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A private chef for your wedding: custom cuisine, far from caterer standards
Private Chef vs. Wedding Caterer: Why This Difference Changes Everything
A classic wedding caterer operates on an industrial scale: pre-designed menus with a few variations, centralized kitchens many hours away, refrigerated truck delivery, quick setup, and teams interchangeable from one wedding to another. The result is often acceptable, sometimes excellent, rarely memorable. Hiring a private chef for your wedding profoundly changes the experience: the menu is entirely crafted with you through in-depth discussions, the chef cooks on-site on the big day with their own team, products are selected for you (not simply ordered in bulk), and each dish tells a part of your story—your travels, how you met, your home region, your favorite cuisine. For weddings of 20 to 150 guests, a private chef with their brigade offers a level of customization and quality that large-scale caterers structurally cannot achieve. And the price per guest is often comparable, or even lower, for a superior service.
A menu created with you, told to your guests
The wedding menu with a private chef is not chosen from a catalog; it is co-created during one or two preliminary discussions (often via video call, sometimes over a tasting meal). The chef will ask you about your couple's story, your tastes, your memorable trips, the dishes that have been significant in your relationship, your region of origin, and your wedding season. They will then return with a coherent menu proposal—usually an appetizer, main course (often a choice between meat and fish, or even vegetarian), a palate cleanser or sorbet, aged cheeses, a showstopper dessert or croquembouche, and small pastries with coffee. Many couples opt for a menu that retraces a personal dimension: an Italian appetizer in homage to their trip to Rome, a Provençal main course to evoke one of their childhoods, a revisited childhood dessert. The menu is then printed according to your graphic charter and placed on each plate. Your guests will immediately feel that this meal was designed specifically for you, not just delivered.
Reception venues, wedding kitchens, brigade: anticipated logistics from A to Z
The majority of weddings take place in venues not designed for catering: Luberon bastides, Provençal farmhouses, Loire or Burgundy castles, vineyards, family estates, private gardens under marquees, or unique venues (lofts, renovated hangars, private beaches). Our chefs are adept at managing this logistics: a preliminary technical visit of the venue (presence of a equipped kitchen or need for a mobile food truck, vehicle access, water points, electricity supply, cool storage space), setting up a temporary kitchen if needed (refrigerated truck, mobile ovens, induction hobs, mobile dishwashing station), and a brigade sized to the event (chef + 1 to 5 commis + 1 to 8 waiters depending on the number of guests and service style). Everything is coordinated in advance with your wedding planner, if you have one, or directly with you. On the day of the event, the team arrives several hours before the ceremony for setup and stays until midnight or later according to the contract.
Champagne toast, seated dinner, generous buffet, day-after brunch: all the wedding moments
A private chef can handle all the culinary moments of the wedding. The cocktail reception (1.5-2.5 hours after the ceremony) with passed hot and cold hors d'oeuvres, live food stations (Pata Negra ham carving, oyster tasting, sushi bar, live cooked plancha, foie gras seared in front of guests), champagne bar, cocktail fountain. The seated dinner (the most traditional and popular format) with multiple courses, served plated or family-style depending on the desired style. The rustic banquet table (popular in the South) with dishes to share in a Provençal or Italian style. The generous buffet (for more casual weddings) with themed stations. The centerpiece or wedding cake according to your aesthetic preference (classic French croquembouche, American layer cake, macaron tower, personalized photo cake). And increasingly in demand: the next-day brunch for out-of-town guests, a warm and ideal format to end the weekend on a sweet note.
Allergies, diets, public international: manage all constraints in a single service
A wedding almost always brings together a diverse audience: vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, allergy sufferers (nuts, shellfish, lactose), religious attendees (halal, kosher, no pork, no alcohol), toddlers, grandparents with medical restrictions (low salt, sugar-free), international guests with specific cultural expectations. While a classic caterer offers a single vegetarian option, a private chef orchestrates everything into a single cohesive service: specific vegetarian versions for each course, gluten-free dishes that look identical to others to avoid stigma, halal options available on demand, adapted children's menus served in parallel. All constraints are identified in advance via a guest questionnaire sent 3 to 4 weeks before the wedding. This foresight avoids improvisation on the big day and ensures that every guest, without exception, will be served under the best conditions—which, for many couples, is one of the markers of a successful wedding.
The most requested event types
They hired a private chef for their wedding
Frequently Asked Questions About Home Chefs for a Wedding
The concrete difference between a private chef and a wedding caterer lies in their service scope and specialization. A **private chef** typically offers a highly personalized and intimate dining experience in a private setting, like a home or a rented venue. They focus on creating custom menus tailored to individual client preferences, dietary needs, and specific events such as dinner parties, anniversaries, or small gatherings. Their service often includes menu planning, grocery shopping, cooking, serving, and cleanup. The emphasis is on a bespoke culinary journey for a limited number of guests. A **wedding caterer**, on the other hand, specializes in handling large-scale events, with weddings being their primary focus. They are equipped to manage the logistical complexities of feeding hundreds of guests, often in various venues. Wedding caterers offer a range of service styles, from buffet to plated dinners, and provide comprehensive event planning support related to food and beverage. Their expertise extends to managing staffs, coordinating with other vendors (like event planners and venue managers), and ensuring food safety and presentation for a significant number of people. While they can offer a degree of menu customization, their offerings are often more standardized to ensure efficiency and scalability for large events.
The classic wedding caterer works from a catalog: 3 to 5 standard menus, centralized kitchen dozens of miles from the venue, refrigerated truck delivery, quick setup, interchangeable staff. The private chef creates your custom menu through in-depth discussion, cooks on-site with their own brigade, selects products specifically for you, and delivers a service that tells your story. The difference is evident in the finesse of the cooking (nothing is cooked two hours in advance), the freshness of the ingredients (purchased the day before or that morning), the accuracy of the seasoning, and above all, the narrative coherence of the menu. For often a similar budget, the result is radically different—it's the difference between a correctly executed meal and a memorable meal.
How many guests can a private chef cater for a wedding?
All formats are covered. For intimate weddings (10 to 30 guests), one chef and 1 to 2 assistants are sufficient, with a particularly high level of refinement. For classic weddings (30 to 80 guests), a full brigade: chef + 2 to 4 assistants + 3 to 6 servers in the dining room. For large weddings (80 to 150 guests), an enhanced brigade: executive chef + sous-chef + 4 to 6 assistants + 6 to 10 servers, sometimes with a mobile kitchen set up on-site. For over 150 guests, specific arrangements (outdoor catering, additional food trucks, multiple stations in parallel) are mobilized. The classic seated dinner format remains very effective for up to 120 people; beyond that, country-style banquet or stationed buffet formats offer better flow.
What happens if the reception venue does not have a fitted kitchen?
This is an extremely common scenario (country houses, farmhouses, private gardens, marquees, beaches, unusual lofts), and our chefs are prepared for it. A technical site visit is systematically carried out 4 to 8 weeks before the wedding: analysis of vehicle access, water points, electrical supply, and available space for the temporary kitchen. If the existing kitchen is insufficient or absent, the chef will set up a complete mobile kitchen: refrigerated truck, mobile combi ovens, high-power induction hobs, deep fryer, salamander grill, mobile sink, and stainless-steel work surfaces. For very large weddings in remote locations, a professional food truck or a kitchen container can be rented. Everything is anticipated and costed in the quote—no unpleasant surprises on the big day.
Can the chef also manage the cocktail hour and the brunch the next day?
Yes, and it's even strongly recommended for overall consistency. The cocktail hour (1.5 to 2.5 hours after the ceremony) includes passed hot and cold appetizers, live cooking stations (Pata Negra ham carving, oyster tasting, made-to-order plancha, pan-seared foie gras), a champagne bar, and a cocktail fountain. Budget 25 to 50 €/person depending on the package. The following day's brunch (highly requested for guests traveling from afar) is served as a large, generous buffet in the venue's garden, featuring live-prepared eggs, warm pastries, and comfort food dishes — 45 to 80 €/person. Having all wedding events orchestrated by the same chef ensures narrative and logistical consistency (a team that knows the venue, optimized ingredients across three services, and economies of scale on staffing costs).
How far in advance should one book a chef for their wedding?
For a wedding during peak season (May to September, especially Saturdays), we recommend booking 9 to 12 months in advance. The best chefs are regularly booked a year in advance for Saturdays in June, July, and September in the South of France. For an off-season wedding (October to April), a 4 to 6 month lead time is generally sufficient. For very large weddings (100+ guests) or complex venues (temporary kitchen to be set up, difficult access), always allow 10 to 14 months. Intimate weddings (10-25 guests) can sometimes be booked with 2-3 months' notice depending on availability. The earlier you book, the wider your access to chefs and your ideal date — especially for summer Saturdays in Provence and on the French Riviera.
What budget should I plan for a wedding with a private chef?
As an indication (dinner only, excluding cocktail hour and brunch): starting from €90/person for a friendly bistronomic wedding with a team, starting from €130/person for a multi-course gastronomic wedding, starting from €180/person for an exceptional wedding with fine products (lobster, truffle, caviar) and a large team. Including the cocktail hour (€25-50/person) and the next day's brunch (€45-80/person), the total catering budget generally ranges from €150 to €280/person depending on the chosen level. Drinks (champagne, wines, spirits) are always your responsibility (often through your wine merchant). Service, the team, temporary kitchen facilities if necessary, and equipment are included in the quote. All quotes are personalized after a technical site visit – this guarantees complete transparency.
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