Catering is the one wedding cost that multiplies: whatever a caterer charges a guest, you pay it a few hundred times, and then a service charge and tax land on top. We read the published menus and policies of Utah Valley caterers on October 20, 2026, to put real numbers on each part of that bill. Every price below is the caterer's own, as published that day, with the source linked at the bottom of the page. Caterers change menus every season; confirm before you budget.
Not every caterer publishes prices. Culinary Crafts in Pleasant Grove, Utah Catering by Magleby's in Springville and Clarion Gardens in Payson all ask you to call, request a pamphlet or chat with a specialist for a quote, so they appear below only where their pages state a policy.
For how to choose a caterer, the permits they need and how much food to order, read our complete guide to catering in Provo and Orem. This page is the price list.
The three kinds of Utah Valley wedding meal
What you are feeding people decides the price more than who cooks it.
The open-house reception. The classic Utah Valley evening reception is a come-and-go party where guests go through a line, greet the couple and leave within the hour. They expect a dessert and a drink, sometimes a few savory bites, not a meal. Our open-house reception guide explains the format and the guest-count math.
The luncheon. After a morning sealing, family and close friends often sit down to lunch. This is a real meal for a smaller group, typically a buffet. Our luncheon venues guide covers where to hold it.
The dinner reception. A seated or buffet dinner for every guest, more common for couples who are not doing a separate luncheon and come-and-go reception.
Reception menus: dessert, drinks and light bites
| Caterer (city) | Package | Published price, per guest |
|---|---|---|
| Greenhollow Catering (Orem) | 2 savory items, a beverage, a dessert | $12.50 |
| Greenhollow Catering | 3 savory items, a beverage, a dessert | $14.50 |
| Greenhollow Catering | 4 savory items, a beverage, a dessert | $16.50 |
| Utah Celebrations (Springville) | Hors d'oeuvres, choose 3 | $14 |
| Utah Celebrations | Hors d'oeuvres, choose 5 | $22 |
| Utah Celebrations | Hors d'oeuvres, choose 10 | $40 |
| Utah Celebrations | Sweet & Simple dessert package | $15 |
| Utah Celebrations | Ultimate Dessert Buffet, any 6 desserts | $27 |
Utah Celebrations' hors d'oeuvre and dessert packages require at least 100 guests, "or additional fees may apply." It also sells single items: cookies at $3 a guest, chocolate-dipped strawberries at $5, an ice cream sundae bar at $8, and a s'mores bar at $6 a guest or a $950 flat rate for up to 150 people.
Greenhollow's add-ons show how a light menu grows: a nacho station is $7 a guest more, a street taco station $8, and a grilled cheese and tomato bisque station $5.
For the cake itself, see our wedding cakes guide; many couples pair a small cutting cake with a caterer's dessert bar.
Luncheon and dinner buffets
| Caterer | Range on the published menu | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Marvellous Catering (Provo), wedding luncheon | $13.95 to $19.70 | 12 entrées, plus $14.95 taco packages; 40-guest minimum |
| Marvellous Catering, dinner | $17.05 to $48.95 | Pork pot roast to carved tenderloin; salad, bread, dessert, lemonade included |
| Greenhollow Catering, dinner | from $16.50 | Chicken Marsala $16.50, carved strip roast $27.50; salad, two sides, rolls, lemonade |
| Utah Celebrations, lunch and dinner | $24 to $40 | Chicken packages $24 to $25, two-entrée packages $30 to $38, prime rib $40 |
| Brown Brothers Catering (Orem) | "typically $25 to $55 per guest" | Its own published range for weddings |
Venue caterers publish too: Thanksgiving Point's 2026 reception menu runs from a $12 pastry buffet to a $25 carving buffet per guest, plus a 20.5% service charge; see our Thanksgiving Point weddings profile.
At Marvellous Catering, a second entrée splits the bill (75% of each is invoiced), and groups of 20 to 39 pay 20 to 30% more per person than the listed price. At Greenhollow, a second entrée costs $3.95 more, added to the pricier one. Utah Celebrations' prices include buffet service with plasticware; china, plated or family-style service are upgrades you ask a consultant to quote.
The lines below the menu price
This is where budgets go wrong. Here is what the same caterers publish about everything else.
Service charge. Greenhollow adds 25%, which it says covers staff travel, setup, service and takedown. Brown Brothers adds 19% for events it produces. Marvellous Catering lists a mandatory gratuity of 15 to 25% and prices staffing separately by menu, venue and guest count. None of these is a tip you can choose to skip.
Sales tax. Utah taxes prepared food. Marvellous Catering lists 8.45% on all fees and events unless you give it a tax-exemption form. Greenhollow adds "applicable Utah prepared-food sales tax" to every catered event.
Minimums. Brown Brothers' minimum food order is $1,200. Marvellous Catering sets a food-and-beverage minimum of $1,700 to $4,000 on certain dates between March and December, depending on the event, the time and the date.
Small extras. Marvellous Catering charges $19 per buffet linen for weddings unless you arrange floor-length linens ahead, $5 per buffet table if requested at final confirmation, a fuel and travel fee from $30 outside the Provo and Orem area, and $25 for each proposal beyond the three included.
Tastings. $200 for a private tasting at Brown Brothers, $300 for a custom tasting at Marvellous Catering (book two weeks ahead). Utah Catering by Magleby's invites you to call and "book a free tasting."
Guest count. Greenhollow bills the number booked or the number who attend, whichever is greater. If 250 people were booked and 200 came, you pay for 250.
A worked example
Take Greenhollow's three-item reception package at $14.50 a guest, for 300 guests:
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Food: 300 guests at $14.50 | $4,350.00 |
| Service charge at 25% | $1,087.50 |
| Subtotal | $5,437.50 |
| Sales tax at 8.45% (the rate Marvellous Catering publishes; confirm the rate your caterer uses) | $459.47 |
| Total | $5,896.97 |
The menu price was $14.50. The real cost per guest is about $19.66, roughly 36% more. Apply the same thinking to any quote: ask for the service charge, tax and every fee in writing, and divide the total by the guest count.
Deposits and cancellations
- Brown Brothers Catering takes a $295 deposit once you approve the menu. The deposit is non-refundable but transferable, and if you cancel within 30 days of the event it is neither. Events are finalized 10 to 14 days ahead, and final payment is due then.
- Marvellous Catering takes a 25% deposit with a signed Terms of Service, and the balance 24 hours before the event.
Our vendor contracts guide explains what to look for in a catering contract and what Utah law does and does not protect.
Where catering fits
For the whole budget, from the license to the honeymoon, see our Utah Valley wedding budget guide. For photographers' published packages, see wedding photography prices in Utah Valley.
How we gathered these prices
These prices also feed our Utah County Wedding Cost Study, which reports the median published price in each category. We read each caterer's own website, menu PDFs and FAQ on October 20, 2026, and copied the published figures. We did not request quotes, estimate unlisted prices or average across businesses. A caterer appears here because it publishes prices or policies, not because we rank it. If you are a Utah Valley caterer with public prices and want them included, or a price here has changed, email contact@provo.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does wedding catering cost per person in Utah Valley?
What is a catering service charge, and how much is it?
Is sales tax charged on wedding catering in Utah?
Is there a minimum order for wedding catering?
How much does a catering tasting cost?
What does an open-house reception cost to feed?
When is the final catering payment due?
Do caterers charge for the guests who don't come?
Sources
The facts in this guide were checked against these sources. Hours, fees and rules change, so confirm anything time-sensitive with the source before you go. How we make Provo.com.
- Reception menu (PDF), Greenhollow Catering. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Dinner menu (PDF), Greenhollow Catering. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Greenhollow Catering: Menus, Greenhollow Catering. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Menus and policies, Marvellous Catering. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Special Occasion Luncheon Menu (PDF), Marvellous Catering. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Buffet Dinner Menu 2026 (PDF), Marvellous Catering. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Lunch and Dinner Packages, Utah Celebrations Catering. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Hors d oeuvres, Utah Celebrations Catering. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Dessert Options, Utah Celebrations Catering. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Brown Brothers Catering: FAQ, Brown Brothers Catering. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Wedding catering in Orem, Brown Brothers Catering. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Utah Catering by Magleby s, Magleby s. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Wedding pricing, Clarion Gardens. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Culinary Crafts: Weddings, Culinary Crafts. Checked October 20, 2026.
