Did you underestimate/overestimate your final guest count?

I had a 20% decline rate but on day of I didn’t expect there to be no shows

Always prepare for 100% since it does happen more often than not.

*100% attendance

Sent out invites for 135 guest last month. Told everyone that we would probably have 100. Then with COVID I feared that we wouldn’t even come close to the 100. As of right now we have 67 attending. About a dozen or so just told me they were coming and weren’t sending back the rsvp Ugh. rsvp deadline is in 2 weeks and I’m now guessing we will have 90-110. I was really hoping to have under 100 because our venue provides enough tables and chairs for 100. If we go over, we will have to rent. Some of the people who I thought would decline have said they are coming and so I’ve really been surprised.

Pre-Covid, daughter had an 80% acceptance rate: 101/127. However, she was able to accurately predict the final numbers within +/- 2 guests, based on anticipated declines from elderly invitees who would have to travel cross-country and international guests who we were nearly certain wouldn't come. She also predicted the actual specific responses perfectly with the exception of one local friend couple she thought would come who declined, and one cross-country relative couple she didn't think would come who accepted.

(We were prepared to pay for 127 guests, if they all accepted though. Also, there were no "no shows"; however, there was a couple who attended and left between the salad and dinner courses without providing any warning.... Those turned out to be two ~ $200 "salads," so daughter & SIL really wished they would have just declined. [He was also the only person who violated the venue's dress policy and he acted like a jerk in the large group pictures.] So they REALLY wished that couple had not come at all.)

We expected 20 and had 19 show up

I think it is always reasonable to expect a % of non-attendance – I literally don’t know a single person who married that had full attendance. How many people you estimate on the other hand depends on the wedding and your crowd.

We are inviting 150 and expecting about 75-80% of people to come. Aside from a handful of out-of-towners, we are getting married locally and on a Sunday. We have about 10 people we are inviting internationally however we are not expecting them to come, if they do, it’ll be lovely to add them to the list. If your wedding is a destination wedding, count even less people to attend.

Also, not everyone will RSVP by the required date – you need to chase up the non-responders, always!

We invited 113 and had 100 show up. We expected the 100 to show up. The other 13 were family members that live too far away or have health issues, but we still invited them, just in case.

I wouldn’t invite more than the venue can hold. Some people may say no, but it’s not worth the risk because you have no way of knowing how many will. We are at our max for our venue, but we can switch reception rooms if we absolutely have to go over that number.

When I booked my hall. I told them 140 when I invited 180+. Due to covid, many declined so I was happy in a way, but not as many as I thought. As people declined, others brought more. So it was a curse and a blessing.