I could very easily write about wedding planning every day. It would take almost nothing for me to totally obsess and let it take over my blog. However, I don’t want to do that. I’ve always written about anything and everything and want to keep it that way. But in order to at least get it out of my system. I’ve decided to give myself Wedding Planning Wednesday. That doesn’t mean I will post about planning every Wednesday, but I will limit myself to just one day a week.
I would love to start out this series with a positive, uplifting topic like flowers or cake, but instead, we’re going to talk about guest lists. AKA the hardest thing you will ever do in your whole life. I would love to have everyone I’ve ever known attend my wedding, but A) my venue only holds 200 people and B) I’m not Kim Kardashian. I’m a normal person planning a normal wedding so my guest list needs to reflect that.
So today I’ve compiled my favorite guest list advice I’ve either receieved during planning fun.
–Create a perfect world scenario. Make a list of every single person you would invite to your wedding if you could. Include family, friends, plus ones, acquaintances, co-workers, etc. and then cut from there.
–Be Selective. My photographer sales rep gave me this great general rule of thumb- if you wouldn’t hand them $100, don’t invite them to your wedding. It was probably the best advice I’ve gotten so far.
–Plus ones. Obviously, everyone wants one, but realistically you would rather have people you’ve known your whole life and love, rather than someone’s “flavor of the week.” If you need to cut due to space, keep it to married couples and people in long-term relationships.
–Take care of the single people. If you have to be stingy with plus ones, make sure everyone has plenty of friends to dance the night away with. Make sure that everyone has people they know and can sit with. If they are clearly going to be left out, maybe reconsider.
–Get organized. Don’t delete any names, but create a spreadsheet with multiple tabs, and move people as needed.
–Leave the kids at home. It’s totally fine to have an adult-only reception. It will save on cost and space.
–Share. You are not the only person inviting people to this wedding. Your parents, your fiance, and future in-laws would also like to have a say in the guest list. Make sure everyone’s voice is heard and everyone is equally represented. If that means you have to let a few people go from your list to make room for theirs, be flexible!
If you’ve gotten married, what are your best guest list tips?
