The guaranteed minimum (in Italian, minimo garantito) is the threshold of guests, sometimes of spend, that the caterer invoices in any case. If fewer guests confirm, you still pay the minimum. It is a common clause in contracts and quotes, and it weighs heavily on the final bill.
Read it together with the final guest count, the date by which you confirm the certain guests. After that date the number can often go up, but not down. Some contracts allow a small tolerance at no cost. The minimum matters most for small weddings, for food trucks and for formats designed for large groups.
What to ask
Ask what minimum number of guests is invoiced for the chosen format, whether there is a tolerance and how children, staff and suppliers are counted. Have it written down. The guides on how to read a quote and what to check in the contract explain how to compare offers.
