For vendors · Caterers
Nodus for wedding caterers
Families choose a caterer on taste, trust and the price per head. Nodus is being built to put your price in front of them sooner, and to get you paid on time.
Show a per-head price and a menu for each event, get enquiries that arrive with the date, and take a deposit then the balance straight into your own Stripe account. You pay nothing upfront: commission comes out of each payment you receive through Nodus. Packages, per-head pricing, guest counts on enquiries and the calendar are coming, and we mark each one below.
Your category
How catering works for South Asian weddings
- Price per head, many heads. Families think in guests multiplied by price, and guest lists can be large. A clear "from" price per head, with the minimum number you cater for, saves a lot of back-and-forth.
- Each event has its own menu. A lighter mehndi menu, a wedding meal, a walima or reception. Families like one caterer across events when the price works, and they like choices within each menu.
- Numbers move late. Final guest numbers often firm up close to the day. Say in your terms when the final number is due and how the balance is worked out.
- Venue fit decides shortlists. Some venues only allow in-house or approved caterers. Say which halls you work in and whether you bring your own kitchen set-up.
- Tastings are part of the sale. Say whether you offer one, when, and whether it is charged.
- The rules you already follow. UK guidance says food businesses must register with their council at least 28 days before trading, and must give allergen information for non-prepacked food too. Saying so on your storefront builds trust before the first tasting.
A better way to work
Why caterers choose Nodus
A free place to run your bookings
Menus, packages, messages and quotes in one place, free to use. Messaging works today; packages and the quote builder are coming.
Leads you don't pay for upfront
No subscription, no listing fee, no pay-per-lead. Commission comes from each payment you receive through Nodus.
Fill your quiet dates
Show couples when you can take another event, including midweek functions. Coming.
Paid without chasing
A deposit to confirm, then the balance before the event, straight into your own Stripe account. You set the deposit and balance terms.
Seen without your own ad spend
Pay nothing until a family pays you, instead of paying for clicks and listings in advance.
Before and after
How you work today, and on Nodus
| Today | On Nodus |
|---|---|
| "How much for 400?" with no date or venue | Enquiries with the date attached today, with guest count and budget fields coming |
| Menus sent as photos on WhatsApp | Packages per event with a per-head "from" price and a minimum (coming) |
| One total, then questions about what it covers | Itemised quotes: mehndi, wedding and walima as separate lines (coming) |
| Balance chased in the week of the wedding | Balance paid through Stripe before the event, into your account |
| Paying for listings whether or not anyone books | Nothing upfront; commission taken from each payment you receive |
Ideas for your storefront
Packages that suit caterers
Examples only. Build yours with the package pricing template.
- Mehndi night menu: starters, a main, chai and a dessert counter, "from" a price per head, minimum guests stated.
- Wedding meal: a set menu with choices per course, staff and service included.
- Two or three events: mehndi, wedding and walima together, priced below booking each on its own.
- Piece-by-piece extras: a live counter, a dessert table, extra service staff, crockery hire.
Families work out budgets with our free catering cost calculator, so a clear per-head price makes you easy to compare.
Before you go live
Your storefront checklist
- Your food hygiene rating and the council you're registered with.
- Sample menus for each event, with vegetarian and other options named.
- A "from" price per head for each event, and your minimum number of guests.
- The venues you work in, and whether you need a kitchen on site.
- When the final guest number is due, and how the balance is worked out.
- How you handle allergen information for each dish.
What you keep
The honest numbers
On a £6,000 booking, 3% commission is £180 and 8% is £480, taken across the deposit and the balance, plus Stripe's card fees. A month with no bookings costs you nothing. Check your own numbers in the earnings calculator.
Honest status
What's live and what's coming
| Live today | Coming |
|---|---|
| Your profile and public listing | Packages with per-event menus, per-head pricing and minimums |
| Messaging with couples | Itemised quote builder, guest count and budget on enquiries |
| Enquiries and quotes (in part) | Availability calendar and date filter |
| Verified reviews |
Next steps
Start with one menu
Apply free and start with one menu. Keep your other channels: Nodus is never exclusive. See what families ask in questions to ask your caterer, then read how it works, the founding vendor programme and the vendor FAQ. Or get in touch.
Questions
Publish a 'from' price per head for each type of event, say which venues you can work in, and reply fast with a clear quote. Families compare several caterers, often with tastings, so a clear menu and price move you up the list.
Per-head pricing with a minimum number of guests is coming, along with packages with fixed, 'from' or on-request prices and the events each one covers. Until then, put your per-head ranges in your profile and send them in your quotes.
Nothing upfront: no subscription, no listing fee, no pay-per-lead. Commission is taken from each payment you receive through Nodus: 3% for founding vendors for their first 24 months, then 8%. Stripe's card fees also apply to each payment.
Yes. UK government guidance says food businesses must register with their local authority at least 28 days before trading, including those run from home or from temporary premises. Registration is with your council, not Nodus.
Yes. There's no exclusivity on Nodus. A family might book you for the walima and someone else for the mehndi, and you might do the same with venues you like working in.
Keep going
Where next
- For vendorsHow Nodus works for wedding vendorsApply, have a 20-minute call, then take enquiries, quotes, written bookings and Stripe payments in one place. What's live and coming.
- For vendorsThe founding vendor programmeBecome a founding vendor: 3% commission for your first 24 months, then 8%, confirmed in writing. Founder support and a say in the roadmap. Limited places.
- For vendorsVendor FAQHonest answers for wedding vendors: what Nodus costs, when you get paid, whether you keep your clients, how much time it takes, and how to leave.
Also useful: Asian wedding catering cost calculator · Questions to ask your wedding caterer · Asian wedding catering cost per head in the UK · Asian wedding caterers in Bradford · Asian wedding caterers in Blackburn