How to Avoid a Wedding Guest List Nightmare
Deciding which guests you invite to your wedding when planning for your big day can turn into an absolute nightmare. You feel bad you can’t invite everyone, you know that person will get upset if you invite that other person and not them. Your parents or in-laws are upset they can’t invite all their friends, and the list goes on and on. Weddings can be expensive and more guests mean the higher the costs. Here are some tips for avoiding a wedding guest list nightmare.
Friends For Life Or A Season?
Invite people you know you will still be friends with in five years’ time. Try and be as hard on yourself as you can – if you changed jobs would they still be your friend? If you had children would they still be in your circle? Think about who is really going to be there for you in the next chapter of your life and who is simply passing through. This is not only good for your guest list – it’s a good beginning to the rest of your life.
Cut The Plus-One
Don’t add plus ones for guests who have partners you have not met or guests that don’t have partners. While it may feel daunting to invite a guest on their own, weddings are a fun, friendly environment where singles feel they can mingle and still have a great night.
Even Stevens
Keep things fair and give both sets of parents the same number of friends and family to invite. If they aren’t helping pay for the wedding then you can decide if you still want to do this. Having this rule ensures you avoid upsetting the in-laws before the wedding and is a good way to begin the unity of your two families. If one or both of the families are not in a position to pay for the wedding or have chosen not to pay, it is up to you if you would still extend this offer.
The Backup List
Create a Reserved List rated in order of priority. It sounds rude but you can always have a backup! This is a great idea if you are having a small wedding or if you have lots of friends and a small budget.
Friends vs Family
Have a limit on how many friends you and your partner plan to invite to your wedding. You will be surprised how many friends won’t expect an invite and will understand. Those who don’t understand are not real friends.
Family Matters
Never feel obliged to invite all family members. Especially the ones you only see at Christmas time. Some people have endless cousins and second cousins and if they haven’t gotten married yet there is a high chance they probably won’t invite you to their wedding. Stick to inviting family you spend time with and have a good relationship with.
The Other Back-Up Plan
If you’re really trying to cut numbers, send the invite out with very short notice of the date so hopefully, some guests already have other commitments.
Remember, your wedding day is about you and your partner and it does not matter what anyone else thinks. You need to invite to your wedding those guests you want to celebrate with and not those that you ‘had’ to have there to keep the peace.
How many people are you thinking of having at your Wedding?
What kind of methods did you use to condense this list?
Let us know below in the comments.
