When it comes to deciding who you want with you on the big day, it can become a stressful ordeal. We saw Carrie Bradshaw decisively strike guests when she needed to pare down her guest list in the Sex and the City movie. We all remember Rachel not being invited to Ross’s wedding on Friends. The guest list is a source of pain for some and quite simple for other. It doesn’t have to be painful! Here are the basics to help you get off to a good start.
First, you must determine your budget, the venue and what size you would like your wedding to be.
Large Wedding: 350+ guests
Large weddings naturally call for more money and more planning. They also entail more socializing during the reception, which means you may not get to enjoy yourself as much as you would hope because you are required to play host to more people.
Medium Weddings: 100-250 guests
A medium wedding can still be big enough to feel like a party but with less stress! Your budget may simply need revamped so that you can spend your money on what is most important to you.
Small Weddings: 50-100 guests
Remember the episode of Gilmore Girls where Lorelai rearranges her mother’s seating chart for their vow renewal reception and the wedding planner gets fired for it? Seating charts make people do crazy things. You can completely ditch the seating chart with a small wedding. Less guests also means that you can spend more time having meaningful conversations with your guests as you make your rounds during the reception.
Mini Weddings: 1-50 guests
Guests who are invited will feel extra special. On the other hand, you may have to face interrogations on why folks didn’t make the cut. Don’t let the possibility of the latter stop you from creating the wedding that you want.
These lists will make it so much easier when deciding who to cut.
A List
This list consists of the people you cannot possibly get married without. For some, it is siblings, parents, and grandparents; for others, it may be close friends.
B List
Aunts, uncles, cousins, and old friends that you have kept in touch with should all get spots on this list.
C List
This list is reserved for co-workers, parents’ friends, and neighbors that you are close with.
These are the people that you can leave off of your list without feeling guilt. If you receive push back, you can always blame the budget or capacity of the venue!
The guest list can be quite the chore, but you will know who you need to be there when the time comes to create it. Don’t forget that this day is your creation! Be sure that all of the decisions you make fall in line with the vision you have for you and your partner.
