Final headcount

I do think that’s early. I feel like most of my vendors need 30 days.

Hi Felicia,

Congrats on pushing forward and getting everything finalized! That's got to be pretty exciting!! In some cases, that request would be accurate. It really depends on the venue. I've also come across venues that asks for final head counts 30 days and at the latest, 2 weeks prior.

That sounds pretty early to get a final headcount for because you'd need to send invites out a lot earlier :o

View Quoted Comment That’s what I thought as well! We are getting married July 4, so wanted to send them slightly early as most of his family is from out of town and needs time to plan but I feel like I have to send them by March now so they can have a final count by may...

View Quoted Comment Thank you so much!! We’ve been planning for 2 years now so 5 months seems like nothing lol

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Yea we've been along that road as well. Unfortunately our plans had to change but we recently booked our new venues so I pray nothing happens this time around.

View Quoted Comment Holy cow that’s scary. Best of luck and congratulations!!!

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Yea, not the greatest feeling in the world but thank you! So far so good lol

Do you have a venue contact? I'd email them and confirm/reconfirm that they need a headcount that early.
That does seem super early, but my venue doesn't actually care to know my final headcount.

No, that's not normal, and there's really no reason they need final numbers so far out. I would push back on that. Can you give them soft numbers 60 days out and hard numbers 30 days out? Did they say why they want numbers so early?

That seems really early! My final headcount and payment is due 10 days before the wedding and we're having a sit down dinner. We give estimates before that, but not the solid/final one.

View Quoted Comment They did not, however they are an older couple who run a farm all by themselves so I just chocked it up originally to them planning for everything. I never gave push back because I obviously did not want to be rude in any way but it seems like everyone is on the same page that it’s too soon. Thank you so much

View Quoted Comment See that’s what I thought, the venue isn’t providing the catering we are and it’s a buffet style so I’m not entirely sure the reasoning for it being so early. Thank you for the confirmation! Starting to feel less crazy lol

That’s not normal at all. Most people don’t even send invitations until 2 months before the wedding lol, seems like it would be very difficult to get an accurate headcount by then because people’s plans change!


Can you maybe ask them if you can give them a minimum or an estimate 60 days in advance, and then confirm the FINAL number 30 days? Like you can send your invitations out say 90 days in advance, at 60 days you’ll have gotten many (but not all) replies already and you can tell them “we’ll have at least 100 people, and no more than 130” but then a month later you can confirm it’ll be 115 or something?

Idk if they’ll let you but it’s worth asking something like that lol. I had A LOT of grievances with my venue but the one good thing about them was they didn’t require a final headcount until 72 hours before! About 2-3 weeks before they asked for my best estimate, but they didn’t make me confirm until 72 hours

That’s super early!! my venue needs head count 7 days prior. Other vendors don’t need head count