Final headcount for the caterer: when and what to send

Most caterers want your final headcount one to two weeks before the wedding, and some venues ask for it as early as three weeks out. It's written in the contract, usually as a number of days before the date. The final count is the number of plates you'll pay for, so it matters more than any count before it: after that date, the number can usually go up but not down. Here's when to give it, what goes in it and how to get it right the first time.

When do caterers need the final count?

Look in your contract for the "final guest count" or "guarantee" date. The usual windows:

| Who | Final count due | | --- | --- | | Most caterers | 7 to 14 days before | | Venues with in-house catering | 10 to 21 days before | | Food trucks and drop-off catering | 3 to 7 days before | | Destination and resort weddings | 30 days or more before |

If the contract doesn't say, ask now rather than in the last month. Then work back from it: your RSVP deadline should land a week or two before the caterer's date, so there's time to chase late replies. Our guide to setting the RSVP deadline covers the schedule.

What the final count includes

The number alone isn't enough. A good final count is a short sheet the caterer can plan the kitchen from:

• Adults attending, counted per person, not per household.
• Children attending, with their ages if the caterer has a children's menu or price.
• Vendor meals: the photographer, videographer, DJ or band, the coordinator, and anyone else working through dinner whose contract says you feed them. Vendor meals are often cheaper, so list them apart.
• Dietary needs and allergies, with how many people have each one. Put allergies first and say which are serious.
• People with more than one need. "One gluten-free guest and one vegetarian" and "one guest who's both" need different plates.
• Counts per table, if the meal is plated or served at the table. The servers need to know which table gets the three vegetarian plates.
• Your final menu, and drinks if the caterer runs the bar.

Add the total plates at the bottom, so the caterer can check it against your invoice.

How to get the number right

1. Count people, not invitations. A household of four that replied "yes, three of us" is three plates.
2. Leave out everyone who declined, and decide about the silent ones. Call the households that haven't replied. Anyone you still can't reach after the deadline: count them as not coming, and add them back only if there's room.
3. Don't forget the two of you, the wedding party and anyone officiating who's staying for dinner.
4. Check children's ages against the caterer's cut-off. A 12-year-old may be a children's meal at one caterer and an adult at another.
5. Compare it with the seating chart. The total seated at tables should equal the adults and children attending. If the chart and the count disagree, one of them is wrong.

Should we pad the headcount?

Don't add extra guests "just in case". You'll pay for every plate on the final count, and caterers already prepare a small margin. If you're truly unsure about a few households, give the lower number and ask how late you can add to it. Most caterers can add a plate or two up to a few days before, and almost none will take one off.

What if the count changes after we send it?

It often does: a guest falls ill, a plus-one appears, a family brings one child instead of two.

• Someone is added: tell the caterer at once. Most can add a few plates until two or three days before, at the same price.
• Someone drops out: tell the caterer anyway, so the table and the place card are right, but expect to pay for the plate. Ask whether they can turn it into a vendor meal.
• A dietary need changes: always tell them, whatever the date. An allergy is a safety issue, not a counting one.

Every change also touches the seating chart. Our guide to RSVP changes after the seating chart covers what to move and who else to tell.

Send changes in writing, as a short list of what's different since the last count, rather than a whole new sheet. That's easier for the caterer to check, and it's your record if the invoice doesn't match. The final payments guide covers checking that invoice against the count you gave.

The caterer report in Linenfold

In Linenfold, the final count is built from your guest list as replies come in, and you never add it up by hand. With Complete, the caterer report puts it on one page:

• The headcount: attending, adults and children, vendor meals from the confirmed vendors you feed, and the total plates.
• Dietary needs and allergies, allergies first, with how many people have each, and a line for each combination of two or more needs.
• A count per table, with the dietary needs at each, and the rehearsal dinner's own figures if it has tables.
• The final menu, course by course, with drinks if you choose to include them.

Download it as a PDF, or add it to your caterer's share link, a read-only page that always shows the current version and never shows guest names. Press Mark as sent when the caterer has it, and the report lists every change after that: a new reply, a moved table, a dish swapped. The status line tells you when it's up to date and when to send the update.

On the free plan, the guest list, the RSVP page, dietary needs per person and the seating chart all work, and the caterer report shows a sample of what Complete adds. Pricing has the rest.

Start with the free guest count calculator to see how many guests your budget and venue allow, and when you're ready to track the replies, create a free account.