Becoming engaged is an exciting time. You are going to want to tell everyone you are getting married and you will want to start making wedding plans. One of the first plans to consider is the guest list. The guest list will be the most expensive decision in your wedding budget. How many people and how much per person will the caterer charge?
1. Sit down with your finance and any financial contributors (such as your parents) and decide what the budget will be. How many people can you afford to invite. Then decide what kind of wedding you would like to have; small and intimate or large blow out. Ask yourself if it's more important to have lots of people, or to pamper a smaller amount of people with an elegant meal and all the trimmings?
2. Make 2 lists; a ‘must have’ list and a ‘can live without’ list. This is the time to be brutally honest. Really think about who you want to be there on your special day. You don’t have to invite that cousin or friend that always drinks too much or your best friend from elementary school that you haven’t seen in 10 years. Invite the people that mean the most to you and that are currently involved in your life.
3. Get a list from your parents on who they would like to invite other than the obvious family members. If your parents are paying the bill they will want to be included in how many people are coming. Don’t forget that your parents are excited and proud that you are getting married, so they will want to show you off to some of their special friends too.
4. Always include respond cards with your invitations. If you start receiving several ‘no’ cards you may want to review the ‘can live without’ list to see if there are a few people you can send last minute invitations to.
If you follow the above tips it will make the guest list task much easier. Just keep in mind that this is your special day and you should invite the people who want to share this day with you!!
Carrie
