Suggestions For Creating Your Wedding Guest List

Does enthusiastic about your wedding guest list make you anxious? Chances are you’ll not know where to begin or the way you’re going to clarify to some family members that they aren’t going to be invited or the way you’re going to trim it all the way down to fit inside your budget. Should you’ve never planned a marriage before, all of those questions could be extremely daunting. That’s where we are available. Very first thing first: take a breath. Working yourself up is just going to make the planning process that way more stressful. Now that you just’ve cooled off a bit of, scroll through this step-by-step guide to creating your wedding guest list.

Step-By-Step Guide to Create Your Wedding Guest List

1. Your guest list should come before selecting your venue but after determining your wedding budget

Unfortunately, guests are expensive. Remember, you’ll have to account for food and drinks for all your guests—and more guests means more tables, chairs, dinnerware, etc. That’s why it’s essential to find out your wedding budget first. This manner, after you progress to step two and make your dream guest list, it should be easier to “cut” guests based on the funds you may have to spend.

Beneficial Reading: Free Wedding Budget Spreadsheet

Image by Megan Freeman

2. Create your dream list

We highly recommend making a date night out of this next part. Go to dinner or pick up some pizza and wine to enjoy at home, grab your favorite notebook, and get to writing everyone you’d like to have in attendance in your special occasion. Because that is your first draft, it’s greater than okay to dream big and include everyone on this list. We all know your parents might need guests they’d wish to invite, they usually is perhaps footing the bill, so we’re not saying to depart them within the dust, but do make your list first. You’ll then give you the chance to clarify to your parents that there’s X room for more guests in response to your budget.

3. Establish the “rules”

Are children invited? Who gets a plus-one? These are necessary inquiries to ask. Should you’re deciding on a no-children wedding, make sure that your wishes are made very clear on the invitation. In the case of the plus-one list, a general rule of thumb is to provide a plus-one to couples who’re engaged, married, or seriously dating (aka you’ve met their partner and your gut tells you they’re in it for the long term). In your invites, you may include language along the lines of, “We’ve saved X seat(s) in your honor” to make it clear in the event that they do/don’t have permission to bring an extra guest.

4. Return to your list, and get organized

Now that you just’ve established your budget, made your list, consulted along with your parents, and determined the principles, it’s time to get organized. Section your list into categories, reminiscent of distant relatives, close friends, distant friends, immediate family, etc. This may allow you to within the cutting process to see what groups you could have to miss. For instance, in case your distant relatives and distant friends categories have the identical amount of individuals and you might want to eliminate one, you may take into consideration that category as an entire as an alternative of attempting to single people out and cross them off that way.

Beneficial Reading: Free Wedding Guest List Template

5. Make your “cuts”

That is certainly one of the toughest parts of putting together a guest list. It’s time to make cuts. Even though it’s difficult, it’s okay to make cuts to your guest list, especially if it means not breaking the bank. Should you don’t know begin, listed here are some inquiries to ask yourself when cutting back your list:

• Are you able to imagine your wedding without this person there?
• Would you go to dinner or drinks with this person outside of your wedding day?
• Will it bring you joy to have this person at your wedding?
• How long has it been because you’ve seen or spoken to this person?
• Did this person invite you to their wedding? (Note: Reciprocal invites will not be a must!)

Image by MC Wedding

6. Send save the dates

You’ve gotten through the hard part. Meaning it’s time to buy save-the-dates. Remember the ten% rule: Not less than 10% of your guest list won’t give you the chance to make it to your wedding. On this case, it’s OK to have a backup list of people that you’d wish to attend of their place. That is why we recommend sending out save the dates as soon as possible. It’s alright in the event you haven’t taken your engagement photos yet—there are many invites which might be beautiful and not using a photo.

7. Stand your ground and lean on one another

Emotions are tough. Sometimes people won’t understand your perspective, and that’s okay. Take it as affirmation that you just made the precise decision by leaving them off of your guest list. You don’t need that negative energy on certainly one of the largest days of your life. Use this time and these potentially tricky situations to grow closer to your person. Come wedding day, this can all be behind you.

Now that you just’ve got your guest list sorted out, it’s time to take into consideration your venue. First, take a look at our ultimate guide to finding your wedding venue. Then remember to take a look at these questions that you have to be asking whilst you tour! They’ll allow you to nail down the venue you’ve at all times dreamed of while helping you stay prepared.

Image by Manuel Aldana