5 September 2018
Advice on writing your wedding guest list
Let’s be ‘Franc’ about this, there are more exciting aspects to planning your wedding. I find two bottles of wine can really help this process.
It’s a time sensitive task that needs your attention because it will dictate some of your wedding choices further into the wedding planning process.IE venues that hold 50 guests verses 400 guests are very different and are usually the first vendor to be booked,
I want to share a few tips that will make the whole process easier.
1.Begin with an excel spreadsheet
This sounds very official but from experience, this is the best way to plan the guest list. There are two really good reasons for this.
1. It is easy to change names of guests and keep control of your numbers.
2. It is easy for vendors like caterers and printers to use it as well.
2. Your guest wish list
Date night alert! This is another opportunity to spend time with your better half. Plan a date, make a dinner and sit down to go through the guest list. Make the most of the wedding planning process. BE prepared you are probably going to disagree”major fight”!!
On the first draft, list every single person that you would like to attend your special day. This is quite an eye opening task because you will suddenly realise how many people you really want to invite. At this point, it’s important to see if you can afford to invite every guest on your wish list and will your venue cater for that many people.
3. Parent’s calling the shots
If your mother in law insists on inviting her art class, her best friend Mary and the next door neighbours, I think it’s time to sit down and have a chat. Always remember if your parents are paying for your wedding, they now have a vested interest in this event “call them investors! most investors want a return on their investment this can manifest in many different ways from menu choice to the guest list. Come to an agreement that suits you both, this is supposed to be an exciting time for the whole family. This may also be the time that you both decide that a smaller wedding that you pay for yourselves may be a better choice giving you full control.
4. The final decision
Now that you have calculated the budget and checked the capacity of the wedding venue, it’s time to narrow down the list. It may seem harsh but you need to be realistic. Start with your immediate family and work your way through close relations, friends, and colleagues. No you don’t need to invite all your 1st cousins, aunts uncles etc. If you haven’t seen the person in that same year, maybe you don’t need to invite them. Only you two can decide this!
Make up your own rules and stick to them. Remember that it’s your day and you two should make the final decision on who attends your wedding.
Best of luck with that Ha Ha!!!!!!!
I could write a book about wedding guest lists all day but these are some of my top tips for planning a wedding guest list. If you know a couple who just got engaged, please share this blog with them to help plan the wedding of their dreams.