Easy ways to cut your wedding guest list size

If you have a large family and lots of friends in your life trying to squeeze everyone into a hundred person or less venue can be a huge ask. Here are some easy ways to cut your wedding guest list size without the headache.

It’s time to take a deep breath and adopt a practical view. It’s very easy to turn your wedding into an exercise in making everyone else happy. Your wedding is about you, what you want, what you can afford and who you want to share it with. Ask yourself these important questions to cut your wedding guest list down to size.

What’s your budget?

You may have a thousand close friends you would love to be at your wedding but just how much can you afford to spend per head? Break your wedding budget into chunks and uncover your realistic per head spend. Of course, there are lots of ways to reduce your budget per person but if you have dreamt of spoiling your wedding guests then you need to be sensible with numbers. Around £30 to £50 is the average wedding spend per guest. You might also want to consider here, who is footing the bill? If one or both your parents are paying for a portion of the wedding then it’s sensible to include them in discussions.

Who do you see?

You may have been best friends when you are 11 but how often do you see each other now? Create a huge list of all your potential guests and cut immediately anyone you haven’t seen or spoken to in the last 12 months. There are no points for having hundreds upon hundreds of guests turn up at your wedding, it will simply mean you don’t get an opportunity to speak to the people you really care about. This goes for relatives too, if you haven’t seen your third cousin for 15 years, why is he on your list?!

What works with your venue?

Your beautiful listed venue is going to make an amazing backdrop but how many people can you fit in? When you are choosing your venue, you often have to make a choice between space and charm. Decide what matters most to you, have an ideal number of guests in your head and work to a clear plan. If you fall in love with somewhere on the small side you need to brave and stick to a tight list.

Could you go adults only?

This one is a little controversial but it can significantly reduce your numbers if you make your event an adult only affair. Children fill up a lot of seats at weddings and if these aren’t children you are very close too then it can be a useful way to ease the pressure on your numbers and your budget. This is one day you get to choose who makes the cut. If this is an option you’re exploring make sure you give guests who are parents plenty of notice to arrange a babysitter. A few might be pleased with the excuse for a night off!

Who needs a plus one?

It’s customary to extend an extra invite to single guests at your wedding to bring someone along for the day. If this means your reception will be half full of people you don’t know, maybe think again. It’s a straightforward way to reduce numbers and is a step you can take that usually won’t hurt anyone’s feelings. Make sure you plan tables sensitively to ensure your single friends are surrounded with people they know and don’t end up isolated in a sea of couples.

Who makes a difference?

This a great question to ask yourself when you’re staring at a list of names, red pen in hand. For each person who is on there, think about how it would make you feel if they couldn’t attend. Those who are going to make a tangible difference to your enjoyment of your wedding always go in the must keep pile before anyone else.

Your wedding means you get to choose who makes the cut. Go with your gut and be surrounded by everyone you love the most on the day.

Our free guest list tool makes organising your guest list that bit easier. Find it here.