Guide
How to work out your catering headcount
The number you give the caterer is not the number of invitations. These steps help you order enough food without waste.
1. Count households, not cards
- One card usually stands for one family. Record how many people each household is bringing, not how many cards you sent.
- Set a limit of people per invitation so the total cannot pass what the venue holds.
2. Use replies, not invitations
- Ask guests to say whether they are coming by a clear deadline.
- Chase the ones who have not answered a few days before it. Record verbal answers too.
3. Separate coming from eating
- Some guests drop by and do not eat, and some bring a baby. Ask for the number of meals as its own question.
- Track three numbers: people attending, meals confirmed, and people whose meals are still unknown.
4. Decide your own order number
- For a buffet, hosts usually order a round number. Decide it yourself from the confirmed meals and the unknowns.
- Ask your caterer what buffer they recommend and whether it is already part of the package.
5. Know the caterer's deadline
- Ask when the final number is due and until when changes are still accepted.
- Set your RSVP deadline a few days earlier so you have time to follow up.
6. Track changes after you send the number
- Keep a copy of what you sent. When a guest changes their reply, you know exactly what to tell the caterer.
- In Rewang, the caterer report keeps dated numbers and lists every change since.