The Wedding Guest List
Creating your wedding guest list is a crucial first step to make the wedding planning process easier. You’ll want to invite the people who matter most in your life to celebrate this unforgettable day with you.
However, you need to be mindful of a few things:
Your budget: How much money are you able to spend in total, without going into additional debt. If you are getting help with paying for the wedding, ask those generous people, what number they are comfortable with contributing to your wedding.
Guest List: Make a full guest list and attach a dollar amount to each person. $100 per person x 200 people = $20,000. How does that sound?
To make the task of editing your guest list more manageable, try dividing it into three columns:
Column A: The “Must Invite” column includes immediate family and close friends you’ve seen within the past year.
Column B: The “Would Love to Invite” column is for extended family, acquaintances, and those you keep in touch with regularly.
Column C: The “Nice to Have” column lists people you respect and enjoy spending time with, but who aren’t as close to you or your family.
Remember — you don’t have to invite everyone you know, and some difficult decisions may need to be made. However, by completing your guest list early on you’ll get a better idea of the size of your wedding and can plan accordingly.
3. The Venue Capacity — Once the guest list is complete, you can then search for venues that fit your guest count. Remember to check with the venue about what they provide in their packages to save costs. Many venues have separate a la carte fees for everything, so ask questions and consult a planner!
PRO TIP: One of the most common assumptions that many couple’s make if they have a lot of out of town guests is:
“I’ll send them the invitation, they won’t come!” — WRONG!!!
Many people look for a reason to travel (not that you ever need a reason), but a wedding is the BEST reason to travel and join family and friends to celebrate a wedding! It’s such a happy time in your life, and most people want to be a part of this union and will take the extra steps to be witness to that. So if budget is an issue, or your venue is not large enough, please be mindful of how many out of town guests you invite. This is why making the guest list is so important before you book the venue.
So once you’re engaged, get to work on that guest list so that you have a general idea of the size of wedding you are looking to plan.
Your next step should be to hire a professional and experienced Wedding Planner! The planner will save you time and money and always be on the lookout for your best interest and make your wedding planning experience fun and stress free!
Happy Planning!
