How to Build a Wedding Guest List and Track RSVPs
To build a wedding guest list and track RSVPs, set a target headcount, list every guest by household, split them into an A-list and a B-list, then record each reply with meal choice and table number. Count only the people who say yes. Here is the method, with a worked example you can copy.
TL;DR
- Decide your target headcount (and a cost per guest) before you write a single name.
- List guests by household: one row per person, one shared household name per invitation.
- Keep a B-list that you haven't invited yet, so declines can be replaced without panic.
- Log every reply with a meal and any dietary note, and count only "Attending" guests.
- Chase the invitations that haven't answered, then give your caterer one final number.
How many guests should I plan for?
Start with the number your budget and venue can actually hold, not the number of people you know. Divide your food and drink budget by your target headcount to get a rough cost per guest, and check that against your venue's capacity. If the numbers don't work, trim the list now, not after the invitations go out.
The example below is a small wedding with a target of 22 guests, six seats per table, and an estimated food cost of $85 per adult and $35 per child. Those are example numbers; yours will come from your caterer's quote.
How do I organise guests by household?
Write one row per person, not per invitation, and give everyone on the same invitation the same household name. That way you can count invitations (the envelopes you'll send) and people (the meals you'll pay for) separately.
Each row needs:
- the guest's name and household (for example "The Lees")
- which side or group they belong to (bride's side, groom's side, friends, work)
- adult or child
- a plus-one flag, with the plus-one on their own row ("Guest of Rita"), so their meal and seat are counted
- an address or email for the invitation
In the example, 23 people sit in 12 households. Three of them are children and two are plus-ones.
How do I split an A-list and a B-list?
Your A-list is everyone you'll invite right now. Your B-list is the people you'll invite only if there's room after replies come in. Add the B-list to the same sheet, but don't mark their invitations as sent.
In the example, 21 guests are on the A-list and 2 are on the B-list. When the A-list replies come back, 15 are attending and 3 have declined. That's 7 short of the target of 22, and only 3 replies are still outstanding, so even a full house of yeses wouldn't get you there. It's time to send the next invitations: Sid and Tess move from "not invited yet" to "invited". Decide up front how long you'll wait before you do this, so the B-list invitations don't arrive too close to the date.
What should I put on the invitation and when should RSVPs be due?
Include a clear reply-by date, how to reply, and whether each person's meal choice is needed. Ask your venue or caterer for their final-count deadline, then set your RSVP deadline a couple of weeks earlier. You'll need that buffer to chase late replies and fill in the gaps.
How do I track RSVPs, meals and dietary needs?
As each reply arrives, record it on that guest's row:
- RSVP: Attending, Declined, or Pending. Leave it blank if you haven't heard.
- Meal: one of your caterer's options, picked from a short list.
- Dietary notes: allergies and requirements, in plain words.
- Table number, once you start seating people.
Count only guests marked Attending for meals, seats and your headcount. Here is where the example stands:
| Measure | Count |
|---|---|
| Guests on the list | 23 |
| Households (invitations) | 12 |
| Invitations sent | 10 |
| Attending | 15 (12 adults, 3 children) |
| Declined | 3 |
| Awaiting a reply | 3 |
| Not invited yet (B-list) | 2 |
| Households still to chase | 2 |
| With dietary notes | 3 |
| Without a table yet | 2 |
Example figures for illustration only.
Your caterer needs just the meal counts for attending guests. In the example that's 4 beef, 3 chicken, 2 vegetarian, 1 vegan, 3 kids' meals and 2 fish, plus the three dietary notes. At $85 per adult and $35 per child, the food estimate is $1,125.
How do I chase late replies?
Look at invitations, not individuals. If one person in a household has replied for everyone, mark the others the same day. For the households with no answer at all, send a short, friendly reminder a week before the deadline, then phone or text anyone still silent when it passes. In the example, only two households need a nudge, which is a far less daunting task than "12 people haven't answered".
How do I assign tables?
Wait until most replies are in, then seat attending guests only. Keep a running count of seats taken and seats free per table, and check who is seated together before you print place cards. With 15 attending and six seats per table, the example needs three tables, and two guests still have no table number.
How do I do all this in the Guest List & RSVP Tracker?
The AISheetLogic Guest List & RSVP Tracker follows this method tab by tab. It opens with sample data, so delete the sample rows first.
- Setup tab: event name and date, RSVP deadline, target headcount, seats per table, your meal options and groups, and the estimated cost per adult and child.
- Guests tab: one row per person with a Household / invitation column, Group, Adult / child, Plus-one, Invite sent, RSVP, Meal, Dietary / allergies and Table #. A Status column shows "Attending ✓", "Awaiting reply" or "Not invited yet". Leave Invite sent blank for your B-list, and filter the Status column to see who to chase.
- Dashboard tab: attending, declined, awaiting reply, households still to reply, response rate, attending versus target, adults and children, meals for the caterer, dietary notes and the food-cost estimate.
- Seating tab: seats taken and free for each table, plus a lookup that lists everyone at a table with their meal and dietary notes, ready for place cards.
- Thank-yous tab: every gift you log on the Guests tab, with whether you've sent the note.
Want to check the cost side first? The free wedding budget calculator splits a budget by category and shows the cost per guest.
Frequently asked questions
Should I count children and plus-ones in my headcount?
Yes. They eat, they need a seat, and caterers may charge for them (sometimes at a different price for children). Give each plus-one their own row so they're counted. In the example, the three children and two plus-ones are already inside the 23 people on the list.
What is a B-list and is it okay to have one?
A B-list is a ranked group of people you'll invite only if A-list guests decline. It's a practical way to hold a fixed headcount. The key is to send those invitations promptly after your reply-by date, so they don't arrive too close to the wedding. In the example, two people stay uninvited until the A-list leaves the headcount short.
How do I handle a household where only some people reply?
Treat the invitation as unanswered until every person has a reply. Track them by household so you can see which invitations still need a follow-up. If one person has answered for the whole household, mark the others the same day so you don't chase a reply you already have.
When should I give my caterer the final count?
Ask your caterer or venue for their deadline when you book, and work backwards from it. Your RSVP deadline should be comfortably earlier, so you have time to chase late replies and, if you keep a B-list, send those invitations before the caterer's cutoff.
Free tool: wedding budget calculator