Mistakes to avoid while creating a wedding guest list

Sitting down with your partner and deciding who you want to celebrate your big day with is one of the first steps to planning your dream wedding. And it can be fun. However, it can also be a delicate situation that can blow up in your face if you aren’t careful and tactful. There are a lot of factors to consider—budget, venue restrictions, family opinions, etc etc. It’s not easy to go through everyone you know and narrow the list down to a number of guests that fits all the criteria without stepping on anyone’s toes or upsetting them.  

We’ve created a list of guidelines to follow while you compile your guest to make this process smooth and not leave you with a panic attack. Read on and send it to your partner too. 

Make the first draft extensive  
The very first ground rule to follow is to make the first draft of your list extensive and long. Put down everyone you can think of. Your mom’s best friend’s daughter-in-law, your grandmother's third cousin, your uncle’s wife’s brother. Everyone goes on this list even if you’re iffy about having them at your big day or you know they won’t make it. The reason is simple. It’s easier to cut down than having to add people if anyone can’t make it. 

A trick you can use is writing ‘A, B, or C’ against their names. These letters represent your priority. So when you are cutting it down, you aren’t overwhelmed or stressed.  

Check the venue’s maximum capacity  
Once you have a first draft of your guest list (or even before you do) find out how many people your venue can hold or if the place you’ve booked has a minimum guest count. This information can save you a lot of trouble in the future in case you need more people on your guest list or need to cut down. An informed decision is always the best idea. 

Create a B-list and don’t wait too long to send out their invites 
We get it. If someone didn’t make it to your A-list, chances are you don’t really want them at your wedding. However, there are a lot of factors to consider before closing your guest list. For instance, an old friend of your mother’s, your dad’s business associates or an old school friend that you just reconnected with. Think of the B-list as substitutes if anyone on your A list can’t make it for whatever reason and you need someone to step in. 

Another thing to keep in mind is to not wait too long to send out invitations. No one likes being invited to a wedding last minute, it’s rude and it can create waves of drama in most Indian families. So, to avoid all that send your A list invites much, much in advance and based on the RSVPs you can fill in from your B-list.  

Don’t invite anyone you’re not close with 
Keep telling yourself that it is your wedding and you don’t have to invite people you don’t want. You know your family or your partner's family is going to try and invite people you haven’t seen or heard of and sometimes you’ll win the argument and sometimes you won’t. Consider your relationship with that person and think about whether you want them there while you celebrate one of the biggest days of your life. Don’t be pressured into inviting people just to fill out the room or because you feel obligated to do so. 

The best way to tackle this situation is to reserve spots on your list. For instance, if your hard-stop number of guests is 100, reserve about ten spots for your families to fill in. Even if it is a distant friend or relative. It’s just easier this way and it will avoid a lot of guilt and conflict.