Wedding Guest Lists

Putting together a guest list is one of the first things you should do when planning a wedding. This way you will be able to tell different merchants how many people you are planning on having.

When beginning your guest list you will want to start with two basic groups; those who absolutely need to be there and those who are not welcome. For most people those who absolutely need to be at the wedding include parents, close family members such as siblings, grandparents, and children (if either of the couple has children), and finally your closest friends.

Next it is important to discuss each others hopes for the size of the wedding. Do you both want a huge bash or something much smaller? Next you need to discuss the size of the guest list with whoever is paying for the wedding. If parents are paying, they may have a few people that they want to invite and you should be sensitive to their wishes since they are spending the money. Discuss how many people you can afford to invite and work on your list from there. Following is a list to help you remember all those people you know so that you can decide who you would like to invite:

1. Family
2. Friends
3. Neighbors
4. Your friends’ parents
5. Your parents’ friends
6. Your parents’ colleagues
7. Old schoolmates including high school
8. Members of your church, temple, or other faith-based groups
9. Professors
10. Teachers
11. Mentors
12. Former or current colleagues
13. Members of the YMCA, YWCA, or other clubs
14. Members of professional groups to which you belong
15. Members of a service organization (e.g. the Rotary)
16. Counselors
17. Friends from military service
18. Coaches

Here are a few tips when putting together your list:

• Be clear on the invitations if single guests should or should not bring a date.
• If you send an invitation to a couple who has a child over 16 years old, it is probably a good idea to send them an invitation as well if you would like them present.
• Be clear on the invitations whether or not children are welcome at the ceremony and reception.
• Order extra invitations and at least 20 extra envelopes.
• Have a backup list for those you can invite if someone on the first list is unable to come.
• Always invite the parents of ring bearers and flower girls.