Budgeting for No-Shows

phkesner

How are you planning for no-shows at the reception.  Do you just take off a number of meals.  Is that an issue if you ask for a certain number of chairs at the tables (say 150) and then only tell them 145 meals?

mccabes

We didn't plan for any no-shows. I think it's a dangerous gamble, unless you are pretty sure there will be certain people who will flake out. We only had two not show, a couple, because the wife was struck with the 'flu the last minute. I think that barring something like that, everyone will show, right?

guacamolly

My SIL had around 7 or 8 people not show up. Just totally randomally with little to not explanation. They had a sit-down dinner though so it far more obvious. We're doing a buffet - so I'll likely knock a couple people off the list. Definitely won't include the kiddos (we'll only have a handful).

guacamolly

If you will have kids, make sure to ask if they have a kid's meal. A wedding we went to recently had this, chicken nuggets, for the kids - which was cheaper and they liked it better anyways!

spuliafico

I wouldn't cut anyone off, imagine if there were no no shows and someone didn't end up with a meal! Or an extra person or two came along! You're better off just having a little extra and not looking like a jerk than saving a little bit but people being in an awkward positon.

phkesner

I've talked to our location and they budget 3% extra meals that night, but you have to pay for the number you order.  Consequently, we may take off a few meals on the number we give and if everyone comes we will be fine and if they don't we will save a few hundred bucks. 

tidetravel

Plan for 100% attendance.  There is no way to accurately predict who will/won't show day of.  You may end up out some money, but that's better than not having enough seats or meals.

MerRhosyn

I agree that you should plan for 100% attendance, but I think it also matters when your venue needs to know the final count.  Ours asked for it two weeks before, which makes it hard to predict or accommodate week-of emergencies, illnesses.  If it's a few days before, ideally, unless guests are extremely rude (we had 2 of those), they will have notified you by that point if they are no longer able to attend.

woodburn_resident

We made the mistake of thinking that we should low-ball the number by 5 people and then I had such anxiety the last 2 weeks leading up to the wedding that we ended up having to cough up extra money at the last minute in case we had the "musical chairs" nightmare of everyone (and potentially more) coming. People will no-show, get sick, have emergencies, show up when they said "no", and you can't do anything about it. It's all part of the "story" of your wedding after the fact!