Event Order Template for Caterers, Planners, and Venues
Fill in the details once and get a clean, branded event order you can send to your kitchen, staff, and client the same day.
If you have ever typed "event order template" into Google at 11 p.m. the night before a wedding, you already know the problem with the Word and Excel versions floating around online: the columns shift the second you add a line, the fonts do not match your logo, and every event ends up as its own one-off file buried in a folder called Events Final Final 2.
An event order template is supposed to save you time, not become its own project. This page walks through what a real event order needs, in what order, and gives you a free tool that builds one for you instead of a blank spreadsheet you have to fight into shape.
Whether you run a two-person catering outfit, book weddings solo, or manage banquets for a country club or brewery taproom, the goal is the same: one document your kitchen, servers, bartenders, and client can all read the same way, without a phone call to clarify which room the 6 p.m. cocktail hour is actually in.
Download the free template
Word and Excel versions to adapt yourself, plus a filled-in sample so you can see a finished BEO.
Or skip the manual formatting: the free builder below does the math and produces a branded PDF.
Fill it in and get your PDF
A working event order template generator. No signup to export; a free account removes the watermark and saves your work.
Menu & line items
One row per menu item or charge. Set the price, then pick how it multiplies: /guest uses your guest count, /item uses the quantity, and flat is a one-time charge. The math shows under each row.
120 guests × $14.00 = $1,680.00
120 guests × $9.00 = $1,080.00
120 guests × $46.00 = $5,520.00
120 guests × $32.00 = $3,840.00
One flat charge of $850.00
- Guests
- 120
- Subtotal
- $12,970.00
- Service (20%)
- $2,594.00
- Tax (8.25%)
- $1,284.03
- Total
- $16,848.03
- Per guest
- $140.40
- Balance due
- $14,848.03
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Start free accountWhat is an event order, and how is it different from a BEO?
An event order is the internal working document that spells out everything staff need to execute an event: date and timeline, headcount, room and setup, menu and courses, bar package, staffing assignments, rentals, and any special requests. In the catering and hospitality world this same document is usually called a banquet event order, or BEO, and the two terms are used interchangeably at most venues and catering companies.
The event order is not the contract and it is not the invoice. The catering contract sets the legal terms and payment schedule; the invoice bills for what was delivered. The event order sits between them as the operational script, the piece of paper (or PDF) taped to the kitchen wall or pulled up on a tablet the day of the event that tells the team exactly what to do and when to do it.
A good event order template gives you the same layout every time, so your chef, banquet captain, and bar lead all know where to look for their section, and you are not reinventing the format for every wedding, corporate lunch, or fundraiser gala that comes through the door.
What to include on an event order template
Event and client header
Client or company name, event name, event type (wedding, corporate, fundraiser, private party), event date, and your internal event number so it can be found fast in the library.
Timeline of the day
Vendor arrival, load-in and setup start, doors or guest arrival, ceremony or program start, cocktail hour, dinner service, toasts or speeches, dancing or program end, and breakdown time. List actual clock times, not just "evening."
Guest count and room setup
Guaranteed headcount, room or space name, floor plan or setup style such as rounds of 8, banquet rows, cocktail rounds, or a head table configuration, plus any AV, staging, or dance floor needs.
Menu by course
Passed hors d'oeuvres, first course or salad, entree choices with counts for each protein, sides, dessert, and any kids' meal or dietary-restriction plates, written the way the kitchen actually reads a ticket.
Bar and beverage service
Bar package (hosted, cash, or consumption), start and end time for service, brands or house pour if specified, and whether champagne toast or specialty cocktails are included.
Staffing plan
Number of servers, bartenders, and captains scheduled, call times, and who is the point of contact on site for both your team and the client's.
Rentals and equipment
Linens, chairs, china pattern, glassware, chafing dishes, tents, generators, or any items being sourced from an outside rental company, with delivery and pickup windows.
Special instructions and notes
Allergies, dietary restrictions, cultural or religious requirements, VIP seating notes, vendor meals, and anything the last event taught you to write down before it bites you again.
Internal sign-off
A line for the chef, banquet manager, or event lead to initial once the order is final, so nothing goes to print or to the kitchen in draft form.
How to build an event order from a template
Start from a fixed layout
Pick a template with a set structure for header, timeline, menu, bar, staffing, and notes, so you are filling in fields instead of designing a document from a blank page every time.
Pull in the client and venue details
Add the client name, event date, room, and headcount first. If you have booked this venue or client before, reuse the saved details instead of retyping them.
Build the timeline and menu together
Lay out the day's schedule, then attach the menu to the relevant timeline points so the kitchen can see when each course needs to fire without cross-referencing a second sheet.
Add staffing, rentals, and bar details
Assign servers and bartenders, note rental deliveries and pickup windows, and confirm the bar package and service hours.
Proof it against the contract
Check headcount, menu selections, and bar package against the signed contract or quote so the event order matches what the client actually agreed to pay for.
Export and distribute
Send a clean PDF to the client for a final look, and print or share a copy with the kitchen, floor staff, and any subcontracted vendors before the event.
Common mistakes on event order templates
The most common one is a headcount that never gets updated. The event order goes out with 120 guests, the client confirms 132 a week later, and the kitchen never finds out because the change lived in an email thread instead of on the document. Every revision needs a new version of the event order, not a side note.
The second is cramming too much onto one page in a spreadsheet, which forces tiny fonts and merged cells that break the moment you print. A banquet captain reading a poorly formatted event order in a dim room during service is not going to catch the detail that the vegetarian entree count changed. Clear sections beat dense ones every time.
Format: what makes an event order easy to use on site
Print-ready means legible at a glance under kitchen lighting, with clear section breaks between timeline, menu, and staffing, and a font size that survives a black-and-white photocopier. Color-coding or bold headers help, but only if they still read fine in grayscale, since most kitchens print in black and white to save on toner.
A one-page or two-page limit for smaller events keeps the document usable. For large galas or multi-room events, break it into clearly labeled sections by room or by day rather than one dense wall of text, so each team only has to scan their own portion.
When to send the event order, and to whom
Send an initial draft to the client for review as soon as the menu and headcount are set, typically two to four weeks out depending on event size, so there is time to catch errors before final numbers lock. Send the finalized version to kitchen and floor staff no later than 48 to 72 hours before the event, with a printed copy on site the day of.
Keep a version history. If the client changes the entree count five days before the wedding, you want a dated record of the update, not a guess about which version is current. This is also where a lot of Word and Excel workflows fall apart, since there is no built-in way to track which file is the final one.
Common questions
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