What Is The Average Attendance Rate For A Wedding?

Wedding attendance rates typically range from 75% to 85%, with an average of 70-85% of guests attending. Sending out save the dates six to eight months in advance allows guests time to prepare for the wedding, increasing the number of attendees. The average cost of a wedding in 2020 was $20,300, a $4,400 decrease from the previous year. Factors such as venue size, number of guests, food, entertainment, and other expenses can affect the attendance rate.

On average, 83% of guests attended weddings, while 17% declined their invitation. For destination weddings, guests spend an average of $1,400 on accommodation, which costs $350 per person per night. If airfare is added, guests spend an average of $2000 to attend.

Predicting the number of guests attending a wedding is nearly impossible due to various factors. Some wedding planners quote 60-75% attendance, but it’s difficult to accurately estimate the percentage of attendees who will affirmatively respond. The average Canadian generally gives $100 to $200 a person when attending a wedding, but some offer more or less.

The average wedding guest list is around 167 people in 2021, with smaller weddings usually hovering around 50 people and larger celebrations reaching up to 300 or more. Wedding professionals often recommend expecting around 80 percent of guests to RSVP “yes” to a wedding that doesn’t. A good rule of thumb is 20%.

In conclusion, wedding attendance rates can vary depending on factors such as venue size, number of guests, and guest preferences. It’s essential to consider these factors when planning a wedding and ensuring a successful event.


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What percentage of wedding guests typically attend?

About 75-85% of guests will actually come to the wedding. Send save-the-dates six to eight months in advance to give guests time to prepare. This will increase the number of people who will attend. The average wedding size depends on many things. One of the biggest ones? How many guests actually come? Planning your wedding is fun. From flowers to rings, planning your wedding is fun, creative, and important. Then there’s the guest list. Many couples find it stressful to make their wedding guest list. How many people should I invite? Can my venue hold this many guests? Will my second cousin’s childhood best friend be mad if she’s not invited?

What percentage of guests attend a wedding
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What percent of people won’t come to a wedding?

A recent study by RSVPify found that 80% of couples who used their platform to manage RSVPs had 83% acceptance and 17% decline. However, looking at numbers from more recent years and different platforms shows a more complex picture. Zola, a wedding website that offers guest list management tools, found that 69% of guests RSVP’d “yes” in 2019. After the pandemic, the numbers rose to 72 percent in 2021 and 75 percent in 2022. Zola’s Emily Forest Skurnik says 2023 acceptance rates are even higher. Wedding planning website Joy reports acceptance rates of 89% in 2019 and 85% in 2022.

How the Environment Affects RSVPs. The pandemic is affecting how many people RSVP to your wedding.

What is the average guest list for a destination wedding?

Wedding Guest FAQs. How many guests are at a destination wedding? On average, 70-80 guests attend destination weddings. Some choose a smaller, more intimate wedding of around 40 guests. How big should a wedding guest list be? There’s no limit. Weddings usually have 70 to 150 guests. How long should guests stay for a destination wedding? Guests usually stay for 2-3 nights, depending on the wedding, location, and itinerary.

Wedding guest calculator
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What percent of wedding guests don’t come?

How many wedding guests decline? How many guests will say no to a wedding invitation? Nowack says that 20% is a good rule of thumb.

Plus, ways to get more guests to come before you ignore the B list. Now, we’ll reveal the percentage of wedding guests who say yes to your celebration. But first, a friendly reminder: Just because someone says no to your wedding doesn’t mean they don’t care about you. The wedding planning period is a magical but overwhelming time for you and your partner. It’s only natural that emotions run high as you visit vendors and venues. As you wait for RSVPs, remember not to take it personally if some people say no. Here’s how many guests you can expect. What percentage of guests RSVP yes? What percentage decline? Factors that influence RSVPs. How to increase acceptance.

How to ask how many guests will attend wedding
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What is the average number of weddings attended?

Wedding guests attend two weddings a year and spend about $1,000 per wedding on gifts, attire, travel, and accommodations.

NEW YORK, July 11, 2017 /PRNewswire/ The Knot, the top wedding resource and marketplace, released the results of its 2016 Wedding Guest Study. Wedding season is in full swing, and the study reveals that wedding guests spend an average of $888 traveling for the nuptials, while wedding attendants—bridesmaids and groomsmen—spend an average of $1,154 per wedding. These costs include gifts, clothes, travel, and lodging. Guests spend a lot on weddings, so they want to give the couple something they really want. The study shows that most people buy gifts from wedding registries. Cash and checks are also popular gifts, with about one-third of guests giving money in these forms. Ten percent of guests and attendants give gift cards, and seven percent contribute to the honeymoon. The Newlywed Fund™ by The Knot makes gifting easier for guests and allows couples to register for gifts not found on a retail shelf. The Newlywed Fund helps couples build their new life together. They can use it for cash for the honeymoon, a nest egg to buy a home, or funds for date nights. Couples can now register for things they really need in one place (like an experience or high-ticket item that guests can contribute to) and guests can contribute any amount to the couples fund, while also buying from a retail registry.

How many guests is a big wedding
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Is 200 people at a wedding a lot?

What is a big wedding? A big wedding is any wedding with over 100 people. The Knots Guest List Manager is useful for any size wedding, but especially for a long list of attendees. The free tool is easy to use and helps you organize your guest list, collect addresses, collect and track RSVPs, share your list with VIPs, and more. What is a small wedding? If you often look up how many people make a small wedding, we have the answer: Anything under 50 is a small wedding. Size isn’t everything. There are many small wedding ideas and venues that will impress guests just as much as a big wedding.

Wedding size and spending per guest. Most couples said that making sure guests had a good time was the most important thing when planning their wedding. This figure increased to 80% among couples with over 101 guests. No matter how big or small the wedding, couples are spending money on food, entertainment, and other things to make the evening fun for guests.

What is the average number of people at a wedding ceremony?

How many guests are invited to a wedding? A small wedding has 50 or fewer guests, a medium wedding has 50 to 150 guests, and a large wedding has over 150 guests. If your family has big weddings with lots of guests, a small wedding might seem small to you. Similarly, if you’ve only been to very small weddings, a big wedding might seem huge. These numbers will be different for everyone. How do you decide which size is right for you? The main factor in creating a guest list is usually budget. Your guest list and budget will help you decide which size wedding is right for you, says Tara. If your family is big, you can’t have a small wedding. How does budget affect this? Think about what you can afford when choosing the right size event. If your budget is $65,000, it would mean two different things for 50 people versus 200 people, Tara says.

Rule of thumb for wedding guest list
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How many people to invite to a 100 person wedding?

How many people should I invite to my wedding? The number of guests depends on your budget, venue, and vibe. Split the guest list between you and your partner. If you want to invite 100 people, plan on sending 50 invitations each. The average wedding size is 100. The average wedding in 2024 is around 145, according to Zola’s 2024 First Look Report. This includes family, kids, and friends. The average wedding costs between $20,000 and $40,000.

The average ratio of family to friends. There’s no set ratio of family to friends at a wedding. Smaller weddings have more family, while larger weddings have more friends. Your family size also affects this. Don’t worry if your guest list is uneven. It’s common and the main thing is that your wedding includes everyone special to you.

Percentage of invited guests who attend party
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How many people won’t come to your wedding?

A recent study by RSVPify found that 80% of couples who used their platform to manage RSVPs had 83% acceptance and 17% decline. However, looking at numbers from more recent years and different platforms shows a more complex picture. Zola, a wedding website that offers guest list management tools, found that 69% of guests RSVP’d “yes” in 2019. After the pandemic, the numbers rose to 72 percent in 2021 and 75 percent in 2022. Zola’s Emily Forest Skurnik says 2023 acceptance rates are even higher. Wedding planning website Joy reports acceptance rates of 89% in 2019 and 85% in 2022.

How the Environment Affects RSVPs. The pandemic is affecting how many people RSVP to your wedding.

What is the average attendance for a destination wedding?

How many guests will be at the wedding? The average wedding in America has about 120 guests. That seems like a lot of people, but once you add in aunts, uncles, cousins, coworkers, college roommates, and friends, the list gets long. About 60-75% of guests will attend a traditional wedding. For destination weddings, only about half to two-thirds of invited guests attend. If you invite everyone you know, fewer will say yes. If you invite only the people you want to come, you’re more likely to get a “yes” answer. The guest list affects the average cost of a destination wedding. Weddings can be small or large. Your dream wedding is up to you. Destination weddings have smaller average wedding sizes and include close friends and family. Your venue can limit the number of guests. You can’t be sure how many guests will come to your wedding, but you can make an estimate before you get all the RSVPs. What’s the best way? Sit down with your partner and go through the list. Ask yourselves if they will come. Think about your relationship with them, their job, their money, and if they have kids. This can help you guess what they’ll do.

What percentage of guests attend a destination wedding
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How to estimate wedding attendance?

For weddings and social events. Plan for 85% of local guests to attend. If they’re invited, add spouses and children!

Plan on 55% of out-of-town guests attending. If most of them are close family, your estimate could be higher—as high as 85%. Use this equation to estimate guests: Multiply the number of out-of-town guests by 0.55 and the number of local guests by 0.85 to get the total estimate.


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What Is The Average Attendance Rate For A Wedding
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Christina Kohler

As an enthusiastic wedding planner, my goal is to furnish couples with indelible recollections of their momentous occasion. After more than ten years of experience in the field, I ensure that each wedding I coordinate is unique and characterized by my meticulous attention to detail, creativity, and a personal touch. I delight in materializing aspirations, guaranteeing that every occasion is as singular and enchanted as the love narrative it commemorates. Together, we can transform your wedding day into an unforgettable occasion that you will always remember fondly.

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24 comments

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  • You’re kidding me. I don’t go to a whole lot of weddings, but the ones I’ve been to were technically free to attend. I bought a dress and a gift, which I do according to my own income. I look at the registry and choose something I can afford. If someone’s wedding is going to cost me several hundred dollars just to be there, I won’t go.

  • his dream is a normally great family gathering, 200-300 people from different parts of Europe come together, we sit down, eat, drink and talk, whoever has the reason for the celebration (great birthday, wedding or great funeral) pays for it. no need for getting in debt in it, music is done regularly by the family members, such a feast takes most of the time 5-6 hours sometimes longer

  • This was a good one! We paid for our wedding party attire. The only thing anyone had to pay for was drinks at the reception party. Gifts were not demanded because we had lived together for about a year. This was very interesting because my nephew had recently gotten married and my son and his lady are planning to get married within a couple years.

  • The most bizarre wedding I ever went to was between my mate (a concreter) and his girlfriend (a shaman) . It was (get ready…..) a ‘surprise fancy-dress’ wedding with a gold painted toilet where we were all dressed up in silly costumes for supposedly the bloke’s birthday party (some took it a bit too seriously). Good news was it didn’t cost a shilling though.\r The surprise bit was that the bride only discovered that she was getting married a few minutes before the celebrant appeared (dressed as the fairy godmother) and joined the happy couple (dressed as Wonderwoman and Jack Sparrow respectively).\r Naturally the marriage only lasted a few minutes and both are as bananas as ever. \r I actually try and stay away from them these days

  • Ana, I agree with you about getting family and friends together to celebrate something positive. My great niece is getting married this summer and I wouldn’t miss it for anything! Yes, it us costing me money and I have to budget over the next few months. As we’ve gotten older and lost weight, both my husband and I need new clothes, but they will be purchased more frugally. I am making the wedding gift which will hopefully become an heirloom, but still cost money for the materials. Fortunately, she has a registry that includes less expensive, but practical gifts. Our biggest expense will be staying at a hotel near the venue because I no longer drive at night on strange roads. This will be our “vacation” this year. Because of out age, this will, most likely, be the last wedding we attend and, therefore, no way will we miss it.

  • My perfect wedding would be five minutes at the registry office. Sign the paper, get on with my day. I don’t need a big ceremony or fancy costumes, it’s just making what I have with my wife or husband, official, because it’s just for legal purposes, not to express the love I have for my partner because. That’s between me and my partner, not the state.

  • for my ex besties wedding i threw her a beautiful alice in wonderland themed tea party in knoxville tn, flew to maine for her bachelorette party where i bought her swarovski earrings, she smoked all mine and my other besties weed, didnt want to go get more, i left her with 120$ worth when we left i had bought extra b/c i was scared to run out again, i use it to treat my bpd so i bought extra but didnt want to bring it on the plane and she sent me 20$ for it. i bought a leather coat because she was upset i didnt pack warm enough clothes and then she threw it away because she didnt want leather in her house, she had never mentioned that and was there when i bought the coat and didnt say anything until we were home. im into luxury shopping and she pitched the trip to me as getting to do some luxury shopping and in reality had no intention of going to any lux stores with me and we only did things she wanted the whole trip, at the end of the bachelorette party she called me selfish. i was supposed to fly back months later for the wedding as i live in tennessee. i told her i couldnt afford to go to the wedding and she was not understanding at all. when she moved to maine she left me with a 2006 model chevy lemon and said i could use the money from the sale to help with her wedding expenses but would never sign any paper work to help me get the title. i blocked her on everything. she recently mailed me a wishlist for her baby shower. she will not be recieving a gift from me. she went to like bali or something for the honeymoon.

  • My wife & I still laugh at the fact that we bought gifts for my two sisters two weddings (that`s each BTW) & their birthdays & their kids birthdays when we were young and skint, & when it came to their turn, we were informed that we are now only buying gifts for the kids! We don`t buy any gifts for any of them these days.

  • Has anyone heard of a Jack and Jill party? It’s a party about 6 months to a year before the wedding where people are expected to give the couple money to pay for their wedding. Even folks who aren’t invited to the wedding! I was invited to one for my friend’s daughter, knowing I wasn’t going to be invited to the wedding. I asked the my friend, “So you are basically asking me to make a payment on your daughter’s car even though I’m never going to even ride in it?”

  • $600+ to ATTEND a wedding!?! 😂😂 Who does that? Pick a dress out of the closet, write a check you can afford, and move on. I’ll never understand why someone else getting married has to ruin my whole stinking day. Instead of spending my day in comfy clothes hanging out and relaxing, I’ve got to get all dressed up, go hang out with a bunch of people I don’t want to hang out with, and be nice to people I don’t like. Go get married: God Bless! Be happy! But leave me alone! And surprisingly, even though everyone in my life knows how I feel, they all still invite me to their big weddings!

  • Bridezillas strike again… The nicest wedding I ever attended was a civil service at a courthouse. The judge who presided was better than any priest or minister, and we spent all the money on a great meal. The couple are still going strong, so it was at least as effective as any big pompous display.

  • My Mom always told me to make sure you spend above the amount they had to pay for you to attend as a guest. That makes sense to me but I’ve been to some amazing weddings with all sorts of events leading up to the actual wedding with one being at the top of the Ren Cen building with 250 people eating surf and turf with a open top shelf bar (cigarettes included too surprisingly). It was gorgeous as we at dinner with the sun setting on the river. I also had to pay for a room there because I didn’t want to be drinking and drive home from the wedding. It cost a lot to attend but I thought it was worth it to see my friend’s happy moment. I did go in debt for that wedding but I didn’t have other weddings to attend so I thought it was ok. If I had a lot of weddings to go to Idk what I would do.

  • Makes NO sense. Ive been to a ton of weddings and my mom would give 100-150 from her and my dad and id give 50. For my cousin i gave 200…..people that i didnt know well 50. People already have dress clothes….so no need to buy anything new. Go to the salvation army if u cant afford much or walmart. They have great dupes! And im middle class my whole life… so i think i represent most people.

  • You won’t see me at your wedding, if that means me, as a regular guest, paying for anything else than my own outfit and the gift. Period!😎😡 If you can’t afford a big wedding, don’t plan one. Go to do your thing with your partner, grab 2 witnesses and you’re done.🙄 Sick of those lame opportunists who like to take advantage of others 🤬🤬

  • The last time I was in a wedding party, I had to rent a tuxedo. I also had to travel from North Dakota to Arizona and back. I’ll concede that the travel was interesting, but I saved no money that year. I had to cancel visiting my parents that year. I was able to buy a good gift for them: I bought a kitchen table and chairs that they didn’t expect, but it was also because they had low expectations. By finding a bargain, I was able to exceed their expectations. The travel was great. But, wow, I really had to save my pennies for many months after. I was honoring the bride, who was born in Arizona. And it was good to see that my elderly car (I was still on my first car then) could handle the Rockies better than some other cars. I also sunburned like crazy…and I don’t sunburn. I’m glad for the trip, but I was not financially prepared for it. And I could have done without the judgement that I didn’t bring a date from North Dakota. Hello! I just traveled hundreds of miles. Who can give up that much time? Right now, I’m in a relationship with some potential. We agree that we will not do a big destination wedding if we get to that point. Besides…Who would travel to North Dakota as a destination?

  • That was a fun but shocking chat. I think the reason that Boomers don’t spend as much on a wedding, they already have outfits to wear to the occasion, and don’t feel the need to add to it with designer stuff. Younger people are still trying to impress, hot cars, hot clothes, expensive hair cuts/hair extensions, etc., and feel they have to give more to their friends since they are the up and comers. I’m with Ana, if you have the money, fine, do whatever. If you don’t, keep your money in your pocket, send a gift or not. The people whose weddings you attend now, you are likely not going to know in 10 years time… nothing in common besides days gone by. You can’t have fun if you’re worried about what you are spending.

  • hello, yes i agree……..i have said for over 20 years, everything to do with a wedding, will set you back😐😐😐😐 now, more than ever . please, do not honor me, as a participant in your bridal party . i will give a great gift and will come off cheaper🤨🤨🤨🤨. great share, thank you, for sharing🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰……..

  • My daughter in law to be sewed the dresses for the brides maids. She’s really good at sewing and the dresses are beautiful. My son is paying for the wedding because the father of the bride had a stroke and can’t afford to help. They have planned a frugal wedding because my son is a very frugal man. Afterward there will be a party at her families house which my son is also paying for. We plan to cook the food ourselves. I’ve already bought the gifts although they don’t expect gifts but it’s something I want to do. I won’t give them to the happy couple until we are in private because some of the guests and her parents are unable to afford gifts. I can’t really afford them either but I’m not going into debt for gifts or for anything else involved. Although her parents want her to be married in their church and they are going to do it that way not everyone has nice clothing so it will be a fairly casual event aside from the couple, the best man and the bridesmaids no one needs to dress up much but I’ll still have to buy something to wear because I lost too much weight.

  • I have to disagree with that study. Unless they are including the parents buying them a honeymoon in Hawaii and then considering that into the average. Otherwise I don’t know what wedding they’re going to. I’m 67 years old was married to a musician who played weddings. Never in my life have I seen anybody spend anywhere near that kind of money. Where are they going… Manhattan?

  • I’m a wedding photographer/videographer and 90% of my clients are Mexican/American. Typically they have family members coming from Mexico to attend the wedding. I always wonder the cost they must spend to attend the weddings we cover. On average the weddings I cover are between 250 guests to 400..lol

  • We invited 100, paid for everything, bought outfits for Bridesmaids and Groomsmen. It was a morning wedding and afternoon reception chicken and pizza buffet for the guests. Nothing expensive on the registry and we’d set up a redo across the country (West Virginia church wedding/reception) because many relatives there were too poor to attend. We did it on a 3k budget 25 years ago.

  • Recent YT article I saw was a wedding planner, guys got all their blue suits from Goodwill, shoes in similar colors. Another one had a large group of various coffee cups with a wedding date sticker on the bottom, guests could use/take and leave behind to be donated again. Much of the wedding stuff is thrown away. Have it in a park or your backyard and you’ll see who your friends are. Minimal tradition and start off with a bank balance. Be realistic about the importance of the event and stop with this. Better to invest in pre-marital therapy.

  • with the cost of living, not to mention buying a home and/or raising a family, the cost of throwing a wedding has always been ridiculous. being a guest same thing. have your wedding in a free space, say come casual, do simple food or even a potluck, have friends that want to participate do the flowers, have fun and call it a day. btw, i’ve worked a ton of high-end weddings, the bride and brides maids always ended up in the powder room crying and doing coke, the groom and the guys drunk and obnoxious. the elders may have had a good time and maybe the kids, but they were thankfully oblivious.

  • I was my BFFs Maid of Honor. I couldn’t afford to arrange and plan the pre-wedding bridal party events, I couldn’t afford dress, I couldn’t afford a decent gift, or anything. My Best Friend PAID FOR my dress, DROVE ME to my fitting, and was beyond understanding with all of the logistics I couldn’t participate in. She means more to me than anything, and I still want to cry when I think of how much she loves me – enough to do anything just to have me next to her on that most important day.