Wedding guest rule of thumb

Nellabella Posted: Feb 26, 2014 08:12 PM

Wedding guest rule of thumb

What percentage do you think of your wedding guest list will not come? Everyone is telling me to invite atleast 150 to guarantee 120. (I'm totally content with only 120 showing up lol). Is anyone else worried that their entire guest list will show up??? Lol

Dms7286 Posted: Feb 26, 2014 08:40 PM

Wedding guest rule of thumb - Long Island Weddings

That's what people have been telling me. It comes out to like only 20% of the total people will actually RSVP no...like you, I am content with that haha

KimnAndy Posted: Feb 26, 2014 08:47 PM

Re: Wedding guest rule of thumb

Our entire guest list won't show up because we have an A and B list and we are inviting the b-list piece meal.

We are not inviting more than we need as we can not afford any more than 100 which are part of our all inclusive.

You could do it piece meal like we are so you are not over your limit. If we invited 120 guests we would be concerned they would all show up and there is No way we can afford it.

We knew some wouldn't be coming before we sent the invites so we could add more guests before the invites ever went out. My cousins told me up front they were already busy that weekend. We sent them invites so they wouldn't feel left out, but were able to invite more guests and have them feel like A-list guests (primarily family and our closest friends) because of it.

We have a spreadsheet with the guests invited and once someone tells us they can't make it, we substitute our B-list guests (extended family and regular friends) so we always have 100 on our list including ourselves. The spreadsheet has name, address, phone and a number we are writing on the back of the rsvp, (this way if they don't write their name we still know who they are) we are also marking yes or no and highlighting the line in color on the computer so we know who replied and what the response was just by looking at it.

We are starting to get the RSVP's now, we purposely sent them early (with a reply date of 3/31/14 for a June wedding) so if we need more guests our B-list won't feel like a B-list. We will send out invites for them at the usual time period at the latest, we aren't leaving it until a month before unless it can't be helped. We need 100, but we don't want to hurt anyone's feelings and make them feel either like a seat filler by leaving it so late.

Just today we received 2 rsvps of guests that couldn't make it, we were able to invite 3 more people. It's still early (per most wedding timelines) and now the new invites will have plenty of notice and not even know the truth of it and we won't have to worry about being over our limit.

Good luck.

larlynn Posted: Feb 26, 2014 08:50 PM

Wedding guest rule of thumb - Long Island Weddings

We invited 196 and got 140. We had a lot of groups of our mom's friends treat it as a girl's night out...no complaints from me, it saved a fortune!

ang5774 Posted: Feb 26, 2014 09:51 PM

Wedding guest rule of thumb - Long Island Weddings

I was told 60% usually show. I have been hearing this number from a lot of people.

cets1290 Posted: Feb 26, 2014 10:26 PM

Wedding guest rule of thumb - Long Island Weddings

we have 286 invited to our wedding, and I am HOPING to get about 200-220 max...

people say about 20% say no, which would be about 53 people who would be no's... I'm hoping that since it is a holiday weekend though that we might get a few more no's on top of that... I guess we will have to see..

emmac Posted: Feb 26, 2014 10:31 PM

Wedding guest rule of thumb - Long Island Weddings

I thought everyone would come, we invited 154 and our final number is 127

Mmaser86 Posted: Feb 26, 2014 11:59 PM

Wedding guest rule of thumb - Long Island Weddings

I have the same dilemma ugh

vppjzv Posted: Feb 27, 2014 07:38 AM

.

xBudgetBridex Posted: Feb 27, 2014 07:39 AM

Wedding guest rule of thumb - Long Island Weddings

It's very nerve racking! I think I decided on somewhere between 200 & 210 to be invited for our 175 min guarantee! I don't want more then 175 either!! I've heard 15%-20% say no.....but it depends who your inviting. Like if it's a holiday weekend and u have alot if people that have to fly tickets maybe be too much....I don't have that many out off town guests so that scares me!!

Soon2BeMrsMango Posted: Feb 27, 2014 07:45 AM

Wedding guest rule of thumb - Long Island Weddings

i heard 20% do not show but each family is different. like i feel like from my parents guest list 95% will come but FHs parents have OOT guests so i could see 20% being true for their lists. i think you truly know the people on your list & the likelihood of them coming. right now we have 298 on our list. I'm thinking we are gonna have around 250-260 show.

KTF11 Posted: Feb 27, 2014 07:48 AM

Wedding guest rule of thumb - Long Island Weddings

I've heard 20% won't attend. We are planning to invite about 210 for 160 minimum.

xBudgetBridex Posted: Feb 27, 2014 07:56 AM

Wedding guest rule of thumb - Long Island Weddings

Someone at my office also told me that if u get a final count of say 179 & min is 175 to still tell them 175 bc something always happens and people just don't show. So rather than pay for them and then not show tell them a few less. But if all do show, as them to add place settings.
I hear what she was saying about nut wanting to pay for people that don't show but idk if I want my hall to run around at the last sec setting place settings.

Anyone hear about this or do it?

Soon2bMrsEhrhart Posted: Feb 27, 2014 09:29 AM

Wedding guest rule of thumb - Long Island Weddings

I think we had invited somewhere close to like 210, and we have 156 attending. It just all tends to work itself out. Try not to stress,a nd I know that is much easier said then done.

cets1290 Posted: Feb 27, 2014 09:34 AM

Re: Wedding guest rule of thumb

Posted by Soon2BeMrsMango

i heard 20% do not show but each family is different. like i feel like from my parents guest list 95% will come but FHs parents have OOT guests so i could see 20% being true for their lists. i think you truly know the people on your list & the likelihood of them coming. right now we have 298 on our list. I'm thinking we are gonna have around 250-260 show.

wow that's alot of people! I didn't even know westbury manor had a room that big!! But it's been so long since I've been there lol

butrfly1rm Posted: Feb 27, 2014 09:36 AM

Wedding guest rule of thumb - Long Island Weddings

They say 20%. We almost had exactly that... we invited 317 and have 248

lauren1802 Posted: Feb 27, 2014 12:22 PM

Wedding guest rule of thumb - Long Island Weddings

i've heard 20$ but our % was 35! I think because it was on a Friday night and a lot of people didnt bring dates

Jillian Leigh Posted: Feb 27, 2014 05:14 PM

Wedding guest rule of thumb - Long Island Weddings

I have heard 20% but I am pretty sure only like 10% of the guests I invited declined and most were the obvious out of towners and etc. But I've heard mixed results from other brides so I think it's really on an individual basis unfortunately. Best of luck!!

Nellabella Posted: Feb 27, 2014 05:55 PM

Wedding guest rule of thumb - Long Island Weddings

Thanks everyone for your suggestions and examples of your own weddings! I guess each wedding guest list is different. We have very few OOT guests but our wedding is a Friday night. So it could go either way lol.