Event RSVP Tracker
The Guest List Number That Actually Matters Isn't "Yes" — It's Headcount
A stack of RSVPs sorted into Yes, No, and Maybe is progress, but it doesn't answer the question a caterer or venue actually needs answered: how many people are showing up. A "Yes" from a guest with a plus-one and two kids is four seats, not one. This calculator turns raw RSVP counts into a response rate, an acceptance rate, and an expected attendee headcount that accounts for average party size.
The Formula
Acceptance Rate = Yes ÷ Total Invited × 100
Expected Attendees = Yes × Average Party Size
A Worked Example
150 invited, with 88 Yes, 22 No, 15 Maybe, and an average party size of 1.8 people per "Yes" response:
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Pending (no response yet) | 25 |
| Response rate | 83.3% |
| Acceptance rate | 58.7% |
| Expected attendees | 158.4 |
Expected attendees is a fractional figure because it's an average-based estimate — round up when placing a final catering or seating order.
Where This Calculation Matters
- Catering headcounts — caterers price per plate, and the actual attendee estimate (not the raw "Yes" count) is what should drive that order.
- Venue capacity planning — comparing expected attendees against a venue's maximum capacity before finalizing a booking.
- Following up on non-responders — the pending count and response rate flag how much of the guest list still needs a reminder before a deadline.
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter the total number of people invited.
- Enter the number of Yes, No, and Maybe responses received.
- Optionally enter the average party size per Yes response (defaults to 1 if left blank).
- Select Calculate to see the response rate, acceptance rate, and expected attendee count.
Related Calculations
For working out the actual date of the event relative to today, use the Countdown Calculator. To find business days available before the event for final preparations, see the Business Days Calculator.