How do I know who to invite to the wedding? Is there a rule?

Hey there!

Great question. Firstly, I recommend making a numbered list on excel or a word doc so you can keep track of the numbers. This will help you work out whether you're going above the venue's capacity.

• Immediate Family
• Extended Family
• Close Friend Group (Consists of best friends, bridal party, housemates, etc)
• Uni / TAFE Friends
• School Friends
• Current Work Colleagues
• Past Work Colleagues
• Parents' Friends and Family Friends
• Special Interest Group Friends (such as music / art classes, sports teams, etc)
• Neighbours (may not be applicable)
• Any outliers from your social circuit who don't belong to a certain group (Go through your Facebook friend list etc)

Write down the names of everyone you would consider inviting, then begin to cull the people who you may not be close with or see a future relationship with. It might sound harsh, but you want the people there who will make it a wonderful celebration. Some people you will be forced to invite out of obligation, but if you aren't obligated to invite them, don't feel bad about eliminating them from the list. It's your day so do it your way! Invite the people who will make it fun for you.

If you contact me directly, I can email you a spreadsheet to help you get started :)

Thanks so much,

Lava @LavaStationery

Hello!

The best place to start is your wedding  budget and your venue size. How many guests can you afford and fit in your venue? Also who is paying for your wedding? If your parents pay, they will have a portion of the guest list also. Close friends and family of the bride and groom, co-workers, some distant family and your best friend from high school can all make the list. If you haven’t had contact with someone in 12 months or so, do you want to invite them to your very special day? Do you spend time with co-workers outside of work? Will you normally pay for dinner for this person?  All of these are questions you might want to ask yourself  if your list is getting too long. I hope this is helpful? There will always be someone that feel that they should’ve een invited. I really hope this is helpful? Good luck!

Hi AnonymousUser,

The first question to ask :

Co workers and aquaintances

Have I talked to this person in the last year - If Yes, proceed to next question : Do I interact with this person outside of work ; If Yes, next question - Would I buy dinner for this person; if yes - would this person make my wedding more fun - yes - Invited; If your answer to any of these questions is no - eliminate from your list.

Friends 

Do you have a close personal connection - If Yes, proceed to next question : Does this person know your partners name? If yes, Will they make your wedding more fun - Then yes Invited. If your answer to any of these questions is no - eliminate from your list.

Family

Do you have a close family connection - if yes, Will they make your wedding fun - then invited orAre they someone your parents want there? If parents are paying - Yes Invited. If your answer to any of these questions is no - eliminate from your list.

Clear as mud :)

Best Regards

Andrea