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How many invitations
do I need?

Q: How many invitations do I need?

One per household, not one per guest — plus a few spares and two keepsakes. A 150-guest wedding is typically around 75 to 85 invitations, because couples, families and flatmates each receive one. Counting people rather than households is why most people order nearly double what they need.

Almost everyone orders too many, because they count people. Invitations are counted per household — this works out the real number.

How many invitations do I need?

One per household, not one per guest — plus a few spares and two keepsakes. A 150-guest wedding is typically around 75 to 85 invitations, because couples, families and flatmates each receive one. Counting people rather than households is why most people order nearly double what they need.

Work out your number.

People invitedEveryone, including children and plus-ones

HouseholdsAddresses you will post to

SparesFor late additions and mistakes

Runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you type is sent anywhere.

Not sure how many households you have?

A household is everyone who will receive one invitation together. A married couple is one. A family with three children is one. Two friends sharing a flat are usually two, because two invitations go through that door.

The test is not the address — it is how many invitations you would put through it. If you have a list of names and no idea how it splits, the guest list organiser will group it for you.

Rough guide, if you have not built the list yet.

Households as a share of guests varies a great deal with the shape of your list — a wedding of couples looks nothing like one with many single friends. Treat these as a starting point, then count properly.

Guests invited	Typical households	Invitations to order
50	26–30	About 35
100	50–60	About 65
150	75–85	About 90
200	100–115	About 120
300	150–170	About 180

Order includes roughly five spares and two keepsakes. Always order spares. A short run reprint costs far more per card than the extras would have, and addressing mistakes are certain rather than likely.

Common questions

How many spare invitations should I order?

Five is a sensible minimum, ten if your list is still moving or you are addressing by hand. Calligraphers and hand-addressing both produce spoiled cards, and a reprint of five costs nearly as much as a hundred.

Do children get their own invitation?

No — their names go on the household's invitation. Naming them explicitly is also the clearest way to signal which children are invited, which matters a great deal if you are not inviting all of them.

Should I order an invitation for myself?

Order two: one to keep and one for the album or a framed set. Photographers routinely ask for a clean unaddressed suite for flat-lay shots, and people are often surprised to find they have none left.

What about save-the-dates — same number?

Same household count, but usually sent to a slightly longer list, since the guest list often tightens between save-the-date and invitation. Order to the wider list.

Now design the invitation itself.

Evorrah designs an original suite for your event — invitation, details card, reply card and more — from a brief rather than a template. One payment per event, from $149.

See how it works Organise your guest list

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