The guest list and RSVPs, step by step

The guest list decides the venue, the food and the budget. How to write it together, split it into groups, and know who's coming before the venue asks for the final number.

3 min readUpdated Oct 23, 2026

The guest list is more than a list of names. It decides how big a venue you book, how many people the caterer cooks for, and how many cards you print. Start it early, even before you've booked anything.

Start with a number, not names

Before you write a single name, agree on a rough number: 100, 200 or 300. That number tells you which venues to look at and keeps the budget honest from the start. As the budget guide explains, food is priced per guest, so every 50 guests make a real difference.

Write it together

  • One list for the whole wedding: write it in one place, the two of you and the family, so no name is there twice and nobody is forgotten.
  • Groups, not loose names: family, university friends, work, neighbours. Groups make it easy to add or cut when the number grows.
  • Priorities: mark who must be there and who could wait if the venue is small.
  • Children: decide early whether children are invited, and say so clearly on the invitation.

One list per event

The engagement is usually smaller than the wedding, and the katb el-ketab may be close family only. Give each event its own list instead of sending the same invitation to everyone.

RSVPs

  1. Set a reply date: ask the venue when it needs the final number, and make your reply date a few days before it.
  2. Send the invitation with a link to reply: guests answer with one tap and say how many are coming.
  3. Remind those who haven't answered: a short message with their name, a few days before the reply date.
  4. Check the count: who said yes, how many people are with them, and who sent regrets.

On Zaghrouta

In the wedding plan you enter your rough number first, and the budget and the suitable venues follow from it. In the guest list you add guests by hand or from your contacts, put them in groups, and send each one their invitation on WhatsApp with a link to reply. On the day, each guest has a code that is scanned at the door, and you watch the count as people arrive.

For the wording of the invitation and when to send it, read the WhatsApp invitation guide.