estimate the number of guests to expect at a wedding
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Failure to plan for enough guests at your wedding can turn your dream evening into a night of chaos. Your wedding vendors make preparations based on the estimated guest count- if your approximations are way off, so will be a bulk of the details. Use your guest list as a tool to determine the maximum number of people who will attend your wedding. Then, come to your estimation as you evaluate how likely it is that your guests will show, based on specific factors regarding your wedding and invitations.
Instructions
1
Review your invitation list. Count the number of adults and children invited to the wedding, and arrive at a total number. Don't count the number of invitations that were mailed out, as one invitation can represent multiple people within a family.
2
Divide this total number by half if you are having a destination wedding. According to The Knot, destination weddings generally have a turnout of 50 percent because not everyone can travel to the destination. (Ref. 1)
3
Calculate 80 percent of your wedding guests. This is the approximation that you should stick with for local weddings. Typically 80 percent of the people that you invite will attend your wedding if they are in town (Ref. 2)
4
Make a list of the invitees that you know are coming to the wedding. Some people will be a given, such as parents, siblings, grandparents and your bridal party members. Use this number as your bare minimum so that you have a frame of reference. For instance, if you know for certain that 50 people are coming to your wedding out of the 60 people invited, you can let your vendors know to account for between 50 to 60 people.
5
Tally up the number of response cards that you get back with acceptances. Pay attention to the number of guests indicated on the response cards, because this number may be different than who the invitation was addressed to. For instance, if you sent one invitation to a family of four, but only the two parents RSVP to come to the wedding, it would be inaccurate to include the whole family of four in your guest count estimation.
6
Assume that your invitees will bring a guest with them if you make this an option on the invitation. For instance, if your invitation is addressed "To Ms. Kathy Pearson and Guest," plan on Kathy bringing a date or friend to the wedding in your estimations.
Tips &- Warnings
Even if guests accept the invitation to your wedding, it doesn't mean they will show up. Unexpected things happen, such as illnesses, that could prevent confirmed guests from coming. However, it is safer to plan for confirmed guests than to be under prepared.
Take into account whether you sent Save the Date cards or mailed your invitations out early. The more notice you give your invitees, the more time you give them to make arrangements to attend your wedding.
Tags: your wedding, attend your, attend your wedding, number guests, your wedding, confirmed guests, estimate numberSource: www.ehow.com
