One of the toughest part of planning a wedding is creating the guest list. Of course, you want all the people you love to be able to attend, and you don’t want to cause hurt feelings and resentment by leaving anyone out. On the other hand, every guest you add to the list means more food, decorations, chairs, and favors to give out…and you might not have the budget to match. Below are some tips from our Raleigh wedding cake bakery on planning a guest list that’s frugal and accommodating.
First, write down everyone you’d invite if money wasn’t an issue. Next, separate guests into “must-attends” (like your immediate family members) and people who aren’t essential, like casual friends and colleagues. It probably goes without saying, but remember to include your partner in this process, who of course has family members, friends, and colleagues of his or her own.
Most wedding planners advice couples to invite 10% or 20% more guests than they can actually accommodate, banking on the fact that 10% or 20% of invites will usually decline. Reach out to you’re A-List guests first. If more people on your A-List decline than you expected, you’ll have more slots to fill from the B list. (Don’t let too much time pass between contacting A-List and B-List guests. No one likes to find out that they were a second choice, even if family comes first.)
If you’ve cut your list down as much as possible, and you still have way too many names, it’s time to ask yourself some tough questions. Ask yourself:
Don’t feel pressured to invite someone just because they invited you to their wedding, or because they’re a parent’s friend who you’ve never met. If anyone questions you, let them know that the budget was tight and the decisions were difficult.
With so much going on while planning your wedding, wouldn’t be nice if you could take one small part off your hands? Our Raleigh wedding cake bakery can help! We specialize in decorative tiered cakes that are delicious and beautiful. To schedule a consultation, contact us here!
