Guest List Help!

Trayleee

I am having some trouble formulating my list. Do I give everyone a guest? Idon't know the "rule" on this.  What about family that I havent had contact with in years? I don't want drama if I invite some members and not others.

DG1

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_wedding-woes_guest-list-3?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:47Discussion:93bdd2b8-d95b-45ab-8ebc-ddbde281bcc1Post:18d51093-81f6-41d6-92ed-d6eeaf95cc96">Guest List Help!</a>:
[QUOTE]I am having some trouble formulating my list. Do I give everyone a guest? Idon't know the "rule" on this.  What about family that I havent had contact with in years? I don't want drama if I invite some members and not others.
Posted by Trayleee[/QUOTE]


First, set a budget.  Then determine how many people you can feed in that budget. (get quotes from caterers)  Food and drink will take up at least half of your total budget, maybe more depending on how extravagant you are with "extras.

If you end up with a very intimate wedding, you might not even invite first cousins or aunts and uncles.  If you have a very large budget, you might end up with 500 people and invite third cousins, their kids, and guests for everyone.

(As for the guest rule, though - married people, engaged people, people who are in established long-term relationships get a guest.  Anything beyond that is not necessary but nice if it fits your budget.)

Oh, and expect some drama.  There's always someone that someone wants to invite but you can't because of various reasons (like budget or venue capacity).  I really enjoyed being able to tell my MIL "no" for her last-minute requests because there simply wasn't any more seating room. 

kat22885

We have everyone as +1.  I went to a wedding for my cousin once that wasn't +1, not terrible since I knew family obviously, BUT they played a ton of slow songs.  It drove me crazy.  So my advice is that if you have a good number of people that you're not inviting +1 (if they don't bring it, that's on them!) at least don't play a lot of slow songs!!