how to write & eliminate your wedding guest list like a natural

Okay so now its time to gather your nearest & dearest in order to move forward with the planning of your wedding.
​This task can be quite challenging when planning.
You might have some life long friends who you know 100% will be there & also some friends that you feel obliged to invite but you aren't that close to anymore.
Just because you are getting married doesn't mean you have to invite anyone & everyone.
Most couples will have a budget per head therefore simply can't afford to splurge on the guest list.
Let me give you a few pointers for creating & culling!

How many guests are you thinking to invite overall?

​Coming up with a guest list from scratch can be quite the challenging task.
First of all, have a chat with your finace and family to establish a rough number of guests & a budget, a great way to start the list can be to write down immediate family, then go from there.
It's agreat idea to have an idea of the capacity your venue can hold, this way there will be no disappoitment.
​In the beginning, don't hold back go as broad as possible then you can narrow down to exactly what you want.
After you have finished writing a rough draft of guests, now its time to be realistic for the bank account.
When it comes to numbers you have to think about how much you would like to spend per head  & any other costs that may incur like food, alcohol packages, transport or any gifting items.
It goes without saying the fewer guests invited the more affordable it will be.
​  

inviting to the engagement party & not the wedding?

This is a good one, all depending on how far apart your engagement is from your wedding. 
Time has a magical way of telling you who your real friends are. 
If you have a lengthy time frame in between the two it can make it pretty obvious whether you can drift apart from some people, therefore your decision should be pretty simple.
​It is very common to invite people to the engagement party & not the wedding its 
all on personal preference & completely up to the couple.
​

how to eliminate

Start by asking yourselves some simple questions-
​When did I last have contact with this person or see them last?
Do we want kids at our wedding?
Are we genuinely inviting these guest because we want to or because we feel guilty?
Do you know each guest that is invited?
These questions can make you more aware if you have that connection with all your guests from the beginning of the proposal until the wedding & forever after!
​

plus ones

This can be tricky when it comes to a close family or friends partner.
Do you know them well enough to invite them & also do you want to?
​Remembering this is all about you & your significant other so take all the necessary steps in planning to cater for these kinds of requests from guests.
Of course guest numbers & the budget come into consideration when inviting people.
​The main factor to consider is for partners- whether they're already married or have been together for a substantial amount of time, common courtesy is to invite them. They are not a blow in, and it might be a nice way to get to know them. If it is a new partner, the call is yours.
Keep in mind to be consistent when inviting guests partners so its fair across the board;
or don't! Once again this is your day :))
​  

appropriate rsvp dates before the wedding

​If organisation is your thing then I would say to definitely have your RSVP dates set to at least six weeks prior to the wedding. Check with your venue to see when they need finalised numbers as this is important as well. Add an extra week or two so that you have time to chase the stragglers. You want to have the numbers set in stone so that you can organise absolutely everything with the venue regarding catering, seating, alcohol & all that comes with the preparation for your special day!
​

ENQUIRE HERE

​Love always Kaylah x x 
Instagram- love.at.first.blog
Enjoy!