Most wedding guest list templates have three columns: name, coming or not, and not much else. They work for the first week and fall short as soon as replies arrive with allergies, plus-ones and "is there a shuttle?".
This one has the ten columns you end up needing, and above all the formulas that count for you, which is the part templates almost never include.
Download it
- Guest list template for Excel (.xlsx) — with the drop-downs and a summary sheet that calculates itself. Opens the same in Excel, Google Sheets and Numbers.
- CSV version — just the columns, no formulas, if you would rather build your own.
It is free, we do not ask for your email and there is nothing to sign up for. Inside the file there is a four-line "How to use it" sheet, and that is all.
What is in the file
A Guests sheet with these columns:
| Full name | Group | Phone | Status | Meal type | Entrée choice | Allergies / diet | Table | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emma Collins | Bride's family | emma@example.com | 555 0100 | Attending | Adult | Fish | 1 | Travelling from Boston | |
| James Walker | Groom's family | james@example.com | 555 0101 | Pending | Adult | 1 | |||
| Lily Walker | Groom's family | Attending | Child | Pasta | Dairy-free | 1 |
If you would rather not download anything, select the table, copy it and paste it into Excel or Google Sheets. It pastes as a table and you can start typing underneath.
And a Summary sheet that counts on its own: guests on the list, attending, still to reply, declined, adult, child and special meals among those attending, and how many have an allergy or diet noted.
Why each column
- Full name. Complete. When you have three Emmas you will be glad.
- Group. Bride's family, groom's family, friends, work. It is the column you will sort by when you do the seating chart, so fill it in from the start.
- Status. A drop-down with three values: Pending, Attending, Declined. Never leave it blank, because blank cannot be counted.
- Meal type and entrée choice. Separate. Meal type is adult, child or special, because most venues price children's meals differently. The entrée is the dish they picked.
- Allergies / diet. Free text. There is always something that fits no category, and guests will tell you if you leave them room to write it. More on that in how to ask about dietary restrictions on your RSVP.
- Table. Leave it empty until the end. Filling it in before replies close guarantees doing it twice.
One person per row, plus-ones included
This is the rule that keeps every number honest. A plus-one gets their own row, even if for now they are "Emma's guest". So does every child.
The alternative, a "plus one: yes" column next to the main guest, is the most expensive mistake on a guest list: the rows add up to fewer people than are coming, and you order fewer meals than you need.
The formulas doing the work
They are already in the Summary sheet. If you build your own, these are the ones that matter, assuming status in column E and entrée in column G, as in the template.
How many are coming
=COUNTIF(E:E,"Attending")
How many you still have to chase
=COUNTIF(E:E,"Pending")
This is the one you check every week.
How many of each meal
=COUNTIFS(E:E,"Attending",G:G,"Fish")
Note that it crosses two conditions: attending and fish. Counting the meal column on its own would include people who picked a dish and then said they could not come, and you would over-order.
For printing
If you want it on paper for the day, which is a good idea because venue signal is what it is, print only the columns that matter there: name, table, meal and allergies. Hide the rest and print it landscape. That sheet is the one you give the venue coordinator, not the full list with phone numbers and notes.
When the spreadsheet stops being enough
It works very well while you are the one collecting replies and typing them in.
It gets heavy around three figures: every RSVP that arrives by text you type in yourself, and every time you want to know who is missing you cross-check the list again. The longer version of that is in how to manage your wedding guest list online.
Or there is our online guest list, part of a wedding website for €49 once: guests RSVP with their meal and allergies, and the list fills itself in. You can still download it as a CSV for the caterer.
If your wedding is small, this template and a little patience are all you need.
Frequently asked questions
What columns should a wedding guest list have?
Ten cover every case: full name, group, email, phone, RSVP status, meal type, entrée choice, allergies or diet, table and notes. Fewer than that falls short as soon as replies start coming in.
How do I count RSVPs automatically in Excel?
With COUNTIF on the status column: =COUNTIF(E:E,"Attending") gives you who is coming and =COUNTIF(E:E,"Pending") who you still have to chase. The template's summary sheet already does both.
How do I count how many of each meal to order?
With COUNTIFS, crossing status and meal: =COUNTIFS(E:E,"Attending",G:G,"Fish"). It only counts the meals of guests who said yes, which is the number your caterer needs.
How do I handle plus-ones on a guest list?
Give every plus-one their own row, even before you know their name. One person per row means the headcount and the meal counts are always right, and nobody gets lost because they were a note next to someone else.
Does the template work in Google Sheets and Numbers?
Yes. It is a normal .xlsx with standard formulas, so it opens the same in Excel, Google Sheets and Apple Numbers. There is also a CSV with just the columns.
Spreadsheet or online guest list?
A spreadsheet works well while you are the one collecting the replies. An online tool makes sense when you want guests to fill in their own details and the list to update itself, without copying anything by hand.
Template by the Wedding30s team. Free to use however you like, including if you are a planner and pass it on to your couples. Missing a column you needed? Write to support@wedding30s.com and we will add it.