Your Guest List Dramas Sorted!
Perfect Wedding|April 2017

Make Guest List Dilemmas a Thing of the Past With Our Easy Guide

Catherine Dean
Your Guest List Dramas Sorted!

So, you choose your guests, and send out invites, yes? If only. In theory it should be this straightforward, but it’s a rare bride who avoids a minefield of family politics and tricky etiquette. Whether it’s plus ones or little ones, distant cousins or can’t-stand uncles, here’s how to steer your way through in style...

Where to start THE KEY FACTORS AFFECTING YOUR GUEST NUMBERS ARE venue capacity and cost. The usual starting point for most couples is to settle on a number of guests, then divide that between the two of you. However, wedding planner Alexandra Merri (thebijoubride.com) suggests otherwise: “Forget the even split, as the most important thing is to be surrounded by people who truly want to share in your celebrations.” There’s no point dividing your numbers equally if your fiancé’s family is twice as big as yours, and if you’re basing your decisions around who you both value having there, you’re less likely to run into arguments.

Start by drawing up an ‘A list’ and ‘B list’ of guests. Dividing people into ‘must-invite’ and ‘would like to-invite’ categories will help clarify your thinking, and you can send out save the dates to your A list slightly earlier, then extend invites to your B list if spaces arise.

This story is from the April 2017 edition of Perfect Wedding.

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This story is from the April 2017 edition of Perfect Wedding.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.