How to Make a Guest List (and Keep It Up to Date)

Step by step

1. 1

   Set your limit first

   Before writing any names, work out the most people you can host: the venue's capacity, the number of seats or the budget divided by the cost per head, whichever is lowest. That number is what every later decision is measured against.

2. 2

   List the people who must be there

   Start with immediate family, the closest friends and anyone the event is built around. If two of you are hosting, write your lists separately and merge them, so nobody is left off because each of you assumed the other added them.

3. 3

   Decide your plus-one and household rules

   Pick one rule and apply it to everyone: for example, partners who are married, engaged or living together are invited by name, and single guests get a plus-one only if they will not know anyone else. Invite by household, so one entry covers a couple or a family.

4. 4

   Decide about children

   Choose between all children, family children only, or adults only, and say so on the invitation. Count children separately from adults, because food, seating and venue pricing often treat them differently.

5. 5

   Split the rest into an A list and a B list

   Everyone else goes on an A list (invite now) or a B list (invite if space opens up). Send A-list invitations early enough that declines come back with time to invite B-list guests without it feeling last-minute.

6. 6

   Check the total against your limit

   Add up people, not households. If the total is over your limit, trim the B list first, then revisit the plus-one rule, rather than cutting people one at a time. Not everyone you invite will come, but plan for the invited total if your venue limit is strict.

7. 7

   Collect contact details and addresses

   You need a phone number or email for every household to send the invitation and any updates, and a mailing address only if you are posting invitations, save-the-dates or thank-you cards.

What is a guest list?

A guest list is the record of everyone invited to an event, grouped by household, with how many people each invitation covers and whether they have replied. Before the event it tells you how many invitations to send; after replies come in it becomes your headcount for catering, seating and check-in.

What columns to keep on a guest list

One row per household or party keeps the counts honest. These columns cover almost every event:

• •Name of the main guest, and the names of anyone else on the invitation
• •Household or group, so you can sort by family, friends or work
• •Email or phone number, for the invitation and updates
• •Mailing address, only if you are sending something by post
• •RSVP status: attending, maybe, not attending, or no reply yet
• •Adults and children, as separate numbers
• •Dietary needs or allergies
• •Gift received and thank-you sent, for a wedding, shower or birthday

Collecting mailing addresses

Addresses are the column people put off longest, because chasing them one message at a time is slow. A shared link where guests type their own address saves the back-and-forth. The free address collector at /address-collector does this: you make a link or QR code, guests enter their name and mailing address without an account, each address is checked with the postal service, and you download the list as a CSV.

Turning the guest list into replies

A guest list on its own cannot tell you who is coming. Send everyone the same RSVP link, and each reply fills in the status, the number of adults and children, and any dietary notes for that guest. A guest who changes their mind updates their own reply, and the totals change with it.

Replies you get by phone or in person go in by hand: add the guest from your event dashboard with their status and party size, and they count towards the same totals as everyone who replied through the link.

Non-responders are the last column to clear. Compare your invited list against the replies a week or so before the event and message the people still missing; most of them meant to reply and forgot.

Keeping the list up to date

The list keeps changing until the day itself: a plus-one is added, a family drops out, a B-list guest gets invited. Make changes in one place only. A copy in a spreadsheet, a note on your phone and a group chat will each drift, and the caterer gets whichever number you looked at last.

Export the list when someone else needs it, such as the venue or a seating plan, rather than keeping a second copy by hand. On the day, the same list works for check-in at the door.

After the event, the list is where you track gifts and thank-you notes, so nobody is missed.

What RSVPlinks does with your guest list, free and paid

Free on every event, up to 20 RSVPs: a live guest list filled in by replies, Yes / Maybe / No status, adults and kids counts, guests added by hand, check-in at the door, a CSV export of the whole list, and a gift tracker with a thank-you checklist (a gift note and a Thank-you tick beside each reply, both in the export). If you have not settled the date yet, a free date poll at /date-poll lets the people on your list vote first.

Paid events, from $7 once per event, add the names of each extra guest in a party, guest and RSVP limits with a waitlist, custom questions such as meal choice, and Invite Tracking: import the people you plan to invite, email them invitations, see who has replied, and send reminders to non-responders.

Frequently asked questions

How do I make a guest list?

Set your limit from the venue and budget, list the people who must be there, decide your plus-one and children rules, split everyone else into an A list and a B list, and check the total in people, not households, against your limit. Then add contact details and send one RSVP link.

What should be on a guest list?

One row per household with the guests' names, email or phone, mailing address if you are posting anything, RSVP status, the number of adults and children, dietary needs, and for gift-giving occasions the gift received and whether a thank-you was sent.

Is there a free guest list template or tracker?

Yes. An RSVPlinks event keeps a live guest list for free, up to 20 RSVPs per event: replies fill it in, you can add guests by hand, it counts adults and kids, and you can export it as a CSV at any time. Guests need no account or app to reply.

How do I decide who gets a plus-one?

Use one rule for everyone. A common one: partners who are married, engaged or living together are invited by name, and other guests get a plus-one only if they would not know anyone else there. Writing the rule down first makes the individual decisions easier to defend.

What is an A list and a B list for a guest list?

The A list is everyone you invite in the first round. The B list is people you would like to invite if space allows. Send A-list invitations early, and invite from the B list as declines come in.

How do I keep track of gifts and thank-you notes?

Keep them on the guest list itself. On RSVPlinks, the Gifts view in your event's guest list has a gift note and a Thank-you tick beside each reply, a filter for who you still owe a note, and both columns in the CSV export. It is free and guests never see it.

Set one up for your event

• Wedding RSVPs
• Baby Shower RSVPs
• Family Reunion RSVPs