On the most special day of your life, you most likely want everyone to be present. But there are certain things that won’t actually allow you to invite every person you can think of. You could be on a budget, the restaurant you chose could be too small, and you may have people you haven’t spoken with in a long time. You have a colleague from work you wish you could invite, but he has quite a reputation for being obnoxious at parties. So how do you cut down that wedding guest list?

The first step is to consider if the venue you had in mind is more important than the guest list. If you have your heart set on a small restaurant or a place which can’t support many people, you need to cut down your wedding guest list considerably. So, what’s more important?

Next you have to make a list of the people that are important in your life right now. It’s of no use to anyone if you invite a childhood friend that you haven’t spoken with in 10 years. Weddings may be huge events, but they still need to be celebrated with the people that matter.

Wedding Guests Book

[photo source]

Then you have to consider who is paying for the wedding. You should find a way to make a guest list with 50% guests on behalf of the bride and the other 50% on behalf of the groom.

Another useful tip is to divide guests into categories, like relatives, close friends, co-workers, family friends etc. Then, agree to invite a specific number of people from each category.

You need to consider inviting the people that have also invited you to their own wedding. Even if you haven’t attended, consider the following: did they invite you because they really cared about your presence or were you invited simply because they had a huge wedding and could afford to invite pretty much everyone they know? Based on that answer, think things through and determine if they should be there on your wedding day or not.

Each time you are considering to invite someone to your wedding, you have to carefully think about the fact that some people may bring another person with them. Some bring dates to a wedding, while families may be tempted to bring their children along. Be prepared for such possibilities when you’re putting together your wedding guest list.

You can also rate people. While that might sound inhumane, it is actually an excellent way to determine if you should invite someone to your wedding or not. You can rank people with a system like:

A = I can’t imagine my wedding day without them there.
B = They won’t make or break the day, but if they are not there, they will be missed.
C = I probably won’t miss them if they aren’t there, but they will add to the fun of the day if they are.

You will be amazed to see how fast that wedding guest list is now shrinking.

And, as selfish as it may sound, don’t invite people to your wedding out of pure obligation. Invite the people that you share important moments with, that are always there for you, that are fun to be around and can turn your wedding reception into a hell of a party.

Print

[photo source]

Sharing is caring!