Free wedding guest list CSV template
Every good seating plan starts with a tidy guest list. Before you think about tables, you need one place that tells you who is coming, who they came with, what they eat, and whether they are there for the whole day or just the evening.
This is a guest list designed to become a seating plan. It is built for UK weddings, so it includes the things many US templates miss: day and evening guests, notes for who should sit together or apart, and the wedding breakfast.
It opens in Excel, Google Sheets, Numbers or any spreadsheet app.
What's in the template
The columns are the ones you need to build a plan. You can add more for addresses or meal choices if you want them. Seated reads Name, Role, Group, Dietary, Notes and Attendance. A column called Guest type is treated as Attendance, so an existing day or evening sheet still imports.
| Column | What to put in it | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Name | The guest's full name, as you want it on a place card | Sarah Smith |
| Role | How they fit the day | Bridesmaid |
| Group | How they know you, or who they belong with | Bride's Family |
| Dietary | Any dietary needs or allergies, or leave blank | Vegetarian |
| Notes | Who they should sit with, or who to keep apart | Coming alone |
| Attendance | Day, Evening, or Day and evening | Day and evening |
Name
Use one row per person, not per couple or family. "Mr and Mrs Patel" is one row on an invitation list but two seats on a plan. Splitting them now saves a lot of fiddling later.
If two guests share a name, add something to tell them apart, such as a middle initial. In Seated, the same name can also be told apart by group or by day and evening.
Group
This is the most useful column on the sheet. Groups are how you build tables quickly: all the uni friends together, the cousins on one table, work colleagues on another.
Good group names are short and consistent. Pick a handful and stick to them, for example Bride's family, Groom's family, Friends, Uni friends, Work and Neighbours. "Uni friends" and "uni mates" will be treated as two different groups unless you tidy them. If you are two brides or two grooms, use your names instead, such as "Amy's family" and "Jo's family".
Dietary and notes
Write down anything the caterer needs to know: vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, nut allergy, no pork, and so on. Leave Dietary blank if there is nothing to note. Be specific with allergies. "Nut allergy" and "severe nut allergy, carries an EpiPen" mean different things to a kitchen.
Use Notes for relationships you would be annoyed to forget, such as "Divorced from Dave, keep apart" or "Coming alone". Children who need a seat should each have their own row. Mention ages in Dietary or Notes if your caterer offers a children's menu.
Attendance
Put Day for guests invited to the ceremony and wedding breakfast, Evening for guests invited to the evening reception only, and Day and evening when they are there for both. Your wedding breakfast plan only needs the day guests. We go into this in the guide to day and evening guests.
How to fill it in
- Start with your guest list as it stands. Don't wait for every RSVP.
- Split couples and families into individual rows. One person per row.
- Fill in Group for everyone in one sitting, so the names stay consistent.
- Mark day and evening guests. If you haven't decided yet, mark your best guess and change it later.
- Add dietary needs as RSVPs arrive.
- Remove anyone who declines, or keep a separate declined list if you like a record.
Keep one master copy. If you and your partner both edit, use a shared Google Sheet rather than emailing files back and forth. Add plus-ones as named guests when you know them. Until then, "Guest of Tom Smith" in the Name column is fine.
Turning the template into a seating plan
Paper and sticky notes. Write each guest on a sticky note and move people around. It works for small weddings, and you will still need to type the final plan up for the venue.
A spreadsheet. Add a Table column and fill it in. This is free, but it is hard to see the room as a whole.
Import it into Seated. Seated reads this template as a CSV. Groups, dietary notes and the day or evening split come across with it. Attendance is stored on the guest so you can still see who is day, evening, or both. Then add tables, drag guests, or run the AI seating suggestion. Rules such as must sit together and keep apart are included on Free and Pro. Export a PNG for the venue. Free covers up to 30 guests, with one AI seating run and a watermarked PNG. Pro is £7.99 one-off for further AI seating changes, CSV export and a PNG without the watermark.
The longer notes on groups and relationship lines are in the wedding seating plan CSV guide.
Related guides
- The UK wedding seating plan guide: how to plan the whole room, step by step.
- Day guests vs evening guests: how to manage both in one list.
- Wedding breakfast seating plan: a step-by-step guide to the meal itself.
- Top table seating plan: traditional and modern layouts.
Questions
Is the template really free?
Yes. The CSV is free to download and use however you like, with or without Seated. It opens in Google Sheets, Excel, Numbers and LibreOffice.
What's the difference between a guest list template and a seating plan template?
In practice, very little. A seating plan starts from a guest list with groups attached. This template is a guest list designed to become a seating plan, which is why it includes groups, notes and the day or evening split.
Should evening guests go on the template?
Yes. Keep everyone on one list and mark Attendance as Day, Evening, or Day and evening. Only day guests usually need a seat at the wedding breakfast. Seated keeps that status when you import the file.
How do I record who should be kept apart?
Use the Notes column, for example 'Divorced from Dave, keep apart'. In Seated you can also add a keep-apart rule for that pair.
When should I start filling it in?
As soon as you have a draft guest list. Keep updating it as RSVPs arrive, and start the actual seating plan once your RSVP deadline has passed.
What if my guest list is over 30 people?
You can still use the template and import it into Seated. Free plans cover up to 30 guests. Pro is £7.99 one-off and removes the cap.