by Theresa Kellogg-Gain
One of the most important and time-consuming aspects of planning a wedding is creating a guest list. Every bride and groom work very hard to make sure they are inviting everyone they want to share their special day with, and one of their biggest fears is that they will forget someone. On the other side, the bride and groom also fear they will not know how many invitees will attend. Their hope is that everyone they invite will attend, but they know not everyone will be able to attend on their wedding day. So where do they go from here? Do they plan for 100% attendance and order and pay for space, seating, food, and drinks? Or do they use the average rule of thumb that “60%” of their guest list will show up?
Let’s do the math. If a bride and groom send 100 invitations and receive the average RSVP of 60-85%, they will then have to wonder about the other 15-40%. That means they must guess whether those 15-40% will show up. The bride and groom must decide whether to purchase food and drinks for the guests in question, who may or may not show up. If they do they have a large amount of food and drinks leftover, and if they don’t don’t they won’t have enough. The “guessing game” price tag equals a minimum average of $27 per person for a buffet style meal service, and $40 per person for a plated and served meal. Without an RSVP, the bride and groom find themselves in a dilemma - should they spend up to $1400 and hope everyone attends? And what will they do with all the extra food and drinks?
Receiving an invitation to a wedding is an honor. You were carefully and thoughtfully chosen to witness and be a part of a very special day. Please put yourself in their “wedding shoes” and RSVP as soon as possible. The bride and groom will thank you!
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