It was easy to cut your accountant, your dentist, and the guy who sells you double lattes every morning. But how will you pare down the rest of your guest list?
Negotiating the wedding guest list can be one of the most difficult and emotional aspects of wedding planning. Sure, you want everyone you know to share in your special day, to see how gorgeous the two of you look, and to cry at your first dance. But, in most cases it's impossible to invite everyone linked to the bride, the groom and both sets of parents. Each guest you invite translates into dollars spent on your wedding. Even if budget is not an issue, your ceremony or reception location probably has a maximum headcount -- unless you will be having the party in an airplane hangar. …show more content…
When cutting the list, think of including only people you, your fiancé and your families know really well -- people who have supported you and truly matter to you. Invite your nearest and dearest, relatives and friends. If you don't recognize a name on the list, it's probably a name that can go. Never heard of Simon Jones? Make a case to scratch him, even if he's one of your dad's business associates. Never met Great Aunt Sally? You don't need to meet her on your wedding day. But don't be recalcitrant in your decisions to cut people. If your mother desperately wants to invite a certain someone, hear her out. Herein lies the great dichotomy in guest list cutting: be ruthless, but be gracious. If you strike the right balance between the two, you will be able to cut your list and still make everyone happy.
All's Fair. One of the stickiest points of list negotiating is dealing with the future in-laws. Whoever is paying for the wedding, typically the bride's parents, probably expects to have more control over the guest list. But don't make the mistake of drastically limiting the number of guests on the in-laws' list. Their child is getting married, too, and they want the important people in their lives to attend. If they can't cut their list to the number you specify, consider asking them to pay for the extra guests (if your reception venue has the
Negotiating the wedding guest list can be one of the most difficult and emotional aspects of wedding planning. Sure, you want everyone you know to share in your special day, to see how gorgeous the two of you look, and to cry at your first dance. But, in most cases it's impossible to invite everyone linked to the bride, the groom and both sets of parents. Each guest you invite translates into dollars spent on your wedding. Even if budget is not an issue, your ceremony or reception location probably has a maximum headcount -- unless you will be having the party in an airplane hangar. …show more content…
When cutting the list, think of including only people you, your fiancé and your families know really well -- people who have supported you and truly matter to you. Invite your nearest and dearest, relatives and friends. If you don't recognize a name on the list, it's probably a name that can go. Never heard of Simon Jones? Make a case to scratch him, even if he's one of your dad's business associates. Never met Great Aunt Sally? You don't need to meet her on your wedding day. But don't be recalcitrant in your decisions to cut people. If your mother desperately wants to invite a certain someone, hear her out. Herein lies the great dichotomy in guest list cutting: be ruthless, but be gracious. If you strike the right balance between the two, you will be able to cut your list and still make everyone happy.
All's Fair. One of the stickiest points of list negotiating is dealing with the future in-laws. Whoever is paying for the wedding, typically the bride's parents, probably expects to have more control over the guest list. But don't make the mistake of drastically limiting the number of guests on the in-laws' list. Their child is getting married, too, and they want the important people in their lives to attend. If they can't cut their list to the number you specify, consider asking them to pay for the extra guests (if your reception venue has the