Making Your Guest List

A Wedding is not just a special day in the couple’s life, it is also a great experience for the new parents in-law, family and friends. It is a great day to have all the people who are special in your life, people you care about together in one celebration. To have the “perfect” guests to celebrate this day of happiness with you is important – it is important to have a good guest list.

The couple can face some challenges bringing two new families, different friends and colleagues together. It is also important that you don’t forget to stay within your budget when making the list, since the number of guests determines to a great deal the costs of the celebration. The number of guests is also important to know in order to decide on the menu, shall it be a set dinner or a buffet?

If you make your guest list according to your budget, you will have a fixed number of people you can invite. It is a very simple equation: less guests = less money.

Top 10 Points to consider:

1. Sit down together and write a first draft of your guest list (it is advisable to split it for the bride and the groom)
2. Set your priorities: who do you definitely want to have with you during your Wedding?
3. Decide who you would like to be your brides maids / best man
4. Complete your guest list
5. Look for accommodation for your guests either in hotels or self-catering apartments (depending on your budget)
6. Check with your guests if they need transport (i.e. from the airport)
7. Send out your “save-the-date” cards, followed by your invitations
8. Plan your guest favors for the Wedding day (have a look at the link “Favors” on our website to get inspired)
9. Think if you want to arrange little welcome packages for close family members
10. Plan your seating chart

If you have a long guest list and don’t want to miss anyone during your Wedding, its a great idea to make the guest list first and than plan your budget around your guests and make the celebration accordingly.

Top 5 Questions to ask yourself:

1. Do we want a small Wedding with close friends or a BIG celebration?
2. What is our budget?
3. Where do we want to celebrate / how many people can our location accommodate?
4. Shall our Single friends bring an additional guest?
5. Are our parents (in-law) inviting their own friends?

Make sure that only one of you is in charge of the guest list. It is important that only one person can add or remove people from the guest list to not loose the overview and control of the list.

You can find many great ideas for your wedding decoration on http://www.TheBrideSideofLife.com