The guest list at your wedding is a pretty big deal. You don’t want to forget anyone out, and you don’t want to overdo it on the names front and then run out of space at the reception. You’re scared of upsetting people, and you want to keep your fiance, in-laws and parents happy. It’s a lot to juggle!
We’ve got some pretty simple ideas on how to make this process a little easier on you:
Be realistic about how many people you can accommodate. This will avoid a whole lot of stress at a later stage. This final list will be influenced by two main things: your budget for the day, and the space your venue has available. Rather start off on the conservative side and add people a little later on, when you get some declined invites from other guests. It’s better to have less than you were expecting, as opposed to a room full of squished people.
Choose some rules that are important to both you and your partner, and then stick to them. For example: don’t want kids at your wedding? That’s totally fine! Agree that you won’t be inviting them and don’t sway from this. Another great one? If you haven’t spoken to them in a certain period of time (for example, a year), leave them off the list.
Include the exact names on the invite. This way, people can’t pretend they didn’t know they weren’t allowed to bring a partner, friend or their kids.
Avoid adding people at the last minute. Just because someone makes an awkward comment about how excited they are for your wedding, does not mean you have to invite them. Change the topic of conversation if your wedding keeps coming up, and steer clear of giving specific details away when they haven’t been confirmed yet. Adding extra people at the last minute can also confuse the planner, venue, seating lists and stationery printers. It’s just an all round no.
Not many people enjoy the feeling of cutting the guest list down, or telling people they can’t attend their wedding, but sometimes these things have to be done in order to have the day of your dreams. In the end, it’s about what you and your partner want, if your guests want to get married themselves, then they’ll have their moment in the spotlight too.