Uh oh! Too Many Guests!
Most couples planning a wedding want as many people as possible to share in the joy of their big day.
It can be challenging, though, if you have more friends and family than you have room to invite, whether it’s due to your budget or simply because there is not enough space at the venue where you plan on celebrating.
If you are struggling with the realization that your wedding guest list may be too big, here are four things you can do.
1.) Make a rough draft of your guest list early on.
This will help you to see from the beginning how many people you have that you would want to come. Marking down your list early also gives you the opportunity to add on any individuals that you may forget to list initially, which will help you to get a more accurate count for your potential number of guests. Also, using one of the many guest list templates available online can be helpful with simply keeping yourself organized.
2.) Compare your guest list with your fiance’s guest list.
This is good to do as soon as possible, for 2 reasons.
Your fiance may have listed some of the same people as you did. This can be the case, especially if you have known each other for a long time and/or share some of the same friends or acquaintances. If this happens, you can cross off any duplicate guests from your list, as long as your fiance is set on inviting them.
Your fiance may have a shorter wedding guest list than you, which could allow you to invite more people. Most couples will agree to split the number of total guests they will have, so each person invites half of the total number. For instance, if a couple agrees on a total of 160 guests, they may decide to each invite 80 people. You may find that your fiance has less people they want to invite than half of your total guest number, which would allow you to put more people on your list. If that happens, you may not need to worry about going over your limit.
3.) Rewrite it, first listing the people you want there the most.
Take a look at your list as a whole and write a new numbered list with the people you are the closest to that you absolutely want there listed first. Even though it’s hard to exclude some people, consider the ones you can cross off your list.
Worst case scenario, even if you can’t invite everyone that you want to come to your wedding, you will at least be able to invite the people who you want there the most.
4.) Consider sending out more than one set of wedding invitations.
After rewriting your list in the order of who you want there the most, you can send out an early set of invitations to the number of people you have room to invite. Use an earlier RSVP date on the invites than you would otherwise need.
No matter how much you love everyone on your list, chances are there will be some potential guests that just won’t be able to attend for one reason or another, which makes room for others. Once you get the RSVPs from the first set of invitations you send out, you can then send out a second set of invitations, inviting more people who are further down on your list, in place of the ones that won’t be able to attend. If not everyone RSVPs, you can always give them a call to ask if they’re coming.
If you’re really feeling ambitious, and still have more guests you want to invite after more people RSVP from the second set of invites that they can’t come, (and you have enough time before your wedding date,) you could send a third set of invites to the people remaining on your list.
These are 4 things you can do if your wedding guest list is too big. By starting early, working together with your fiance, and prioritizing who you want there the most, you will be able to make the best of your guest list, no matter the size.
