Planning · October 2026
Indian Wedding Food: What to Serve at Every Function, From Haldi to Reception
In short
Serve light brunch at the haldi, chaat and snacks in waves at the mehendi, small plates and a bar at the sangeet, the full spread at the wedding and a multi-cuisine menu at the reception. In Delhi NCR, plates run ₹1,500 to ₹8,000 and above.
Food is what guests talk about on the drive home. At an Indian wedding it is also the largest single line on the budget, served across four or five functions to the same people. The secret is not more dishes. It is the right food for each function, and a kitchen that can keep up.
What to serve at the haldi
Haldi is a daytime, informal function, often outdoors, and turmeric goes everywhere. Serve a light brunch: poha, kachori, fresh fruit, lassi and chaas, and food guests can eat standing. Keep it easy, because the evening is coming.
What to serve at the mehendi
Mehendi runs for hours while the bride's henna is applied, so food should arrive in waves rather than at once. This is the place for chaat counters, golgappe, tikkis, kebabs and tea or cold drinks, with sweets passed around the seating.
What to serve at the sangeet
Sangeet is the party. Small plates passed by servers, a bar if the family serves alcohol, one or two live counters and a late dinner after the performances. Hold the main dinner until the dancing slows, or guests will leave the floor to eat.
What to serve at the wedding
The wedding gets the full spread. Most North Indian families serve a vegetarian meal on the wedding day: breads, rice, dals, paneer and vegetable curries, raita, salads and a long dessert table with jalebi, gulab jamun and halwa. Timing follows the muhurat, so a late ceremony means feeding guests well before it.
What to serve at the reception
The reception is the widest crowd, often with colleagues and friends who were not at the other functions. Many families serve a multi-cuisine menu here: Indian mains alongside continental, pan-Asian or a regional speciality from the couple's home state.
How to handle vegetarian, Jain and other diets
Ask about dietary needs early and in writing. Jain guests need food without onion, garlic or root vegetables, cooked separately. Families who keep the wedding day vegetarian may still want non-vegetarian food at the sangeet and reception. Label counters for spice, nuts and gluten, and keep a few milder dishes for guests from abroad.
How to feed guests flying in
Guests flying in eat on a different clock. Plan a simple welcome meal on arrival day, breakfast at the hotel, and late-night food after the sangeet. A tired guest remembers the hot meal at midnight more than the sixth dessert.
What does wedding food cost per plate?
On cost, venue-published guides for Delhi NCR put budget banquets at ₹1,500 to ₹2,500 per plate, mid-range venues at ₹2,500 to ₹4,000 and five-star properties at ₹4,000 to ₹8,000 and above. Non-vegetarian menus add ₹300 to ₹500 a plate at premium venues, and each live counter adds ₹500 to ₹1,500. Cut counters before you cut quality.
| Function | What to serve |
|---|---|
| Haldi | Light brunch: poha, kachori, fruit, lassi, chaas |
| Mehendi | Chaat counters, golgappe, tikkis, kebabs, tea, passed sweets |
| Sangeet | Passed small plates, a bar, one or two live counters, late dinner |
| Wedding | Full spread: breads, rice, dals, paneer, curries, desserts |
| Reception | Multi-cuisine: Indian mains plus continental or pan-Asian |
| Per plate, Delhi NCR | ₹1,500 to ₹2,500 budget; ₹2,500 to ₹4,000 mid-range; ₹4,000 to ₹8,000 and above five-star |
How to choose the caterer
Taste everything before you sign, at the scale it will be served. A dish that is perfect for ten at a tasting can be lukewarm for four hundred. Ask how many cooks, how many service staff per table and where the food is plated, because that, more than the menu card, decides how the food arrives.
Common questions
What food is served at an Indian wedding?+
It changes by function. Haldi and mehendi usually get lighter, playful food such as chaat, kebabs and street-food counters. The sangeet runs on small plates and a bar. The wedding itself gets the full spread, often a regional main course with breads, rice, dals, curries and sweets, and the reception leans to a mixed, multi-cuisine menu.
Is Indian wedding food always vegetarian?+
No. Many Hindu and Jain families keep the wedding day itself vegetarian, and Jain guests need food without onion, garlic or root vegetables. Plenty of families serve non-vegetarian food at the sangeet and reception. Ask both families early, because it changes the caterer, the kitchen setup and the per-plate cost.
How much does wedding catering cost per plate in India?+
In Delhi NCR, venue-published guides put budget banquets at ₹1,500 to ₹2,500 per plate, mid-range venues at ₹2,500 to ₹4,000 and five-star properties at ₹4,000 to ₹8,000 and above. Non-vegetarian menus add ₹300 to ₹500 a plate at premium venues, and live counters add ₹500 to ₹1,500. GST is usually extra.
How do we feed guests travelling from abroad?+
Keep a few familiar, milder dishes on every menu, label spice levels and allergens on the counters, and serve breakfast and late-night food at the hotel, because jet-lagged guests eat at odd hours. A simple welcome meal on arrival day helps more than an elaborate first dinner.
How many live counters should a wedding have?+
Fewer than you think. Each premium live counter adds ₹500 to ₹1,500 a plate, and guests remember two great counters more than six crowded ones. Put the counters where they suit the function, such as chaat at the mehendi and a grill at the sangeet.
