The golden rule: invitations are counted per household, while menus, place cards, and favors are counted per guest, with a 10 to 15% safety margin. Miscalculating the base is the most common — and most costly — mistake.
Here are the guidelines I give my clients, refined over years of weddings prepared from my workshop in Paris.
Should you count per person or per household?
It depends on the item. Invitations and save-the-dates are counted per household (a couple receives only one invitation), whereas everything placed on a place setting — menu, place card, favor — is counted per person.
Confusing the two leads to either waste or shortage. A wedding of 100 guests does not correspond to 100 invitations, but rather to about 55-65 households. Conversely, you will need 100 menus and 100 place cards.
How many invitations should you order?
Count the number of invited households, then add 10 to 15%: a few extras for forgotten guests, address errors, and one or two keepsakes for yourselves.
On average, divide your number of guests by 1.7 to 1.9 to estimate the number of households. Also see our stationery timeline to know when to order them.
| Guests | Households (estimate) | Invitations to order (+15%) |
|---|---|---|
| 50 | ~28 | ~32 |
| 80 | ~45 | ~52 |
| 100 | ~56 | ~64 |
| 150 | ~83 | ~95 |
| 200 | ~110 | ~127 |
How many menus and place cards should you plan for?
One menu and one place card per person attending the meal, plus a 5 to 10% margin for stains, table plan changes, and staff.
Savings tip: a personalized fan can serve as a place card while also acting as a favor — see personalized fans. To choose the material for your menus, consult the comparison paper or canvas menu.
How many handkerchiefs and guest favors should you plan for?
One handkerchief per guest, with a 10 to 15% margin (emotions cannot be rationed). For other souvenir favors like magnets, count per household instead.
| Item | Calculation Basis | Recommended Margin |
|---|---|---|
| Handkerchiefs | Per guest | +10-15 % |
| Photo magnets | Per household | +10 % |
| Fans (if place card) | Per guest | +10-15 % |
| Temporary tattoos | 1 sheet of 50 for 10-15 guests | — |
| Dragee labels | Per box distributed | +10 % |
For details on handkerchiefs and tattoos, see our guides on personalized handkerchiefs and temporary tattoos.
A summary table
| Item | Per household | Per guest | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Save-the-date | ✓ | +10 % | |
| Invitations | ✓ | +15 % | |
| Menus | ✓ | +5-10 % | |
| Place cards | ✓ | +5-10 % | |
| Handkerchiefs | ✓ | +10-15 % | |
| Magnets | ✓ | +10 % |
Need help calculating your quantities?
At Memerle, I handcraft each piece in Paris (1 to 5 business days after validation) and ship worldwide. Give me your guest count at hello@memerle.com: I will help you adjust your quantities and send you a quote.