Wedding Guest List
One on the first obstacles in planning your wedding is deciding on whom to invite. The guest list is a key component because it affects your budget. Depending on where you live, you could spend $30 to $600 per person. The number of guests you invite affects not just the cost for food and beverages, but also the costs of invitations, programs, place cards, menus and favors. Do you envision your day with hundreds of people or is it an intimate affair? Remember, a wedding with a small guest list does not mean that it can’t be an extravagant affair.
How to determine your guest list?
It is imperative to have the people who are most important to you and your groom at your wedding. To help create your list, there should be four groups: the Bride’s list, the Groom’s list, the Bride’s parent’s list and the Groom’s parent’s list. Now each group should have two sets of lists. The first list being “List A” The individuals on this list should include of course, the Bride and Groom, Parents, Grandparents, the Bridal Party, Aunts and Uncles, first cousins, close friends of both sets of parents, these are the people you must/should invite. The second list is “List B”, consists of Great Aunts and Uncles, remaining cousins, close friends, friends for high school and college, and possible co-workers, these are the people you would like to invite.
Eliminate any duplicates and keep List B handy.
Some things to consider when creating your list or on deciding you should go on which list and ways to cut down on the total number of guests:
- Would you spend normally offer to spend $50 or more on that individual for dinner?
- Use the one year rule for friends: If you haven't had a meaningful conversation with this person within the last year, don't invite him or her.
- Keep the list limited to personal friends. Do you hang out with co-workers away from the office? If not, don't invite them.
- Exclude children if possible (except for the children in the bridal party).
- You do not have to allow guests to bring a guest unless they are married or in a serious relationship.
- Avoid the "If I invite this cousin, I must invite all cousins" trap.
- You are not obligated to invite someone to your wedding because you were invited to theirs.
Once you have determined your guidelines for who will be invited, the rest will be easy. Remember to keep track of your guest lists and response by using Excel or one of the many free Guest Lists Trackers available online.
When you receive a decline from List A and it’s at least four weeks out from the big day, it’s okay to send an invite to someone from List B. Always be mindful to the agreed upon number of guests and your “Reply by” deadline.
