Wedding Guest Lists – How to Control the Guest Count

As a wedding planner, how many times have you had to work with a bride to keep her wedding guest list in tact, with uninvited wedding guests or too many of them? As a bride, it’s difficult to manage your guest list and that of your parents, especially when your mother wants to invite all of her friends and people she insists you should know.

Image Courtesy of: Angel Fins

Every bride starts out with a set number of guests in mind and plan accordingly. When you have too many wedding guests or more guests than you’ve intended, your budget has just increased. The cost of doing so isn’t readily visible to the bride or her mother. It’s up to the wedding planner to show her and her mother that every guest needs a plate of food, a seat at a table, and every table needs a centerpiece not to mention the other little things.

Image Courtesy of Pam Scott

When too many wedding guests have been added to your list of invitees, a few things that I recommend to my brides, in an effort to control the guest count, are as follows:

• Decide on the number of guests you’d like at your wedding and stick to it.  When you have your guest count in mind, divide them in fourths; a portion for you, your fiancé, and both mothers and strongly encourage them to stick to it. After all, the best way to control the wedding budget is to control the guest list.
• Only invite the people you’d really like to attend your wedding. I hear brides all the time saying “I’ll invite 200 people but only 150 will show up”. Your wedding day isn’t like going out to lunch. Many people will make the extra effort to attend. Inviting more guests than you’d really like could cause a budget bursting fiasco. You should avoid doing so as it’s a great way to also control your guest count.
• Consider the ceremony and reception spaces. Many venues can only accommodate an average guest list (100-150 people). With that being said, having too many wedding guests can prevent them from being comfortable, with little space to move around and enjoy your wedding day. Space and logistics can also play a huge role in controlling your guest list.

If you’re struggling to keep the number of wedding guests down and your mother is insisting you invite a certain number, keep these tips in mind and you should have a better time managing it.  These are some of the tips I pass on to my own brides and hopefully they’ll work for you too!

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