Question on Guest head count..........

Sassy Posted: May 27, 2003 11:57 AM

Question on Guest head count..........

Do they start taking the head count at the Cocktail hour, or do they wait until dinner?

Please advise. Thanks - Liz

SeptemberBride03 Posted: May 27, 2003 11:59 AM

Re: Question on Guest head count..........

I am not sure, but I think they will just realize it at the reception if you have more than you tell them when some guests do not have seats. And, if people don't show up - you still pay for them.

Lisa Rose Posted: May 27, 2003 11:59 AM

Re: Question on Guest head count..........

we gave out hall a seating chart and they knew how many peole were coming. We had 4 no shows but thank god we didnt have any extras show up!

did you have to give your hall a seating chart already? If so, then they knwo how many people will be there and if any extras show up, they will know that because they will have to set up seats for them

Sassy Posted: May 27, 2003 12:00 PM

Re: Question on Guest head count..........

I'm giving them the head count tomorrow.......

cw0904 Posted: May 27, 2003 12:10 PM

Re: Question on Guest head count..........

They won't know till after the reception begins. Your place cards let the MD know who is there and who is not. They won’t know in the cocktail hour b/c people will be mingling and stuff. Unless you plan on inviting 100 people to the cocktail hour only they won’t be able to tell.

karen32 Posted: May 27, 2003 12:10 PM

Re: Question on Guest head count..........

i can't imagine the hall trying to take a headcount during the cocktail hour - people are constantly mingling and moving around.

sanmik Posted: May 27, 2003 12:12 PM

Re: Question on Guest head count..........

Dinner. Some people miss cocktail, plus I would think it's almost impossible to count heads during cocktail hour.

ChristineC68 Posted: May 27, 2003 12:14 PM

Re: Question on Guest head count..........

It's based on the dinner. I had someone that came for the ceremony & cocktail hour but did not stay for the reception and I didn't include her in the headcount. No one said anything about it.

pschica Posted: May 27, 2003 12:26 PM

Re: Question on Guest head count..........

i think dinner....

Sassy Posted: May 27, 2003 12:30 PM

Re: Question on Guest head count..........

Thanks ladies, that's what I thought

One more question. If I have people that come unexpected, and some that don't come at all, but the ones that come unexpected sit at tables other than the empty ones, will they charge me or know it's an even swap?

Latina511 Posted: May 27, 2003 12:33 PM

Re: Question on Guest head count..........

Liz I had people come out of the blue and others that didn't. I just told them to sit at those peoples tables and nobody knew the difference.

Sassy Posted: May 27, 2003 12:39 PM

Re: Question on Guest head count..........

That's it tho' Kathy, what if I want them to sit at a table other than those peoples'?

cw0904 Posted: May 27, 2003 12:43 PM

Re: Question on Guest head count..........

I did the same as Kathy did for the e-party. What I also did was create 2 floor plans. One I gave to CH and the other I kept with me. For all those nit wits I knew were iffy although they said they would be there, if they didn’t show up and I need to sit a body somewhere I would put them at that table.

They will count how many dinners they have made. The waiters will know and the MD will know your final count by the amount of dinners placed on tables. If you are over they will ask you for $$ if you are under the amount of your final count they won’t bother you since you have less people.

cw0904 Posted: May 27, 2003 12:44 PM

Re: Question on Guest head count..........

Forget what I just wrote. I re-read your post.
Do the 2 floor plan thing. It worked out perfectly for us.

Sassy Posted: May 27, 2003 12:53 PM

Re: Question on Guest head count..........

Wait wanda, I was liking the answer of how many dinners they serve.
Is it how many dinners they serve or how many seats are taken?

This is what I'm trying to establish:

If I have 10 ppl at table 10 and all 10 show up.
I have 10 ppl at table 20 but only 8 show up.
2 people related to table 10 show up unexpected, so they want to sit at table 10, not talbe 20 w/strangers and CB has to bring our more chairs for them on table 10.

Do they charge me for the 2 extra not taking in account that 2 ppl from table 20 didnt show up?

shamma Posted: May 27, 2003 01:01 PM

Re: Question on Guest head count..........

They start when you give it to them. They do not refund if less comes, but you will have to pay the difference if more comes.

Sassy Posted: May 27, 2003 01:02 PM

Re: Question on Guest head count..........

So Shamma, I could have the extras sit at tables other than the ones where people didnt come and it will be an even swap?

cw0904 Posted: May 27, 2003 01:06 PM

Re: Question on Guest head count..........

I had to re-read your post to understand.

They will only account for the number of dinners served.
Going off of your example above: Since table 20 originally had 10 people and only 8 showed up, your additional 2 people that you added last minute to table 10, will now become the 2 people missing from Table 20.
Does that make sense?

Basically they will count the dinners served. Say your total final count before the big day is 200 people. After the additional people you expected came, and those no-shows didn’t show: CB serves 202 dinners-you have to pay for the additional 2. If the total comes to 199 you are out of luck on the one person. You have 200, you break even. It doesn’t matter how many chairs you have empty on one table and how many you added to another.
Call me if you are still un-sure.