RSVP Response Rate Calculator
Estimate final event attendance from invitations and RSVPs received.
Returns projected headcount, no-show rate, and catering buffer using 80-85% benchmarks.
Wedding RSVP planning involves predicting how many guests will actually attend based on the invitation list, accounting for the expected acceptance rate by guest category. Overestimating leads to wasted catering costs; underestimating means not enough food, seating, or wedding favors.
Expected Attendance formula:
Expected Guests = Σ (Invited in Category × Acceptance Rate for Category)
Acceptance Rate by Guest Category (typical US wedding, 2024):
- Local guests (within 30 miles): 85–95% acceptance rate
- Out-of-town guests (30–200 miles): 65–80% acceptance rate
- Destination wedding guests (200+ miles or international): 40–60% acceptance rate
- Elderly guests: may accept but have higher last-minute cancellation rate (~10–15%)
- Guests with young children: typically 70–80% (logistics-dependent)
Worked example: Wedding guest list: 180 invited total.
- 80 local guests (avg 30 miles): 80 × 0.90 = 72 expected
- 70 out-of-town domestic: 70 × 0.72 = 50.4 ≈ 50 expected
- 30 destination / international: 30 × 0.50 = 15 expected
Total expected attendance: 72 + 50 + 15 = 137 guests Acceptance rate overall: 137 / 180 = 76.1%
Catering planning tip: Order for expected + 5% buffer (for last-minute additions and guest plusones). Order for 144 guests (137 × 1.05 ≈ 144).
At $85/person catering cost: 144 × $85 = $12,240 catering budget
RSVP deadline best practice: Set deadline 3–4 weeks before the wedding. Follow up with non-responders by phone after the deadline — the non-response rate is typically 10–15% of the list (guests who forget or assume their attendance is understood).
Seating chart tip: Buffer 5–10% extra seats per table for last-minute seating changes. Assign seating by table rather than exact seat for more flexibility.