Diya & DotWedding guest list per function: count, invite and RSVP without the chaos
Short answer: keep one guest list with one row per family, a "people" count on each row, and one column per function that says Invited, Yes, No or Maybe. Every number you need (plates per function, veg and Jain counts, rooms, pickups) then comes from that single list.
Why separate lists for each function go wrong
Most families start with a notebook or a WhatsApp list for the wedding, then copy names into a second list for the sangeet, a third for the mehendi. Within a week the lists disagree: a cousin's family is "4" on one and "5" on another, someone is invited to the reception but not the wedding, and nobody knows the real plate count. One list with a column per function fixes this.
The columns that matter
| Column | Why |
|---|---|
| Name / family | One row per invite ("Sharma ji family"), not per person. |
| People | How many will come from that family. Plate counts add this up. |
| Side | Bride's side, groom's side or both, so each family can see its own numbers. |
| Group | Family, relatives, friends, office, neighbours: handy when you have to trim. |
| Food | How many in the family are veg, Jain or non-veg. The caterer needs these numbers for each function. |
| Out of town / stay | Who needs a room and a pickup, and on which dates. |
| One column per function | Invited, Yes, No or Maybe. Blank means not invited to that function. |
How many plates to order
- Add up "People" for every row marked Yes for that function.
- Add part of the Maybe number. How much depends on your family; ask the elders how many usually turn up.
- Agree the minimum guarantee with the caterer in writing. You usually pay for that many plates even if fewer people come, so do not inflate it.
- Give the caterer the veg / Jain / non-veg split for each function, not just one total.
A polite RSVP call script (Hinglish)
Calls work better than forwards for elders. Keep it short and specific:
"Namaste Sharma ji! 21 November ko Meera ki shaadi hai, aur 20 ki shaam sangeet. Aap sab aa rahe hain na? Kitne log honge, taaki khane ka sahi intezaam ho sake? Aur Delhi ke bahar se aa rahe hain toh rukne ka bata dijiye, hum arrange kar denge."
Write the answer into the list straight away, while you are still on the call.
Privacy: guests' phone numbers
A guest list holds other people's numbers and addresses. Keep it in your own file or account, share edit access only with the one or two people who manage RSVPs, and delete the phone numbers a few weeks after the wedding.
Get the list ready-made
Our Shaadi Sheet has this guest list built in: one row per family, RSVP per function, and automatic counts of Yes / Maybe and veg / Jain / non-veg for each function, next to your budget and the shagun register.
Coming soon: Shaadi Sheet
A Google Sheets and Excel planner that keeps the budget per function from this page, a guest list with RSVPs and veg / Jain / non-veg counts for each function, a shagun register, vendor payments and a checklist in one place.