Making A Guest List



Wedding Guest List

 For some brides, compiling a guest list is relatively simple, especially if you're planning a very small event of close family and friends.  For others, deciding on a guest list can become very stressful and emotional, especially if you have a tight wedding budget.  When you start to make a list of all you the people you both know, it can quickly get out of hand.  Yes, the groom has people he'd like to invite too!

A spreadsheet is the easiest way to create and revise a wedding guest list.  Start by asking a parent to help you list everyone you can think of and categorize them using different colors.  For example, family, high school friends, college friends, lifelong friends, coworkers, close friends of the family, church members, and associates from any groups you may belong to.  The groom should do the same.  Next, evaluate your budget to determine how many people you can afford to accommodate and start cutting your list.  Cutting the guest list is a difficult because you don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, but staying on budget should remain your priority. If someone stops speaking to you because they weren't invited to your wedding, they probably aren't truly happy for you upcoming nuptials anyway.   Once your venue is secured, you'll know how many people it can accommodate, then you can adjust your list accordingly.   

How to Choose Bridesmaids

Selecting bridesmaids can be fun and exciting, but it can also be stressful. Typically, the bridal party consists of the closest and most important people to you and your spouse. Don’t feel obligated to have someone in your wedding just because you were in theirs. Your bridal party should consist of special people in your life who fully support your relationship and will be a part of your new life together for years to come. Unfortunately, it’s inevitable that someone’s feelings may become hurt if they are not selected to participate in your wedding. However, it’s important to remember that the main purpose of your wedding is to commit to and celebrate the love between you and your chosen mate, everyone else is just a part of the background. The role of your bridesmaids is to assist you before and the day of your wedding, so they should be people who are dependable. Download our list of duties and responsibilities of the maid/matron of honor and bridesmaids. It’s usually a nice gesture for the bride to include at least one of the groom’s sisters, if feasible. However, it’s not against etiquette if you choose not to. Contrary to popular belief, the number of bridesmaids and groomsmen does not have to be equal, although it should be proportional. If you're on a tight budget, a smaller bridal party will help to keep costs down (bouquets, attendant gifts, and rehearsal dinner costs). The style of your wedding will help to determine the final numbers. Are you planning a small intimate affair, traditional church wedding, or a grandioso extravaganza? For a simple wedding, some couples chose to have only a maid/matron of honor and a best man. If this tasks still seems to daunting, you can always chose not to have a bridal party at all, this is completely acceptable and puts all of the focus on the two of you, which is where it should be.