Invitations and Acceptance Ratio's?

LOL! I know how you feel! Im having anxiety attacks (not literally but almost!) over my guest number. I have to look for a different hall because Im 25 people over my halls capacity and with less than 7 months to go, Im in a panic! My luck everyone will show, this is FH first time being married!

My wedding is next month and as RSVPs come in I am constantly watching. I think you should count on 100% attendance...I've been to weddings where this has been the case and recently to one where less than half showed (after 80% RSVP'd yes). It also depends on if you have out of town guests, etc but budget for everyone then be relieved if you spend less . Happy planning!

Oh my gosh, I feel you on the anxiety attacks! I hear so many different rules of averages. I probably should've thought about how not many of our guests are "out of towner's" and they might all show up and I will be out of tons of money and not have enough linens!! ahhhhhh! Spring Bride, are people RSVPing pretty well or are they pretty bad about it? My wedding is in 3 months, when should I send out invitations?

Set STRICK RSVP dates and call those who have not RSVP's by the date. Then there will be NO guess work. a $0.30 long distance charge is worth finding out they arn't coming a $30 dinner is not.

Andrea E. Send out invites 6 weeks before you ahve to give your cater a final #

I have always heard 20% will not come. I have sent out STDs for 150, everything I have been quoted is for 120. Myself and my venue owner are pretty laid back so whatever happens happens.

I don't think there's any good way to pick a specific number or ratio. As you've said, there are so many different factors. I'm just trying to keep my ears open. Since most of my guests are traveling from out of town, anyone who plans on coming is already planning ahead for it.

My venue is large enough that if all my guests showed up I'd still be okay, but if they don't it's not going to be a problem.

As long as you set your rsvp date early enough to give your venue a final count you shouldn't have TOO much trouble with extra fees.

Unfortunately I think most of my guests are coming.

I sent 50 invites for about 90 guests.

Out of those 50, I have received 9 and all yeses. I keep waiting for a no. and know many more will be yeses from talking to those people recently.

There is a chance half the people won't come, there's a chance everyone will.

I think it's best to be prepared for anything.

I don't think there's any reliable ratio. Make sure you budget so that you can afford to host every single person on that guest list, and make sure your venue will accommodate all of them. IMO, 150 guests is a pretty good-sized wedding. I wouldn't call that a "waste" by any stretch!

Usual rule for mailing invitations is 6-8 weeks before your wedding. 10 weeks at most if it's OOT for most guests. Any earlier, and people will stick the invitation in a drawer and forget about it until the last minute, which defeats the purpose of sending them early.

For the RSVP date, find out when your headcount is due to the caterer and add 1-2 weeks so you have time to round up the stragglers who haven't RSVP'd. Usual RSVP date is 3-4 weeks before the wedding.

After getting all my RSVP's in counted and what not....about 20% RSVP-ed no that's out of 138 people invited so we have 118 that also includes our DJ and 2 Photographers though

Boy am I facing this very dilemma. As a matter of fact, I think I should have just had my wedding in my home town.

I would play it safe and budget for 100% attendance. That way there won't be any surprises and major last minute expenses like an additional 50 people. I know I wouldn't be able to pull together money like that the week of...

Thanks for the ideas and I'm glad some of you can relate. STD's already out to WAY too many people. Luckily my venue is large enough to accomodate, it's just the whole money for food per person thing, plus linens per table, plus, flowers/centerpieces...you know the dollar drill. Not counting alcohol and all those things, you're looking at $50 per couple just for food. FH had major disagreements upon this and I listened to him when I shouldn't have and invited everyone thinking 25% wouldn't show. If 20% don't like some of you referenced then I think I'll be ok. I suppose we shall see!

I know some people show up that don't RSVP and vice versa. I wonder if there's a "polite" way of stressing your RSVP...probably not? lol

It sucks when you have to eliminate your friends to accomodate all your parents friends...they are worse about it than we are...Oh well!

Good luck to all!

I'm right there with you girl!! I'm pulling my hair out, 3 days away from our response deadline, having people flat out tell me that they "just don't RSVP, it's not our thing.",as they speak for a larger group of family members (his side..)

But on the other hand, we've gotten response cards from the invited PLUS FOUR!!! umm hello???? Have no clue how to handle that one.. :/

But I think it's going to come down to brut follow up and get confirmed responses. That's the only way to estimate the turn out.

Good luck my dear

I feel the same way! Although I think the biggest reasons ratios vary are because guest lists size vary. I am taking out imidately family and others that will for sure be there and about 1/2 the rest of the list will show. However, at some weddings all that are invited are the imideate so there is 80-100% attendance. I am inviting a little over 300 and planing on 125. My venue holds 280.

I'm of the mindset don't invite more than you can hold/feed. Our invites were probably at a 95% acceptance ratio.

@Andrea you don't have to "stress" the RSVP aside from asking people to RSVP. Just make sure you give yourself at least a week between the RSVP date and the headcount-due date for your vendors so you and your FH have time to call the stragglers. There will be stragglers. It's just reality.

Same situation here. We have paid for 100% attendance but some we knew were most likely not going to make it... Nephew lives in England, etc. Since the invitations have gone out we have gotten some responses but they are slow in returning. I really don't want to have to call people.

I am about to be facing the same situation!!! Our ceremony seating is a strict 175. My FMIL and FH want to send out 235 invites!!! I'm freaking out. FH says I'm overreacting, but seriously what are we gonna do if the people they are banking on not coming, just sending a invite out of respect, decide to come?? I asked them to MAYBE send 200. I guess we'll see how it goes....

Nikki C., I'm in your boat. I have HEARD the larger the invites list, the less show. Cause you definitely count all your CLOSEST friends and family, but my FH Canadaian family (we had to send respect invites), I was assuming a lot of them wouldn't come and there was like 25 of them. But you never know, hence my panic.

Adrienne M., Some people my find it terrible, but since I am printing my invites myself I am creaing the RSVP's to say check "one or two" people. In the few instances where teenagers are part of the family, I'll print it to say up to 4 or whatever. I'm also not adding "and family" on the envelopes becasue we really want adult only. If we invited children, our guest list would go up to 400.

I know that might be an issue for some people but actually there have been no children at the last three weddings I've been to. I'm trying to prevent the PLUS four and FIVE honestly in a polite way. I guess I'll know in a month or so how it works!