Last Updated on October 25, 2022 by
How many people should I invite to my wedding? It’s simple. Guests are expensive and venues can only hold a certain number of people. Combine any money/space issues with parental input, and the scene is set for a potentially sticky situation. Be careful. A conversation about adding a high school friend to the guest list could quickly turn into a dispute over who should be included. Instead, be realistic, evaluate, and compromise. (Pro tip: If you still haven’t found the right venue for your guests, use our All-In One Wedding Planner app. You can also take our Style Quiz to narrow down your choices.
1. You have way too many people to invite.
We encourage you to make a list of your favorite guests. You can include every person you want to invite. Next, get back to basics: How many people can I invite? The number of people you can accommodate and the budget that you have will determine how large your target wedding guest list. It’s inevitable that guests will be cut. To help you make decisions, it is important to separate the guests that must attend from those who are not required, such as your aunt or godfather. This is your A-list. Anyone not essential (not people you don’t like, but maybe colleagues you might be able to skip) should be added to the B list. These are people who you enjoy having at your wedding, but can’t invite to the first round.
You can invite as many guests as you want, but not more than you originally planned. Between 10 and 20% of the invited will decline. You don’t want them to feel like they were on the “maybe list” if more people turn down than you initially anticipated.
2. Your parents want you to invite people that you have never met before.
Who is Sylvia Klein? And why should she be invited to your wedding. Many of these questions will be asked. Traditionally, the bride’s parents pay for the wedding, giving them the upper hand in extending invitations. Although some couples are able to pay for their weddings themselves, it is still up to the parents to decide who is invited. Respect your parents and future inlaws. They are just as excited about the wedding and as proud of you. You want them to share your happiness with their friends so honor their wishes. One option: Give each parent a limit on the number of guests they can invite if you pay the majority of the bill.
