solve this is a confirmation deadline plus a two-stage invoice. Here is how to structure both.
Invoice your event
Per-head pricing, staffing, hire and deposits handled on one professional PDF. Free.
Key takeaways
Issued at contract signing, typically 25–50%, securing the date:
| Description | Detail | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Booking deposit — wedding breakfast, 12 June 2027 | Non-refundable, secures date | £1,600 |
| Estimated total (based on 90 guests) | For reference only | £6,400 |
| Final guest numbers due | 29 May 2027 | — |
| Description | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Three-course wedding breakfast — per head | 96 | £52 | £4,992 |
| Children’s menu | 8 | £22 | £176 |
| Dietary-requirement covers (4 vegan, 2 GF) | 6 | included | £0 |
| Canapé reception — 5 pieces per head | 96 | £14 | £1,344 |
| Front-of-house staff — 6 @ 8 hrs | 48 | £16 | £768 |
| Chefs — 3 @ 10 hrs | 30 | £24 | £720 |
| Crockery, glassware and linen hire | 1 | £640 | £640 |
| Delivery, setup and collection | 1 | £280 | £280 |
| Less: deposit received 14 Aug 2026 | -£1,600 |
Free catering invoices
Per-head lines, staffing, hire and deposit deductions — download a clean PDF in a minute.
This is the single most important sentence in catering terms, and it belongs on the deposit invoice:
“Final guest numbers must be confirmed in writing by 29 May 2027 (14 days before the event). Numbers may be increased after this date subject to availability. Numbers may not be reduced after this date; the confirmed figure will be charged in full.”
It is not unreasonable — you will have bought the food and rostered the staff. Communicated at booking, it is accepted without argument almost every time. Discovered afterwards, it is a dispute.
Be explicit, because this is a sensitive area and, in several jurisdictions, a regulated one. State whether a service charge is applied, whether it is discretionary, and whether it goes to staff. If gratuities are at the client’s discretion, say that. Never let a service charge be discovered on the final invoice.
Show them on the invoice even at no charge. It demonstrates that requirements were captured and catered for — which is exactly the evidence you want if there is ever a question about an allergen. If specialist dietary covers carry a supplement, state the supplement per cover rather than burying it in the headline per-head price.
25–50% at booking is standard, and it should be non-refundable because you are turning away other work for that date. Larger events sometimes use three stages: booking deposit, interim at 30 days, balance before the event.
Yes, provided your terms set a confirmation deadline and state that the confirmed number is charged in full. You bought their food and rostered staff for them.
Only if it was agreed in advance and stated clearly. Rules on service charges and how they must be distributed to staff vary by jurisdiction — check your local requirements.
Before the event. Collecting a balance after a wedding or party is significantly harder, and it is standard practice in the industry to settle beforehand.
Create your catering invoice
Free professional invoices for events, per-head pricing and deposits.