Invitation card with the inscription tied with ribbon Photographer: Tara Winstead
A celebration without guests will not look like a wedding. The people are likely to be there as a significant part of your most memorable day. It increases happiness in the moments. By far, creating and finalizing the wedding guest lists is an essential part of planning a wedding. It might become hard at times when the family and friend’s circle is kind of too big or the budget you decide is limited. Choose the people you want to enjoy and celebrate with as it is your wedding day.
While deciding the people to add on and subtract from your wedding guests list, you may need to think twice. Because you will find that there are many reasons to add people like; they invited you, they come under the same family tree, you know them for a long time. Nevertheless, it is totally in your hands where to cut.
Your loved ones are always here!
These are the people you cannot imagine skipping. Of course! Your beloved parents, the treasure of your friends, and precious family members. Surely everyone will be cherishing for you to getting married. Making a list without them is impossible, though. Trying not to miss any of your favorite people. It is another thing that they couldn’t make to attend your wedding.
Enjoy! Stop gathering people on your day
Prepare a wedding guest list rather than a reunion party. It is not a family or friends’ get-together. Therefore, you are compelled to invite everyone you simply know. Be wise here. You need your people to be around, who can care for you, admire you, entertain you, and love you the most. Make your wedding guests list with the most delightful people of your life to increase the charm of your wedding day.
Unrecognizable women preparing wedding banquet in modern apartment Photographer: Rachel Claire
Make A Trendy Categorized Guests List
The decision of who is getting the invitation to your wedding becomes easier by making A-D categories. For your guideline the categories are described below:
A-Category Guest List:
This will include your immediate family and closest friends. It must not exceed 8-10 people in general. But for some couples, it may be around 50 people. So, bear in mind that these are the people without whom you would not want to celebrate your special day. Choose them knowingly.
Parents of both (bride and groom)
Siblings of both
Dearest friends of both
B-Category Guest List:
This list must include the people who are a part of your life, and they certainly, want to be a part of your special day. It is, of course, fantastic to have loved ones around on the wedding day.
Grandparents
First cousins
Closest Aunties and Uncles
Nephews and Nieces
Other special friends including your boss/ manager
C-Category Guest List:
All uncles and aunties
All cousins
Plus-ones
colleagues as your favorite people at work including your boss/ manager
Friends, you met some time ago
D-Category Guest List:
Your nearest neighbors
Those who gave you an invitation to their events/ weddings
Children of all the closest family members to friends.
Your parent’s Friends
All your colleagues/ team members
People you know from your gym, dance classes, etc.
Newlyweds with guests in a restaurant celebrating wedding near Christmas tree Photographer: Oliver Li
Cutoff the least concerned people
This cutoff of guests from your wedding guest lists mostly includes the people in the D-category. It is because you can only add these people if your budget and venue allow it.
Friends who are not in contact in recent years.
People not in your recent touch but are a part of your family tree.
Workmates/ colleagues
(especially if a small venue is chosen and a low budget wedding is planned)
Old wedding invites you received
Neighbors
Kids of friends and family
Plus-ones (you don’t even know or ever met)
Companions of your parents
Done? Not Yet!
There are some usual points to keep in mind while and after finalizing the list of guests to be invited to your wedding. Since it is a delightful occasion, it is necessary to avoid stress on that day.
The Margin of extra guests
Both the parents may want to invite their respective guests. Keep some reserved spots for them.
The Accurate number of people
As per the venue, the maximum number of people allowed should be evenly and accurately divided between the bride and groom.
Arrangements of chairs
Arrange more chairs than the number of guests invited. Wise to leave some seats vacant on the list, at least.
Children
It is totally up to you if you want the children to be a part of your day or you simply want to celebrate it among elders.
Return suitable invite favors not all
You may invite the people who invited you lately or time ago, still figure out who should be there with you to celebrate your wedding day.
Stick to your categorical wedding guest lists
Do not mess with your wedding guest lists; go as per the categories. It will help you broadly in making decisions regarding relevant people.
Choose a flexible venue to fit extra people
There are always people who might not be invited directly; however, they may come along with the invitees.
Do not add people to the list at the last minutes
Adding up people after finalizing your wedding guests list, is imprudent.
Last but not least
Stay prepared for some inelegant conversations. Which may possess the misinterpreted responses of the people not invited.
The bride and the groom, together, have to analyze their budget according to which the venue is being selected, and the wedding guest lists are maintained. It can include as many people as your budget allows you. On the other hand, you may exclude people if the budget and the venue decided is not flexible to adjust the extra or the plus ones.
In short, do not hesitate to say that everyone wants to celebrate their special day with their special people, but it is not always possible to invite everyone from the minor to a wider circle of both the bride and the groom.
