Wedding Menu Planner

Planning an Indian wedding menu starts with understanding the number of events — Mehendi, Haldi, Sangeet, Wedding, and Reception — each needing its own menu. Begin by setting a per-plate budget and guest count for each event. Then build your menu course by course: welcome drinks, starters (both veg and non-veg), live counters, main course, breads and rice, desserts, paan and mukhwas, and late-night snacks. The DulhanReady Menu Planner offers 200+ pre-loaded Indian wedding dishes with estimated per-plate costs, making it easy to plan, compare with caterer quotes, and share your final menu via WhatsApp.

Wedding catering costs in India vary widely based on city, venue, cuisine type, and the number of courses. In tier-1 cities like Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore, expect ₹1,200 to ₹3,500 per plate for a standard wedding menu with both veg and non-veg options. In tier-2 cities, costs range from ₹600 to ₹1,500 per plate. Premium menus with live counters, imported desserts, and an open bar can push costs to ₹5,000+ per plate. Use our free menu planner to estimate your per-plate cost by adding individual dishes, then compare it with your caterer's quote to see if you're overpaying or getting a good deal.

A well-rounded Indian wedding menu typically includes 15–25 dishes spread across multiple courses. Start with welcome drinks like Jaljeera, Thandai, or Virgin Mojitos. For starters, popular choices include Paneer Tikka, Hara Bhara Kebab, Chicken Tikka, and Mutton Seekh Kebab. Live counters such as Golgappa, Chaat, Dosa, and Chinese stations are crowd favourites. Main course must-haves are Dal Makhani, Paneer Butter Masala, Butter Chicken, and Biryani. Don't forget breads (Butter Naan, Lachha Paratha), desserts (Gulab Jamun, Rasmalai, Gajar Ka Halwa), and a paan counter to end the meal. Our tool includes all these dishes with cost estimates, so you can build your perfect menu in minutes.

For a 500-guest Indian wedding, plan for approximately 18–22 dishes to ensure variety without overwhelming your caterer. Allocate 4–5 starters (a mix of veg and non-veg), 2–3 live counters, 6–8 main course dishes, 3–4 breads, 4–5 desserts, and welcome drinks. As a rule of thumb, plan for 250–300 grams of food per person per course. Communicate your exact guest count and dietary split (veg vs non-veg) to your caterer at least two weeks before the event. Our menu planner lets you set guest counts per event and automatically calculates the total food cost, helping you stay within budget while serving a feast your guests will remember.

The choice between a pure vegetarian and a mixed (veg + non-veg) wedding menu depends on your family traditions, regional customs, and guest preferences. In North India, many families prefer purely vegetarian menus for religious ceremonies like the wedding day, reserving non-veg options for the reception or sangeet. In regions like Bengal, Kerala, and Hyderabad, non-veg dishes are an integral part of wedding celebrations. A popular approach is to have separate veg and non-veg counters clearly marked. Our menu planner colour-codes every dish — green for veg, red for non-veg, orange for Jain, and yellow for egg — so you can visually balance your menu at a glance.

The best Indian wedding food menu balances crowd favourites with regional specialities. A well-loved combination includes Paneer Tikka and Chicken Malai Tikka for starters, a live Golgappa and Chaat counter, Dal Makhani and Butter Chicken as main course anchors, Biryani (either veg or mutton), an assortment of breads, and a dessert spread featuring Gulab Jamun, Rasmalai, and Gajar Ka Halwa. Adding a Paan counter and late-night Chai and Maggi station has become a modern trend that guests love. The "best" menu ultimately depends on your family's preferences and budget — our planner helps you experiment with different combinations and see the cost impact in real time.

Comparing wedding caterers becomes much easier when you have a clear menu plan and per-plate cost estimate. Start by building your ideal menu in DulhanReady's planner — it will calculate your estimated per-plate cost based on individual dish prices. Then enter each caterer's quoted price to instantly see the difference. Ask caterers for itemised quotes rather than lump-sum prices, and verify whether their quote includes service staff, crockery, live counters, and taxes. Compare at least 3 caterers, and always do a tasting session before finalising. Our tool makes it easy to share your planned menu on WhatsApp, so caterers can give you accurate quotes based on your exact dish selection.

Yes! DulhanReady's Menu Planner includes a "Share Menu on WhatsApp" feature that generates a professionally formatted menu summary for any event. The message includes the event name, guest count, caterer name, every dish organised by course, and estimated per-plate and total food costs. You can send this directly to your caterer, wedding planner, or family group on WhatsApp. Additionally, you can export your entire menu data as a JSON backup file, making it easy to save your work and restore it on any device. The planner also lets you copy a menu from one event to another — so if your Wedding and Reception menus are similar, you don't have to build them from scratch.