Ahh guest list… one of the hardest parts of planning a wedding! Did you know guest list is the number one budget driver? It’s not only driving your food costs but also the bar, linen count, floral count (how many centerpieces you need), chair count – it all adds up pretty quickly. The quickest way to give yourself more flexibility with your budget, is to reduce your guest count.
Here are some questions to ask yourself when building your guest list:
FAMILY:
- Do you spend holidays together? If not, would you if you lived closer?
- Will not inviting them cause family stress? Or will inviting them cause family stress?
COWORKERS:
- Will you still be friends if either one of you moves to a different job?
- Do you hang out outside of work?
Tip: Keep the planning to yourself at work especially if only some coworkers are invited to prevent others from falsely assuming they will be invited.
PLUS 1’s:
- Will they be getting engaged soon?
- Do they live together?
DO YOU BOTH KNOW THE GUEST?
- This is a great question to ask yourself as you are narrowing down the guest list
HOW OFTEN DO YOU SEE THEM?
- If you live in the same city and haven’t made plans to see each other (outside of organized events by mutual friends), can they be taken off the list?
DO YOU SEE THEM WHENEVER YOU ARE IN THEIR CITY?
- If the answer is yes, they should probably be invited.
- If the answer is no, maybe you can cross them off the list?
DO YOU ENVISION BEING FRIENDS WITH THEM IN 10+ YEARS?
- If you don’t think you will definitely be friends with them in 10+ years, and you want your wedding to feel intimate, maybe reconsider inviting them
