The Guest List: What You Need To Think About
Well hello there, lovebirds!
How is the wedding planning journey going? We certainly hope very well!
Today we are going to talk about a very specific piece of the wedding planning puzzle: The Guest List.
Believe it or not the guest list may be the most important part of your wedding planning process. Guest lists determine quite a few things.
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Guest lists will give you an idea of what overall pricing for the big day may be
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They will help determine the venue you book
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It will help determine whether you want to do a buffet or seated dinner
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They will help determine whether you want to do a full bark or just beer and wine
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Guest lists will help you know how many save the dates/invitations/thank you notes you need to send
These are only a couple of things the guest count can affect…but do you see how many details it really touches come wedding day?
It can also be a point of major stress for couples. A lot of brides and grooms think they need to invite everyone in the world…we are big believers in inviting WHO YOU WANT to your wedding.
We have some tips on how to conquer the guest list so it is an enjoyable process rather than a stressful task to check off your wedding planning to-do list.
Keep budget in mind
If you have a final wedding budget in place when it comes to spending for the big day, this will help you in a multitude of ways! Depending on what your budget is, this will help you to know how many people you can easily afford to invite to your wedding. Take into account the price per head for feeding and serving alcohol to your guests as one of the first priorities when planning your wedding. By knowing what this price will be, it will help you determine if you can afford 100 people or 500 people.
Saying No is OKAY
A lot of couples get plagued with ideas and requests from their friends and families when it comes to the guest list. Peer pressure is a very real thing when you have people begging you to invite their significant other or their friend of their friend…the list goes on. If there are people you do not want at your wedding, it is simple, don’t invite them! Stay true to who you and your partner want at the wedding. If you are surrounded by people you want to have at the wedding, your heart will be full come wedding day. Follow your gut, invite the important and meaningful people!
Divide and conquer
This may seem a bit harsh, but we really think it helps! Guest lists can seem huge and daunting, so why not break it up? By having a list A: All the people you want at the wedding and then a list B: All the people you need at the wedding and then a list C: the ideal list that makes up your dream wedding guest list, this will help you prioritize and cut down should you need to!
Lastly, if you take anything from this read, it would be that we hope you enjoy making your guest list. It is one of the fun and “easy” parts of the process where you can snuggle up with your love, have a date night and brainstorm!
Make it a sweet moment the two of your will cherish always!
If you need help or have any questions, we are always here! Also, take a look at this awesome selection of Guest List forms from Zola.com
Until next time, lovebirds…
Cheers to guest lists and love!
