Guest count

Your vendors won't need final numbers until closer to time (generally 2-3 weeks before your wedding), so you'll have your guest count from your RSVPs (because you'll time your invitations/RSVP date to give yourself the time to contact those who fail to RSVP and have your guest count by the time your vendors need that information)

I agree with Becky. Generally you tell your vendors your absolute max count (because of course they do need to be able to handle the size of your wedding!) and then revise closer to the time as your rsvps come in.

I regularly plan fairly large events for work, and on average I have come to expect a 'yes' rsvp rate of about 70-80% of the total guest count, but you ALWAYS have to anticipate/plan/budget for 100% attendance just in case.

Obviously, there is an element as well of knowing crowd, and taking specific things you know about them into consideration, like - how far your wedding is from where most of your guests live, whether they would need to cross state lines, fly or pay a lot of money to attend (and whether they have that money to spend), whether they have children (which might impact whether both partners are able to attend), whether your date is booked on a popular holiday, how well they know you (are they distant cousins and ex-work colleagues or close family), etc.

For example, my fiance's family is very large and VERY supportive/involved, so when I mentioned the 70-80% attendance rate to him he told me it would likely be higher than that for us, since his family would definitely all come. So far that has been correct - we anticipate about 90% of our invited guest list will make it.

Agreeing with Rosie and Becky! Any vendors that are based on guest count should and will ask for a final count some time in the month leading up to the wedding. Before you sign any contracts, I'd make sure there's something in them about final cost being based on final headcount!

One of the very first things you do before you look for a venue is decide your budget and must have guest list. Those are deciding factors in locating a venue. If you go with an all inclusive venue, you have a food/beverage minimum that you aren’t made aware of often until after the venue is booked. That figure alone is easily 5-6 figures that not everyone is able to meet or afford. With a catering company not associated with the venue who comes to you, you get to and are encouraged to get tastings before you are locked in and the overall cost is much lower with no minimums. Either way, when invites are sent, you allow a 1 week buffer after the rsvp due date before the venue needs a final headcount so you can contact anyone who forgot to reply. Many people say that caterers need 4-6 weeks advance notice of the final headcount but that is not realistic as many guests can’t commit before 4 weeks, and 3 weeks is plenty and a flexible caterer will work with that. 2 is old school from your parents/grandparents’ generation.



Always prepare for 100% attendance because it happens more often than you think. Do not invite more than you can afford or the venue capacity allows, especially since many venues are still practicing social distancing. Do not have a B list because not all people view that as a polite thing and would rather not be invited than to be a 2nd or 5th choice. In some social circles you would never live it down if you did and others don’t care. Regarding the rsvp due date, you don’t contact anyone until the night of the due date after all the online/mail/text replies have come in. Then you get on the phone to find out during that call if they are attending. If they don’t know or they don’t answer, then you mark them down as a no. You don’t fill extra seats either (B listing). Whatever number you have at the end of that string of calls is what you give to the rental company and caterer. You may have no shows on the day of but that’s out of your hands at that point and you eat the cost as you would if you were having a small party in your home.

Usually you give your venue/catering an estimate. Tell them you’re inviting 200 so you might have 150-180. Final count is due usually 2 weeks out, so you’d ask for RSVPS probably a month out. You pay and make arrangements based on this final count.