As an engaged couple, one of the toughest decisions you’ll have to make is deciding who to invite to your wedding. While you may want all of your friends and family members to join you on your special day, space and budget constraints may force you to keep your guest list short. To reduce the number of guests at your wedding, you must be strategic and thoughtful in your planning. In this article, we’ve explained the best tips for keeping your wedding guest list short.
Set a Guest Limit
Setting a limit is the first step in keeping your wedding guest list short. Talk with your partner about the exact number of people you want to invite to the wedding. This will help you avoid sending invitations to more people than you can accommodate. A lower number of guests also enables you to stick to a tight budget. The more guests you invite, the more money you’ll spend on food, drinks, and other wedding-related expenses. So, establish a guest limit based on what’s affordable.
Moreover, if your parents help pay for the wedding, allowing them to invite their guests is customary. When you want to keep the guest count low, talk with your parents about limiting how many invites they can send out.
Plan a Destination Wedding
Destination weddings allow you to tie the knot in a beautiful, far-off location while keeping the guest list short. In fact, one of the key tips for planning a destination wedding is to respect guests’ RSVP and understand that numerous people may say no due to the expense of traveling. Likewise, destination weddings are usually costly, so you have the perfect excuse to keep the list short. This lessens the risk of hurt feelings from people you can’t invite.
Create an A-List
Jot down your must-have guests so that you know who to send invitations to first. Generally, this includes immediate family, close friends, and people you talk with regularly. However, don’t invite people you haven’t spoken with in over a year.
As you create limits on the guest list, you should also establish rules around plus ones. For instance, you may limit plus ones by only allowing the guest’s spouse, life partner, or fiancé. These individuals can go on the A-list since you’re more likely to have a relationship with them than with a guest’s short-term partner.
Make It Adults Only
The final tip for keeping your wedding guest list short is to make the event adults only. While you may want to include children, inviting kids can significantly increase your guest count. Consider having an adult-only wedding and hiring a babysitter or childcare provider for guests with children. Without kids at the event, it’s also easier for parents to let loose and celebrate your marriage since they don’t have to watch over their children.
Creating the ideal guest list ensures the people you love most are by your side on the big day. Happy wedding planning!
