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The Combined Ranking Algorithm Explained

How your separate ratings come together to create the final guest list.

Here's how the magic happens — taking two sets of private ratings and creating a fair, combined result.


The Basic Formula

  1. Take each partner's ratings across all categories
  2. Calculate a weighted average for each partner
  3. Combine both partners' averages equally (50/50 split)
  4. Apply VIP/Hard No overrides
  5. Sort by final score

Equal Weight

Both partners' opinions count equally.

If you rate Aunt Linda a 5 and your partner rates her a 2

Her combined score is 3.5

Neither partner's vote counts more than the other's.


What About Disagreements?

The algorithm doesn't hide disagreements — it highlights them.

In the Combined View, you can see:

  • Guests you both agree should be invited
  • Guests you both agree shouldn't make the cut
  • Guests where you disagree significantly

💡 Tip

Those disagreements become your discussion points — the algorithm saves you from arguing about everyone by focusing your conversations on just the contested guests.


The Cutoff

Based on your target guest count, a horizontal line shows where the natural cutoff falls. Everyone above is "in," everyone below is "out."

📝 Note

You can always override the algorithm's suggestions — it's a starting point, not the final word.