Table of Contents
Wedding Guests
The number of wedding guests that you invite will contribute to the atmosphere, vibrancy or intimacy of your wedding day.
There are many questions listed below for you to ask yourselves. Your answers will help you determine the size of your wedding guest list as well as who you will invite to your wedding.
There are no right or wrong answers, just factors for you to consider to determine what will work for you.
How well do you and your partner know each wedding guest?
Is it important to you that you have a valued relationship with each guest or do you just want to include everyone and not leave anyone out?
When it comes to your relatives, do you and your partner have large extended families with multiple siblings, aunts, uncles and cousins?
If this is the case, do you only invite the extended family that you keep in touch with or will you include every cousin? Or will you invite immediate family only?
What about your work colleagues? Do you invite the whole team or just the colleagues that you eat lunch with? Or nobody from work at all?
Does each wedding guest know at least one other person invited to your wedding?
You want all of your guests to enjoy the occasion as much as you do! Is there anyone on the guest list who doesn’t know anyone else?… if so, can you arrange a gathering before the wedding day where they can meet other guests?… or can you ask a relative or another guest to introduce themselves?
Are you going to include a plus one on your invitations to your single wedding guests?
Do all of the wedding guests get along well or are there certain guests whom you need to strategically coordinate to be away from each other?
Are there any difficult guests or is there potential for conflict? You don’t want anything to tarnish the happiness of the day.
You may consider not inviting those people or you might speak openly with those people before the wedding day to get their commitment of civility.
Remember, this is one day where all differences need to be put aside and the focus of every guest must be on supporting you on your wedding day!
Will the size of your wedding venue determine the number of wedding guests you invite or will the number of guests that you want to invite determine the size of the wedding venue?
Are there family members contributing to the cost of the wedding who would also like some input into who is invited?
Wedding Invitations
Wedding Invitations are a great way to communicate more than just the basic logistical information for your wedding day.
Obviously, the wedding invitation will include the necessary information – who is getting married, where and when. The invitation will also ask for a response by a certain date.
A dress code may be included on the invitation to let your wedding guests know what formality of clothing is recommended.
A glimpse of the tone of the day is also portrayed through the design of the invitation as well as the formality or casualness of the wording.
R.S.V.P. stands for the French phrase, répondez s’il vous plait, which means reply please. There is often a reply card included with the invitation to make it easy for guests to reply (Hopefully thus providing you with the information you require without needing to follow up with anyone).
The RSVP will include space for the name of the guest and whether they are accepting or declining the invitation.
The reply card may include a meal choice for them and it should also provide space for them to include any special dietary requirements. (For Example: Vegetarian, Gluten Free, Allergic to peanuts)
Thank you notes for your wedding guests may also match your invitations. An alternative might be to use a photograph from your wedding day.
Wedding invitations, RSVP’s and Thank you’s may be physical cards that are mailed or you may choose online versions.
Gift Registry
Gift Registry information is also included with the wedding invitation.
Setting up a gift registry helps both the couple getting married as well as their guests. Most guests like to give a gift that they know the couple wants or needs. A gift registry also ensures that the newlyweds don’t end up with multiples of the same item, like five wall clocks for example (yes, that really happened)!
Registries provide guests with the option to contribute to a part of what becomes a larger matching set.
Remember that guests will have different budget abilities and expectations on how much they can spend on a wedding gift so include inexpensive items, moderately priced items as well as bigger ticket items on your registry.
Guests are not obligated to buy through your gift registry either so if they have something else in mind then they can still proceed with that idea.
If you are a wedding guest and looking for special gift ideas, check out the articles in the Wedding Gifts section of Fabulously Frugal Bride.
Wedding Etiquette
There are many do’s and dont’s when it comes to Wedding Etiquette and it is up to you to decide what’s important to you.
Are you going to follow traditional wedding etiquette or are you going to throw the rule book out the window?!
What about your guests? Someone will probably break etiquette at some point and it’s your choice whether you laugh it off or whether you are bothered by it.
Just remember that it is important for both you and your guests to enjoy everything about your wedding day!
Wedding Guests From Out of Town
Consider Wedding Guests from out of Town.
Are they staying with family or friends or in accommodation? Will they be completely independent whilst in town for the wedding or will they need some extra assistance and looking after?
If you’re holding a destination wedding then all of your guests are from out of town.
Will you leave it entirely up to guests to do their own thing? Will you arrange any optional extra events or activities such as dinners or site seeing? If you do, make it clear who is paying and if it’s the guest then the cost of each activity needs to be upfront and clear.
Favors for your Wedding Guests
Wedding Favors are a lovely way to thank your wedding guests for celebrating your special day with you.
Wedding Favors can be store bought, specially ordered, discount bargains or homemade. They vary greatly in cost depending on what you decide.
So, as you can see, when it comes to your wedding guests, there’s a lot to think about.
From the decisions on the number of wedding guests, to the the wedding favors at the end of the celebration.
You can celebrate your wedding your way whilst considering your wedding guests so that you all have a wonderful, magical wedding day.
