1st Wedding reception?

400m serving at once do you have holding space hot and cold for this? Are you slicing the meats at serve or pulling the brisket and slice the pork, for a 400 sit down you will need 3 complete buffet lines and this still will take 25 minutes. capacity and good help

So, have you booked this already?

Too many variables to vive a give a price. We don't know your costs. I would think if this was a business venture you would have some idea on the amounts needed to pull this off. Like BigBelly said there will be a lot of equipment involved not to mention food. We need more details.

My first thought was that if you need this kind of info for this massive of a feed you are way over your head.

Like I said we don't have enough info to price anything. We don't know your food cost, how much help you are paying, are you renting equipment. These are all factors that will dictate price. I won't assume what your costs are because it would not be accurate.

Also.being a newer member to the forum, we don't know your background or experience with this type if event. Just posting something the way you did leads us to believe that there is son inexperience on your part. In this part of the forum we are brutally honest because we don't want to see people get in over their head and lose money or in the worst case get someone sick. Nothing we post here is meant as a personal attack. Most of us are in the business and very knowledgeable. What we don't like I having backyard BBQ'rs try and run a food business without the proper licenses or equipment to serve safely.

Yes too many variables. Will you be using china or basic, are you plating or serving buffet? How long is the event? Will you be at a venue that requires the caterer to set up, clean up after event? We do these type of events often with full china, set up, servers, buffet, tear down and clean up for a 5-6 hour event. The price can vary but averages in the $40-$70pp range with staff, china rentals, appetizers, salad station, buffet and drink station provided we are not handling the rentals of tables, chairs, linens and more. If so and add abc service the price can be $75-$110pp. If you are simply serving a buffet with a basic backyard paper plate service then $17-$23pp for what you are serving.

My experience is limited to being on the paying side of weddings, of which I've had visibility into four in the last 18 months (thankfully only one was my daughter's). In terms of price I think you need to check other local competitors. My daughter was married in CT and have nieces that got married in a couple other states. Costs varied considerably for similar level facilities/caterers (as in double)

The other dynamic that I saw at least out here in CT is that there is a considerable premium charged just because it's a wedding. One place nearby that has a nice barn and does BBQ literally doubled the price for a wedding vs a similar dinner as part of a corporate event.

Then again, given the level of stress that my wife and daughter were going through the upcharge might well be appropriate.....

Good luck

You need to make sure you don't run out of anything so there are a couple ways you can gamble I mean figure lol. Many people say you can prepare enough of each entree for 66% of the head count and it will work out. I've not tried that personally. When figuring meats like pork loin and brisket and if it will not be served as a sandwich I would figure at least 6oz of each per person. For the sides I'd go heavy on the cheesy potatoes if they are like a mash potato maybe 6oz pp. The baked beans 4oz pp and the two salads I assume you are talking like potato salad. If so you can get by with as little as 3oz pp but it's not that much more to just go ahead and figure 4oz pp. Weddings and left overs just happen and are part of it unless you plan on getting a reputation of running out of food.

As for price still don't have enough info. Serving time, what all are you supplying, services you are required to do, paper plates, etc.

EDIT: YOU ASKED for a $ number-

I say START $10 K. Let's talk from there. But stand your ground.
(9 ish is th lowest I would go . F them.)
I bid jobs in my field and win some and lose some....
no sense doing a job for a loss. I walk.
You are In it to Win it! Good luck.