The list of wedding guests can include close relatives, such as parents, siblings, and grandparents, as well as more distant relatives, friends, and co-workers. It is important to create a guest list and send out invitations as soon as possible, as space at the wedding venue and guest accommodations may be limited. It is also important to keep in mind that not everyone who is invited will be able to attend, so the final guest list may be smaller than the initial list.

A wedding is a long-awaited moment for every couple. For the celebration to be memorable and fun, it must be properly organized, including making a guest list.

At first glance, this may seem simple. In fact, compiling a guest list is a long and responsible process, on which the wedding depends. However, not everyone knows who should be invited to the party, and who has no place in the celebration.

How many guests should I invite to my wedding?

It is impossible to give an exact answer to this question: the number of invited guests depends not only on family and friends, but also on financial capabilities. Therefore, each case is different.

Do not forget that the number of invited people dramatically changes the cost of the holiday. The number of guests affects the following cost items:

• Wedding invitations and seating cards at the banquet.
• Venue. This can be a cafe, restaurant or outdoor venue. Depending on the number of guests, the area of the place for the celebration is taken into account.
• Number of tables. Seating should be enough to fit all the people. In addition, all the holiday tables should be decorated.
• Banquet.
• Transportation.
• Gifts for guests.

Therefore, it is necessary to determine the budget before making the list. Depending on your finances, it will become clear who should be included and who should not.

But here there are pitfalls. If parents are taking on a significant portion of the costs, their wishes on the list should be taken into account. If you don’t invite the people who are important to them, they may be offended or refuse to help. If you don’t want anyone else on your list, you should spend 80 percent of the expenses and leave 20 percent for the parents.

Who to make the list with?

A wedding is a shared celebration of the young people. It is up to them to decide who they are willing to share the day with, and who they do not want to see at their celebration. Therefore, you should not be afraid of resentment or condemnation from relatives if their opinion is not taken into account.

The bride and groom should discuss the format of the celebration and think about the concept. Here there can be disagreements: for example, the bride wants to invite as many guests to the celebration as possible, while the groom dreams of a modest celebration. In this case, it is worth listening to each other and find a compromise.

How to make a list?

The bride and groom should sit down together and create two guest lists. In the first it is necessary to specify the names of those who must necessarily be present at the celebration. In the second list, you need to write down the people in whom there are doubts.

It is recommended to invite to the wedding:

• The parents of the bride and groom.
• Close relatives. This list includes brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, grandparents.
• Close friends with whom there is regular contact and communication.

People you can safely cross off the list:

• Childhood friends with whom there has been no contact for a long time.
• Colleagues at work.
• Former lovers.
• Distant relatives.
• Friends of relatives with whom the newlyweds do not know.
• People who were invited to their wedding (they should not be included in the list if communication has ceased).

Individual cases

There is a category of relatives or acquaintances that should be cautiously included in the guest list. We are talking about the following significant others:

• New spouses of divorced parents. The right thing to do is to seat former spouses with current partners away from each other.
• People who are feuding with each other. They can ruin the whole party, especially if they start to figure things out at the time of the celebration. If they are in the category of obligatory guests, they should sit as far away from each other as possible. It is also recommended to warn the host not to involve them in joint contests and other activities.
• Alcohol drinkers. In most cases, they cannot control themselves. Such personalities can be invited only if they come with a couple: there is hope that they will not be allowed to drink too much.

Leaving a list of guests is an important step in the organization of the wedding. It is from him that the main costs of the party and the celebration itself depend.