Are you making your guest list already? Great! This is a crucial part of your wedding planning. It would be best if you got it out of the way as soon as possible. Without your guest list, you won’t know how many people you’re planning for and how to proceed.
Many aspects of your wedding like your venue, catering, and seating charts depend on your guest list. Creating the right guest list for your wedding is no simple task. With the following five tips, however, you’ll discover that you’ll finish with it in no time. It also ensures that the process will be drama free and smooth.
Check Your Restrictions
There are some factors that will determine the number of guests at your wedding. One of them is your venue. If you haven’t chosen a venue yet, please finish with this list before proceeding. That way, you can search based on the number of people you intend to host.
If you already have a venue, then it’s no problem. Ask for the venue capacity and use it to tailor your guest’s numbers. Another restriction to keep in mind is from the government. If you’re planning your wedding during this COVID-19 pandemic, there’ll be information on the number of guests you’re allowed to have. Check that out on the government website and work with it too.
What Does Your Budget Say?
Per headcounts have the most significant impact on your wedding budget. So, if you have a total amount set, pay attention to it. How many guests can your budget carry? If you’re on a tight budget, keep your guest lists as small as possible. This will help you save on so many other aspects of your wedding, including catering, favors, the bar, etc. An elegant micro wedding is much better than going into debt to fund your celebration.
Create A Guest Splitting Formula
This part will be a little tricky, but keep in mind that it is your wedding, so you have the final say. A great way to split is by deciding on the total number of guests first. You can give yourselves as the couple half of that number to fill.
Both sets of parents can then get a quarter each. Sometimes, however, if a particular set of parents is handling your wedding’s financial aspect, they might expect more. The key is to be ready to have a genuine conversation with both families so that everyone agrees.
Have An A-List and A B-List
This list is like a rank of importance for your wedding. First, write the names of everyone you’re considering inviting to your wedding. This should, of course, have input from both parents too. When done, go down that list and star the names you couldn’t imagine having your wedding without.
The starred names will make up your A-list. The members of this list are who will get your first set of invitations. The people on your B-list should still be important to you. So don’t just put down anyone there. You can use these names to replace any cancellations from the guests on your A-list.
Trim Your List If Necessary
Put together all the A-List, including those from both parents. If there are any names put down on over one list, cross those out, leaving only one of them. When done, check the total number. If it is more than your full number, then you can trim it down. If not, then you have your guest list. Best of luck!!!
