Guest list planner pro#
Guest list planner plus#

However, the bride was always very careful to caution that this plan for a 150-person wedding might not be realistic for her side of the family.

They started making lists in their heads and came to a number of about 150 or so. What they dreamt up was to have close friends and family somewhere outdoors at a winery. They had discussed wedding plans before even even popping the big question. They originally approached me with a 500 person guest count but ended up negotiation to 300 people. I asked them to share it because it was the first time I was EVER faced with that situation as a planner. One my absolute favorite people of all time shared their very interesting guest list experience with me. You can spoil your guests rotten and host a great party without compromise. Gives you room to design freely, to customize and personalize your day. That’s a great number for a $60,000 and above wedding. In my opinion the sweet spot that I’ve seen where there is less stress involved and smaller moving parts is when the guest list is around 125. One more place I’ve seen this happen is parents with large church congregations especially in the Korean culture. I also see this happen a lot in Middle Eastern weddings typically around 400 - 600 people unless it’s destination, which will normally cut that number in half. Cousins, cousins’ friends, neighbors, parents’ co workers…all are invited. Once we start to get into the 300 to 800 person weddings we’re most likely facing a cultural situation like Nigerian weddings are famously known for everyone is invited…I’m not kidding I mean EVERYONE, like there is no RSVP list. Here is what I’ve determined over the many years of planning. My clients have asked me in the past what an average guest list is. There are a few websites out there that have online platforms like The Knot or Zola with limited feature where you can also record your organize your guest like. If you need help putting that budget together, check out my 2019 wedding planning budget. The venue and catering are what take up the biggest piece of the pie so the guest count will determine how much of that is taken up. After all, the wedding budget is determined by the amount of guests you choose to host. For those that have a budget in mind your guest list will be closely tied to your budget. If budget isn’t a concern then this might not be as stressful as it is for some. That way if you get an opportunity to add more, you’ll know exactly which to bring into the fold.

Guest list planner pro#

Pro tip: All your lists should be ranked in order of importance. Or, you’re badass and putting your foot down and saying, this is our wedding and we’ll do it how we want to. The smaller the wedding the more likely that you’ll have no room to even consider a C list. Normally it’s just a few that can be placed at ‘office’ table. It’ll just create a weird vibe after the wedding. It’s awkward when you’re all chatting in the office about wedding plans only to exclude someone that isn’t invited so eventually you may feel the need to invite out of obligation. They are still family but you’d be appeasing them out of obligation. For example, your aunt may be very close to your mom or you (the cool aunt) and so she wants to have a list of her own. These are the distant friends and far removed family members. Think of your distant uncle that doesn’t live in the area but is very close to your parents, sorority or fraternity, your college roommates, your childhood buddies that you’re still friends with, bar-mates, co-workers that are extremely close (uhmm bosses!).Ĭ List - This is the obligatory list meaning people that are invited out of obligation.

Guest list planner plus#

This list is made up of your immediate family (parents, siblings, grandparents, close aunts/uncles, sponsors) and your VIP friends (wedding party if you have one, their plus ones and their families if you’re inviting children).ī List - This is the extended family (your parents list) and overflow of really great friends you’d love to have but are not immediate family or in the wedding party. The way the guest list normally breaks down into is the following categories:Ī List - The easy list and the most important. Let’s start with creating categories for your guest list and inputting them onto this spreadsheet I made for you.

The Best Way to Make a Wedding Guest List