So he finally popped the question and everything was just as you’ve always imagined. Your own little fairy tale come true! Now comes the tricky part… the planning and organising! This is understandably a very emotive subject for couples and their families. Who do you invite and where do you draw the line? So to avoid any family feuds, we’ve asked wedding planner Heather Angell from Your Planning Angel for her top tips on how to approach the touchy subject of managing your guest list.
1. Get Organised
You should always create 2 lists – one for the day time event and another for the evening reception. Include everyone that you would like to be part of your special day and don’t forget to add additional family or friends that your parents would like to invite (we’ll get on to that thorny issue in a moment!). Next highlight the names of those that you really want to attend. Zankyou’s Guest Management tools can help you keep on top of your guest list. Now you’ve got a minimum and maximum number of guests which leads us nicely to my second tip.
2. Know Your Budget
Regardless of how healthy your wedding budget is the simple fact remains that the more guests you have, the higher the cost will be or the more compromises you will have to make. Now that you’ve figured out your approximate guest numbers you can view venues and meet suppliers with a clear idea of how much you can afford per head.
3. Time Isn’t Everything
Just because you don’t see someone regularly doesn’t mean you have to bump them off the guest list. You may have friends that you’ve not seen for over a year because your careers have moved you miles or even countries apart but that doesn’t mean you can’t invite them to your wedding! Invite who you want but remember this final tip…
4. Be Sensitive to Your Family
Parents are often so overjoyed that their child is getting married, that they want to share that joy with long lost cousins, good friends and other relatives that you’ve not seen since you were 5! The question you have to ask yourself is what will it cost you if you say no? Upsetting your future in laws is never a wise move but if you really don’t want (or can’t afford) these extra guests be sensitive to your parents feelings.
Perhaps allow a limited number of ‘extras’ from both the Groom and Brides family and invite them to the evening reception rather than the whole day, just to keep the peace. It’s quite common for some couples to have a two-stage reception, inviting a small group of guests to the ceremony and meal, then having an evening party to which additional guests are invited.
If you would like help with planning your dream wedding visit www.yourplanningangel.co.uk and get in touch!
Now that’s the guest list out of the way, time for the fun part – picking your wedding invitations!
Contact the suppliers mentioned in this article
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