# Wedding guest list template for Excel and Google Sheets

> Free wedding guest list template for Excel or Google Sheets, plus which columns to keep, how to trim the list and how to turn it into a seating chart.

Source: https://seatingsolver.com/wedding-guest-list-template/ · As of: 2026-11-03 · Seating Solver

A good wedding guest list is one spreadsheet with one person per row. Download the free template below, keep the columns you need, and use the same file later for RSVPs, meal choices and the seating chart. It needs no sign-up.

## Key points

- A wedding guest list works best as a spreadsheet with one person per row. The columns most lists need are name, side or group, plus one, RSVP and meal. Address is useful for mailed invitations.
- The free template is a CSV file with first name, last name, group, plus one, meal, child, RSVP and notes, and four sample rows. It opens in Excel, Numbers and Google Sheets.
- To trim a long list, set the headcount and budget first, then sort people into must-invite and maybe. Many couples use an A list and a B list for this; it is common practice, not a rule.
- Seating Solver can import a CSV or Excel file. It matches columns by their headings, skips declined guests and leaves out columns such as address or email.

## Download the free wedding guest list template

- **Guest list template**: A spreadsheet with columns for first name, last name, group, plus one, meal, child, RSVP and notes, with four sample rows. Delete the samples and type over them. Download: https://seatingsolver.com/downloads/guest-list-template.csv

It is a CSV file. Excel, Numbers and Google Sheets open it as columns. Add columns of your own, such as address, and save it as .xlsx or .csv. There is no Word version. The same file is offered on the [seating chart template](https://seatingsolver.com/seating-chart-template/) page.

## Which columns does a wedding guest list need?

Start with the first few and add the rest only if you will really keep them up to date. Every extra column is more to change when someone’s plans change.

| Column | What it is for |
| --- | --- |
| Name | One person per row, first and last name. Write the plus one on their own row once you know who it is. |
| Side or group | Bride’s family, groom’s family, college friends, coworkers. Groups make the seating chart much easier. |
| Plus one | Yes, no, or the name of the guest. |
| Child | Marks children, who may need a different meal or a seat next to their parents. |
| RSVP | Yes, no or pending. |
| Meal | Beef, fish, vegetarian, kids meal. Only needed if your caterer asks for a choice. |
| Needs | Seating wishes such as near the exit, step-free access, a high chair or a quiet seat. Note where someone should sit, not why. A notes column is enough. |
| Address | Only if you mail invitations. Collect it in a separate column and keep it out of the seating chart. |

## How do you count and trim your guest list?

Count people, not invitations. A couple is two, each plus one is one more, and children count for the venue and for the caterer, often at a different rate. Ask your venue for the maximum headcount and a per-person price before you start cutting.

1. **Write everyone down.** Each partner, and any parents who are contributing, writes a list without editing.
2. **Set the headcount.** Take the number from the venue and your budget, not from the list.
3. **Sort into must-invite and maybe.** Many couples call these the A list and the B list. Send the A invitations first, and invite from the B list as declines come in. Give the B list enough time before the RSVP deadline.
4. **Apply one rule to everyone.** For example no plus ones for guests you have not met, or children only from family. A rule you can state in one sentence is easier to defend than exceptions.
5. **Recount.** Add staff meals if the vendors need them, and keep a few spare seats for late changes.

## How do you track RSVPs?

Keep one RSVP column and use the same three words every time: yes, no, pending. A pending cell is the reminder to follow up. Sort or filter the column to see who has not replied.

- Put a reply date on the invitation. Four to six weeks before the wedding is a common rule of thumb; the venue’s deadline for the final headcount decides the rest.
- Update the list the day a reply arrives, not in batches.
- Message guests who have not replied once, then call.
- Do not delete declined guests. Mark them “no” so the count of invited people stays correct. The [wedding checklist](https://seatingsolver.com/wedding-checklist/) shows when each of these steps is due.

## From guest list to seating chart

The guest list is the input for the seating chart, so the same file does both jobs. In Seating Solver you choose the file (.xlsx, .csv, .tsv or .txt) and a Match columns window opens. It guesses what each column is from its heading. You can change any guess before you add the guests, and nothing is uploaded while you do it.

### Name

A full name column, or a first name and a last name column.

### Group

Headings such as group, side, category or family become the group. The seating plan uses groups to keep people together.

### Plus one

A name adds that guest. Yes adds an unnamed plus one. A count such as party size adds that many.

### Meal

Meal text like beef, salmon or vegetarian is matched to the meal categories automatically.

### Child

Yes marks the guest as a child.

### Note

Allergy, dietary and notes columns become the guest’s note, shortened to 120 characters.

**RSVP.** If the file has an RSVP column, rows marked no or declined are skipped. Pending and empty rows are added by default. Choose “Accepted only” to leave them out, or “Everyone” to include declined guests too. Columns such as address, email, phone and table number are ignored.

[Load my guest list into Seating Solver](https://seatingsolver.com/app/)

After that you can set who sits together or apart and let the app fill the tables. See [how to make a wedding seating chart](https://seatingsolver.com/wedding-seating-chart/) for the full steps, and [how many guests per table](https://seatingsolver.com/how-many-guests-per-table/) for table sizes.

## Wedding guest list questions

### Is there a free wedding guest list template?

Yes. You can download a guest list spreadsheet on this page. It opens in Excel, Numbers and Google Sheets and needs no sign-up.

### What should be on a wedding guest list?

At least each guest’s name and their group or side. Most couples add plus one, RSVP and meal choice, and an address if they mail invitations.

### What is an A list and a B list?

The A list is the people you will invite for certain. The B list is the people you invite if A-list guests decline. It is a common way to hold the headcount, not a rule.

### How do I make a wedding guest list in Excel?

Open the template, delete the sample rows and type one guest per row. Use filters on the RSVP and group columns to see who has not replied and who sits where.

### Can I use my own spreadsheet for the seating chart?

Yes. Seating Solver reads .xlsx and .csv files and lets you match the columns, so you do not need to use our headings.

### Is there a UK wedding guest list template?

The same file works in the UK. In the UK, the seating chart is often called a [wedding table plan](https://seatingsolver.com/wedding-table-plan/).

## Keep reading

- [Free seating chart template](https://seatingsolver.com/seating-chart-template/)
- [How to make a wedding seating chart](https://seatingsolver.com/wedding-seating-chart/)
- [Wedding checklist with your dates](https://seatingsolver.com/wedding-checklist/)
- [How many guests per table](https://seatingsolver.com/how-many-guests-per-table/)
- [Printable place cards](https://seatingsolver.com/place-cards/)