Venue Requirement Question - WWYD

loveislouder

Okay everyone.

My venue just sent me an e-mail with my "wedding checklist" which is just a form they want filled out a month before the wedding. On it, it asks for how many meals, kids meals, vegetarian meals, etc. Our final numbers aren't apparently due until a week before the wedding, which doesn't make sense if they're looking for meal numbers a month before.

So do I get side eyed and ask for RSVP's a over a month in advance so I chase stragglers? I'm not really sure.

Thanks guys.

thisismynickname2

I'd e-mail your contact back and just ask them to clarify why the form is due a month in advance but you thought final numbers were due a week in advance! 

levioosa

Are they just asking for estimates?  Like would this be a soft count as opposed to the hard count you need the week before?

novella1186

thisismynickname said:

I'd e-mail your contact back and just ask them to clarify why the form is due a month in advance but you thought final numbers were due a week in advance! 

Ditto this. That seems strange, but maybe they're just looking for rough estimates? You could estimate that you'll need 60 regular meals, 20 kids meals, and 10 vegetarian meals based on who you've invited so they have a rough idea. If the numbers end up slightly different than that in the final count, like 55, 22, and 12, no big deal. But it's easier for them to have that estimate ahead of time than to just wonder "will she need 150 vegetarian meals, or 2?" Ya know? 

ETF: clarity 

labro

Clarify the due date with the venue for your final numbers before emailing them back the form. When are your meal numbers due to your caterer? Or is the venue handling catering too? They may also just want a rough guess right now and plan to review the form at your final meeting to make sure everything is still accurate.

SBmini

thisismynickname said:

I'd e-mail your contact back and just ask them to clarify why the form is due a month in advance but you thought final numbers were due a week in advance! 

Thhissss, My cake vendor wanted total head count a month before the wedding. I panicked because my RSVPs weren't due by that time. But the more I thought about it- the more I realized they didn't need a count that early. So I called back, told them my RSVP date and asked if I could have a final head count to them two weeks out.

They said it was no problem.

Fran1985

They probably want soft numbers- when I first looked at venues my estimated number of guests was 120, but a month out it was closer to 160. I didnt know how many would rsvp yes but I at least knew how many i was inviting

loveislouder

Thanks guys. I gave them a call and they said yes, soft numbers at the month date and then real numbers a week so, so I'll ask for my RSVPs back about two or three weeks out. (That's etiquette approved, yes?)

lyndausvi

I'm a fan of the RSVP date being as close to the wedding date as possible.  So if they need the real numbers a week out make the RSVP date 2 weeks out.

We need the hard numbers 3 days out and had an RSVP date 10 days out of the wedding and it work great.  Still gave a 7 days to get a hold of the people who didn't RSVP.

dcbride86

They might be looking for an estimate of just a "special" meals - kids, veggie, allergies, etc.  These aren't the usual picks, so they may just want to know ahead of time if they need to make like 50 kids meals or something.  I'd just contact the venue and ask them