Plan your guest list side by side.
Free interactive guest list planner with two-axis classification by side and category. See real-time headcount totals to drive venue, catering, and budget decisions. No signup required.
| Partner A | Partner B | Both / Mutual | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TOTAL | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Add a guest or party
Your guest list
Two-axis planning for fair guest lists.
Most guest list disagreements come from one side feeling outnumbered. Visualizing both sides side-by-side surfaces imbalances early.
Classify by side
Partner A guests, Partner B guests, or "Both / Mutual" for friends and family known to both partners. Most weddings end up with roughly 40/40/20 split between the three sides. The matrix shows your real ratio in real time.
Classify by category
Immediate family, extended family, wedding party, friends, colleagues, plus-ones, or other. This split helps you decide which categories to cut if your venue capacity demands fewer guests than your dream list.
Watch the headcount in real time
Total headcount drives every other wedding decision: venue capacity, catering quote, budget allocation, seating chart size. Seeing the number update as you add guests prevents end-of-list surprises.
8 tips for a fair guest list.
Keep both sides roughly even
Many couples aim for a 40/40/20 split: 40% Partner A guests, 40% Partner B guests, 20% mutual. Significantly uneven splits often signal one family taking over the planning. Use the matrix to spot this early and have the conversation.
Build a tier-1 and tier-2 list
Tier 1 is "must-invite" (must reach 100%). Tier 2 is "would-love-to-invite" (reaches 50% if Tier 1 has decline rate). Send Tier 1 invites first. As regrets come in, send Tier 2 invites. This adds complexity but lets you invite more people total.
Wedding party is not a guest count add
Your bridesmaids, groomsmen, officiant, and ring bearer are all guests. Count them in your headcount. They eat, drink, and need seats. Forgetting them is the most common headcount mistake.
Plus-one rules should be consistent
Either everyone gets a plus-one or only married/long-term-partnered guests do. Mixed rules cause hurt feelings. The cleanest rule: everyone in a serious relationship gets a plus-one; truly single guests do not.
Decide on kids early
Adults-only weddings save 20 to 30% on catering and reduce headcount meaningfully. If you do invite kids, count them as full guests for headcount but ask caterers about reduced kids-meal pricing.
Colleagues are a slippery slope
Inviting any coworkers usually means inviting all of your team to avoid hurt feelings. Decide upfront: zero coworkers, just immediate team, or full team. Pick one, stick to it.
Save B-list for after first round of regrets
If you have a Tier 2 list, do not send their invitations until you receive at least 30 to 40% of Tier 1 RSVPs. Otherwise you risk overshooting your venue capacity if regrets are below average.
Headcount drives every other vendor decision
Lock in your final guest list before you commit to a venue. Venues have capacity caps. A 250-guest wedding cannot fit in a 150-capacity venue. The matrix here gives you a quick total without re-counting your spreadsheet.
Now find venues that fit your headcount.
Venues, caterers, and rentals priced for your specific guest count
Now that you have a target total, the next step is finding venues that match your capacity. The Zennvue marketplace lets you filter venues by guest count and budget. Free for couples, no signup required to browse. AI matches you with venues that have positive reviews specifically about hosting your headcount.
Guest List Manager FAQ.
Ready for the next step? Plan your whole wedding free.
Zennvue's free couples app saves your guest list automatically, syncs with your seating chart, and tracks RSVPs as they arrive. Plus vendor matching, budget tracker, and day-of timeline editor.