Decline Rate for late 2021 - early 2022 weddings

It is suggested to never invite over the maximum number. A lot of people are feeling more and more comfortable going to weddings now.

You should always plan for all invites to rsvp “Yes”.
Remember to include vendors such as photographers and DJ, etc.

Never invite over the maximum number allowed at your venue, and/or the number you're comfortable with inviting. I always say "expect everyone to attend" so that you don't get surprised if more than expected end up coming. When it comes to the guest list, you and your partner are the ONLY people that have the final say. Even if your parents want certain people there, if there are others you both think are more 'must invite' than those, then you need to prioritize who YOU want.

Like Melinda said, more people are becoming comfortable with attending weddings, and some see it as a rare opportunity to see family and friends that they haven't gotten to see since the pandemic began.

Agree with the others, plan for everyone to say yes (even though that rarely happens)

We invited 224, and 171 are coming. BUT our city also has a vaccine mandate and a large handful of guests declined because they refuse to get vaccinated. Others are not yet comfortable attending large events, and obviously some of the others just can't make it. Our wedding is next month

Ah - to be clear if all 124 say yes we can figure it out & accommodate. We are just hoping for 110 - so I am hoping that an 'average' rate of decline will allow me to invite the other 6 people (when we absolutely know)

View Quoted Comment

Thanks! This is really helpful!

This is called B listing which is seen as rude. Many couples who have gotten married said they surprised to have 100% attendance so it does happen. That would be awkward for you if everyone attends and you knowingly invite more than you can afford and the venue can hold. That is why people say decide on your final guest list and always assume you will have 100% attendance before you book a venue so that everyone comfortably fits. You also have to consider social distancing as the pandemic is ongoing.


Because invites are sent at 6-8 weeks before the wedding, and this is not an excuse to send them earlier because your “main” A list will lose and forget the information that early, there is no way that these other guests will not feel like they are afterthoughts.

It's not polite to invite more people once you have declines. People always know when they're B-listed.

Our wedding is February 26 and we invited 96, had <80 as our target, and now have 74 yeses. Like you we could have accommodated everyone but we just preferred that smaller number. Some no’s were due to Covid (our rsvp date was right in the middle of the Omicron surge) and others just couldn’t make it for various reasons. Obviously everyone’s guest list and timing are different but hopefully that is helpful!

View Quoted Comment Thank you super helpful!

I think if you can make it work, add the 6 people you say you have to be there. At the end of the day, what's going to be the big difference between 124 and 130?

View Quoted Comment This was my thought as well. If you are not inviting over max capacity limits, and you can afford to host them, just invite the 6 people.

Agree with the advice you've gotten to never over-invite, and to answer your question about decline rates for recent-ish weddings, ours was in late Nov 2021 and we had an almost 50% decline rate largely due to COVID concerns (and that was pre-omicron!). That said, our circle tends to be pretty conservative about COVID risks, and it was an indoor wedding. I know there were other weddings around the same time that had much higher turnout, and many of the guests who declined our wedding were perfectly fine traveling and going to outdoor events at the time - they just weren't comfortable with indoor events. So I think it really depends on who your guests are and whether any part of your wedding will be outdoors - and of course, what the overall situation is with COVID by August, which you can't predict now. We had a few people who accepted in October as infection rates were leveling off after the delta peak, then rescinded in the last couple of weeks before the wedding when infection rates started to increase again.

Welcome to the hell that is pandemic wedding planning! LOL. I hope things are much better for you by August, though.

What is the usual acceptance rate for a destination wedding?

Have you considered inviting people virtually??
We are going to use “LoveCast” for my mothers bloodline (since she thinks you should invite everyone in the family tree that is living…)
It allowed me to send invites to everyone but only in person invites to those who I wanted there in person