House Party RSVP Checklist: Master Guest Lists & Catering Numbers

Set your absolute maximum guest capacity

Count your living room square footage, subtract furniture, and be honest about fire codes and your neighbours' patience. For a typical 3-bedroom house, 40-50 is comfortable; 60+ gets cramped fast. Write this number down — you'll need it.

Decide your plus-one policy in writing

Will you allow them? Limit to partners only? Set a hard cap? Decide now and write it clearly in your invite — "Partners welcome, no additional guests please" prevents awkward conversations later.

Identify your parking and entry limits

Count available parking spots (your driveway, street parking within walking distance). If you have 8 spots but 40 guests, mention this upfront: "Limited parking — carpooling recommended." For flat parties, note if there's a building entrance bottleneck.

Create your event on Who's In and set capacity lock

Go to whos-in.app/create, set your max guest count, and enable the "Stop accepting RSVPs at capacity" setting. This prevents overbooking. Add parking info and plus-one rules in the description.

Set your RSVP deadline 48–72 hours before party time

For Friday night parties, close RSVPs by Wednesday evening. This gives you time to confirm final headcount with your supplier, plan food quantities, and alert guests if you've hit capacity.

Plan your kitchen workflow for food prep or hosting

Will you cook at home or order catering? If cooking, know your oven/stove limits and prep timeline. If ordering, decide how many servings you'll need based on final headcount (see catering section below).

Share your RSVP link everywhere — and pin it

Post in WhatsApp, Instagram Stories, email, Facebook events. For house parties, group chats are gold — pin the Who's In link so people can RSVP directly without you chasing them.

Check current RSVP count and forecast your numbers

Log into Who's In and note how many have said yes. If you're at 50% of your target already, great. If you're at 5%, do a push. For casual house parties, expect 60-75% of "yes" RSVPs to actually show up.

List out all dietary requirements from RSVPs

Check Who's In for any notes about dietary needs, allergies, or preferences. For house parties, this is crucial: one gluten-free guest means you can't just grab generic finger food.

Get your first catering or supply quote based on current RSVPs

If you have 20 RSVPs now, get a quote for 20 people plus a 25% buffer (=25 servings). You'll refine this closer to the date. Confirm the caterer can do same-week orders if needed.

Arrange drink quantities — calculate by guest, not by bottle

Plan 2–3 drinks per guest for a 3-hour party, 4–5 for a 5+ hour party. For 30 guests over 4 hours: ~90 drinks. Buy: 2 bottles wine (12 drinks), 1 spirit bottle (25 drinks), beer/cider (35 drinks), mixers (13 drinks). Add 10% buffer.

Brief any helpers or co-hosts on their role

If someone's helping with setup, drinks, or cleanup, confirm dates and expectations now. House parties rely on informal help — lock it in early.

Send a reminder to all RSVPs with logistics details

Who's In can auto-send this. Include: exact start/end time, address with parking notes ("2 spots in driveway, street parking 2 mins walk"), what to bring (drinks, dessert, dish to share), and your plus-one policy reminder.

Review your RSVP count and check for plus-one additions

Look at Who's In: did anyone add notes about bringing a partner? Count heads: if you have 28 RSVPs + 12 plus-ones = 40 people, you're at capacity. Close RSVPs if you've hit your limit.

Refine your catering order based on final forecast

You have 35 confirmed RSVPs? Order for 40 (add 10–15% buffer for walk-ins and appetite variation). Confirm delivery time and setup requirements with your caterer.

Plan your space layout: seating, standing, eating areas

Sketch a quick floor plan. Where will people eat? Where's the drinks station? Can the kitchen handle 30 people milling around, or should you move drinks to a side table? Move fragile items now.

Shop for non-perishables and prep what you can

Buy ice, mixers, snacks, napkins, cups, plates. If you're making food, prep components now (chop veg, marinate meat) so you're not cooking while guests arrive.

Create a simple guest list spreadsheet for final check-in

Export your RSVP list from Who's In. Include names, plus-one names if applicable, and any dietary notes. Print it out for door/kitchen reference.

Send final 48-hour reminder with a "see you soon" tone

Include the exact address, parking tips ("arrive after 7pm for street parking"), what gate/entrance to use, and your mobile number if they get lost. This single reminder cuts no-shows by 40%.

Check for last-minute cancellations and reach out to waitlist

Who's In shows you cancellations in real-time. If you drop from 40 to 35 guests, you might open the waitlist to someone. Update your catering order if headcount shifts by more than 3 people.

Confirm final catering numbers and delivery time

Call your caterer or restaurant: "I have 38 confirmed, plus a 10% buffer = 42 servings please. Delivery at 6:45pm, setup by 7pm." Get a direct number in case they're late.

Deep clean your house — focus on high-traffic areas

Bathrooms, kitchen, living room entrance, and any outdoor spaces guests will use. Tidy not pristine — house parties are casual, but dirty bathrooms ruin the vibe.

Stock your bathroom with essentials and extra loo roll

Soap, hand towels, toilet paper (buy 1.5x what you think you need), and a small trash bin. For 40 guests, assume 6–8 bathroom visits per person over 4 hours.

Set up your drink station and chill bottles

Designate a table or corner as the drinks hub. Put white wine and beer in the fridge now. Set up mixers, ice bucket, and glasses in advance — you don't want 20 people in your kitchen asking "where's the corkscrew?"

Finish food prep and set up serving stations 60 minutes early

Your caterer arrives at 6:45pm? Be ready by 6:00pm. Set out plates, cutlery, napkins, and a sign for any dietary-specific dishes ("GF option here"). If you're cooking, aim to plate/arrange food by 30 minutes before guests arrive.

Create a welcoming entrance: clear path, good lighting, signage

Open the door, leave a light on, maybe a small sign ("Party this way" with an arrow). Have the first person greet guests and point them to drinks. This takes stress off you.

Do a final headcount check at the 30-minute mark

Look at your guest list. Who's here? Who's missing? Has anyone brought an unexpected plus-one? Adjust food/drink amounts if needed. If you're at 45 when you planned for 38, ration the snacks slightly.

Keep an eye on parking and neighbour relations

If guests are parking on street, remind them where the spots are. If a neighbour appears, a friendly wave and "party will wind down by 11pm" prevents noise complaints escalating.

Take 5–10 photos for social proof and memory

Grab a phone and snap a few candid shots: the food table, people chatting, a group photo. Tag the location (your house's neighbourhood) and any friends in attendance.

Monitor bathroom, kitchen, and living room cleanliness as you go

Do a quick tidy of the bathroom every 90 minutes. Wipe down the kitchen table. Pick up stray cups from the living room before they pile up. Small maintenance prevents post-party disaster.

Send a thank-you message to attendees within 24 hours

Use Who's In to message all guests: "Thanks for coming! You made it amazing. Check out the photos [link]. Next house party [date TBD]." Keep it warm and casual.

Share photos on Instagram Stories or group chat

Post 3–5 best photos with a caption like "Last night was wild! 🎉" Tag anyone who should see it. Stories disappear, but they build FOMO for your next event.

Send a friendly "we missed you" to no-shows

Check Who's In for who RSVP'd but didn't attend. Send a quick message: "You were missed! Everything OK? Next one's [date]." You'll be surprised how many reschedule for the next party.

Review your RSVP-to-attendance ratio and note it

Did 35 people RSVP and 28 show up (80%)? Did you overbuy food? Log this in a notes file so you can improve next time. House party patterns are consistent once you know yours.

Lock in your next house party date while buzz is high

Create your next event on Who's In immediately. While people are happy and talking about the last party, announce the next one. Momentum is real — catch it.