How many wedding guests will actually come?
Family rarely declines, coworkers often do, and out-of-town guests are the biggest question mark. Split your guest list into groups and we’ll estimate how many people to expect, with a safe margin both ways.
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Calculator result
Expected guests
111guests
out of 140 invited
- Will decline
- 29 guests
- 21% of those invited
- Book the venue for
- 122 guests
- Top of the range
- Meals before RSVPs
- 115 guests
Who will come
- Friends40 × 82%33 guests
- Immediate family30 × 93%28 guests
- Extended family35 × 77%27 guests
- Acquaintances20 × 70%14 guests
- Coworkers15 × 64%10 guests
- Book a venue for about 122 guests - contracts usually let you lower the guaranteed count until 1-2 weeks before the wedding, but adding guests often isn’t possible.
- Give the caterer your final count only after the RSVPs are in. Until then, plan for 115 meals.
How we calculate
- Each group has its own decline rate: immediate family about 4%, friends about 10%, extended family about 15%, acquaintances about 22%, coworkers about 28%. A single rate for everyone overstates family and understates casual guests.
- Out-of-town guests add about 30 points of declines (8 for immediate family); a holiday weekend, peak summer, or the winter holidays add about 5 points, with immediate family affected least. A destination wedding counts everyone as out of town and adds another 5 points.
- We also count guests who said yes but don’t show up: about 1% with reminders, about 3% without.
- The range combines the randomness of replies (the more guests in “risky” groups, the wider it gets) and the error in our assumptions. The top of the range is the number to book the venue for.
Cheat sheet: prices and good practice
Attendance in practice
- Typically 75-85% of invited guests attend
- Local guests: about 85%, out-of-town guests: about 55-65%
- Destination weddings: often only 50-65%
- Plus-ones and kids count as separate guests - list them in the right group
Timeline
- Save-the-dates: 6-8 months before (8-12 for a destination wedding)
- Invitations: 6-8 weeks before, RSVP deadline 3-4 weeks before
- Final headcount for the caterer: usually 1-2 weeks before
Questions and answers
How many guests should we invite to get 100?
With a typical mix (lots of family, some out-of-town guests, a few coworkers), invite about 125-130 people. The more acquaintances, coworkers, and guests who have to travel, the bigger the cushion you need.
How many people should we book the venue for?
For the top of the range. Lowering the guaranteed count before the wedding is usually free; raising it isn’t always possible, because the venue has a capacity limit.
Do plus-ones count?
Yes - every adult with a seat is a guest. A friend’s plus-one is a little less likely to come than the friend, so put plus-ones in the acquaintances group.
Calculate next
- Tables and seating The number of tables with guests split evenly, a sweetheart or head table, and the room size with a dance floor.
- Wedding invitations Invitations counted per household, not per guest, with extras only for printing and postage only for what you mail.
- Venue and catering Per-guest price for adults and kids, the bar, vendor meals, a day-after brunch, and the service charge and tax that turn a $100 menu into about $130.
- Wedding budget A full wedding budget in 30 seconds - from catering to wedding bands, with price ranges.
For the party itself
Games every guest plays at once
Couple trivia, awards and a finale on the big screen. Guests join with a QR code on their phones, no app to download.