Wedding Reception Menu and Catering Philippines: What to Serve
Saturday, October 3, 2026
Quick answer
A Philippine wedding reception menu is usually rice plus at least one beef, fish, chicken, pork and vegetable dish and a dessert, served as a buffet, plated meal or family-style. Nuptials.ph says there is no traditional menu. Pick the style first, taste the dishes, and ask about dietary options on your RSVP.
A Philippine wedding reception menu is rice, a set of mains and a dessert, served as a buffet, a plated meal or family-style. What you'll learn here, in order: the courses and 15 dishes caterers name, how the service styles compare, the planning steps from tasting to headcount, and questions to ask before you sign.
What a reception menu usually contains
Nuptials.ph (February 5, 2020) says "there is no traditional menu". Its advice is rice, at least one beef, fish, chicken, pork and vegetable dish, and at least one dessert. For guests avoiding rice, it suggests mashed potato or pasta.
Courses and dishes caterers name
These are the dishes Newport World Resorts (February 25, 2025) names for a Filipino wedding. It is a resort selling events, so treat them as ideas, not rules.
| Course | Dishes named |
|---|---|
| Starters | Lumpiang Shanghai, pancit canton, chicharrón, kakanin such as puto |
| Soup | Sinigang na baboy |
| Mains | Lechon, adobo, beef caldereta, grilled tilapia, vegetable kare-kare |
| Desserts | Leche flan, ube halaya, bibingka, puto bumbong, suman |
Newport says lechon and pancit symbolize prosperity and longevity, and that puto bumbong is often enjoyed at Christmas. In a separate party dish guide, Metro Manila caterer Executive Gourmet says lechon "symbolizes abundance, festivity, and generosity" and that pancit "is believed to symbolize long life and good fortune". Its guide covers parties and fiestas as well as weddings. For a heritage-styled menu, see the food section of our Filipiniana wedding theme guide.
Buffet, plated, family-style or cocktail
Juan Carlo, a Manila caterer, offers all four styles below. Executive Gourmet's buffet vs plated page (updated April 1, 2026) and Nuptials.ph supply the trade-offs.
| Style | How it works | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Buffet | Dishes laid out in a line; guests serve themselves or attendants assist | Needs ample space; guests may wait in line and take seconds |
| Plated | Courses arrive at each seat, usually three courses | Needs more staff; no seconds; caterer has plates only for the confirmed list |
| Family-style | Platters come to each table and guests pass them | Suits intimate weddings with close family and friends |
| Cocktail | Bite-sized appetizers while guests mingle | No sit-down meal; Juan Carlo calls it "chic and modern" |
Executive Gourmet says plated service suits formal events or a guest count "typically around 50 or fewer", and calls buffets relaxed and casual. Nuptials.ph says a large party may need more than one buffet line so guests do not wait long. Neither gives a peso gap between styles, so ask for both quotes.
Plan the menu in 7 steps
- Set guest count and a per-head budget. Nuptials.ph multiplies guests by a per-person amount. Its 2020 budgeting rule of thumb adds around 5 to 10 heads because, it says, RSVP-ing is not popular in the Philippines. Our wedding cost guide has the sourced ranges, from about ₱500 to ₱1,000 a head.
- Check what the venue allows. In-house caterers may charge for outside food. See venue corkage before you order lechon elsewhere.
- Pick the service style from the table above, then ask for a buffet and a plated quote on the same menu.
- Draft the menu: one dish each for beef, fish, chicken, pork and vegetable, plus a dessert.
- Taste before you sign. Nuptials.ph says some caterers offer free samples or tasting events at wedding expos.
- Collect dietary needs on the RSVP. Nuptials.ph suggests a restriction notice that requires a reply. Newport adds vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options.
- Send one written final headcount. Add extra plates only within what your caterer confirms in writing. See our final-headcount guide and extra guests page.
Venue caterer or outside caterer
Nuptials.ph lists where to find a caterer: your planner's network, caterers friends recommend, or the reception venue if it provides its own catering. It says to check that the caterer covers your location, since some decline venues that are too far. Venues with their own catering "charge a certain fee whether or not they provide the food or drink you bring in", so read venue corkage first.
Drinks and extras that change the bill
Nuptials.ph mentions drinks twice: a drinks table to keep guests hydrated during the gap before the reception, and corkage on drinks you bring. It gives no bar package prices.
| Item | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Catering share of budget | About 45 to 50 percent | Nuptials.ph, Feb 2020 |
| 100 guests, low-priced caterer | ₱50,000 | Nuptials.ph, Feb 2020 |
| 100 guests, high-end caterer | Up to ₱185,000 | Nuptials.ph, Feb 2020 |
| Package minimum | 100 guests at ₱600 a plate; 95 confirmed still pays ₱60,000 | Nuptials.ph, Feb 2020 |
| Large lechon, 100 guests | ₱14,800 | Nuptials.ph, Feb 2020 |
| Sorbetes cart | ₱5,000 | Nuptials.ph, Feb 2020 |
| Grazing table | ₱20,000 for 30 people, up to ₱1,300 per person | Nuptials.ph, Feb 2020 |
Executive Gourmet says "many couples overlook additional charges such as service fees, gratuity, or even clean-up fees" and advises reviewing the contract. Nuptials.ph calls feeding your vendors common courtesy, so ask the caterer to box meals for them.
Questions to ask a caterer
Our vendor selection guide has the full list. For menus, ask:
- What is included per head, and what is an add-on?
- Is there a guest minimum, and what happens below it?
- Can the menu be changed, and can we taste it first?
- How do you handle vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and allergy meals?
- How big are the portions, and are extra servings billed?
- How many plates above our count will you prepare, and at what price?
- Do service fees, gratuity, staffing and clean-up appear in the quote?
Settle the style, taste the food, and get the count and inclusions in writing. Everything else on the menu can flex around those three.
Frequently asked questions
What food is served at a Filipino wedding reception?
There is no fixed menu, but Nuptials.ph suggests rice plus at least one beef, fish, chicken, pork and vegetable dish, and a dessert. Newport World Resorts names lechon, adobo, pancit canton, lumpiang Shanghai, kakanin and leche flan, and calls lechon and pancit meaningful choices.
Is a buffet or plated meal better for a wedding?
Executive Gourmet, a Metro Manila caterer, says buffets suit relaxed, casual receptions and often save money on food and staffing, while plated service suits formal events with about 50 guests or fewer. Ask for both quotes on one menu.
How much should I spend on wedding catering per head?
Nuptials.ph says a full-course meal starts around ₱500 per person and high-end dishes can reach ₱1,000. Check whether your quote includes service fees and clean-up charges, which Executive Gourmet lists as common hidden costs.
How do I handle guests with dietary restrictions at a wedding?
Nuptials.ph advises putting a dietary restriction notice on your RSVP, so guests who need a special meal have to confirm. Newport World Resorts adds that vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options should be included.
Should I have a food tasting before booking a caterer?
Yes. Nuptials.ph says it is not a good idea to hire a caterer without trying the food, and notes that some caterers offer samples or tasting events at wedding expos.
What is a grazing table at a wedding?
It is a spread of appetizers such as cheese, bread and cold cuts that keeps guests fed between the ceremony and the reception. Nuptials.ph says some caterers offer it and others do not.