Don’t Count on the Flake List!

Whether you are planning a grand event such as a wedding or something on a much smaller scale…don’t count on the flake list! The most important criteria to establish when planning an event are the budget and the guest list. After these are defined, they will influence countless decisions to come which include the event venue size and type, dinner menu selections, beverage service, rentals, entertainment and even dinner service. So you may be asking yourself, “What is the flake list?” and “How is it connected to these very important decisions?” The flake list is the term lovingly applied to the group of invitees that you’ve already assumed will decline. Most people comfortably embrace the idea that 10-20% of invited guests will decline with regrets due to a variety of reasons such as previous obligations or location. I believe that it is safe to expect that a flake list will begin to establish itself soon after the invitations have been mailed. However, it is extremely important not to make costly decisions based on a “flake” list overestimation. At the end of the planning journey and the commencing of an event, as the host, it would be very stressful to be forced to make last minute changes, if possible, and if not last minute bank runs as a result of decisions made based on a “flake” list overestimation. Be sure to have an open dialogue with your event planner regarding your “flake” list estimates, details such as holidays and travel costs do and will have an affect on the number of guests that respond with pleasure or decline regret. Plan smart and efficiently and don’t count on the flake list to make decisions that you couldn’t otherwise afford.