It’s no secret that guest lists are one of the most stressful parts of planning a wedding, so we’ve created a quiz to make deciding your guest list simple!
Answer yes or no to the questions below…
Do you want a big wedding with lots of guests?
Can you afford a big guest list for your wedding breakfast?
Do your parents get to invite a few of their own chosen guests?
Do you want to have children there on your wedding day?
Is this a guest your family would expect to be there?
Have you spoken to the person in the last 12 months?
Do you want to invite plus ones that you’ve never met before?
Would you be invited to their wedding ceremony?
Would they be the only person left out of your social group?
Do you spend time with them outside of office hours?
Answered mostly yes…
Invite them! This person really means a lot to you and your family and they should definitely be there to celebrate your marriage with you, so get their name on the list and their invitation in the post!
Answered mostly no…
Consider not inviting this person – your budget is tight and you need to be selective. Just make sure you and your husband or wife-to-be are in agreement about the decision and that you won’t be starting any family feuds!
Expert Advice
Cutting down your guest list can be stressful and, if you’re not careful, it could lead to big disagreements. Luckily, we’re here to guide you through it so that you can decide upon your guest list, keep everyone happy and have the wedding of your dreams!
Family is often the first hurdle. You don’t need to invite every person that you are related to, especially if you haven’t seen them for a while. If you rarely speak, don’t get on or they live abroad and are unlikely to travel, then you shouldn’t feel obliged to invite them to your big day. Stick to the people who you really want to be at your wedding and who love and support you as a couple.
You may not agree with your own or your fiancé’s parents when it comes to the guest list. They might want you to invite some of their friends that have seen you grow up, which is fine unless it means cutting out some of your own – it is your day, after all! Weigh each guest up individually – some might be acceptable to miss out, but you don’t want to create any family fall-outs or upset anyone that you are close to by not inviting someone significant. If your parents are contributing towards the big day costs, be prepared to give them some influence over the guest list in return.
Children are a dilemma for many guest lists – do you invite them and should you? It’s entirely up to you whether you want kids there or not, just make it clear on your invitations who is and who isn’t invited. You could always ask younger guests to come after the ceremony or just for the evening reception.
It can feel like you’ll never please everyone, but if you find a balance between who you’d love to be there and who probably ought to be, your guest list will be good to go!
Read more of our expert advice from the Wedding Ideas team on page 172 or our brand new October issue!
