7 Tips for Creating Your Wedding Guest List

Compiling your initial wedding guest list is the first thing to do when planning your wedding.  This allows you to get a general idea of how many guests you can expect, which is important to know when searching for wedding venues.

So what can you do to make an effective guest list? Here are 7 tips that will help you get started.

Decide on Your Ideal “Number”

The first thing you should do is try to come to an understanding of what your ideal guest count would be, and work backwards from there.  Do you want a small, intimate wedding?  Do you want a destination wedding?  Do you want kids at your wedding?  Envision what you want and come up with your ideal guest count.

Keep A General Budget In Mind

Putting together your wedding guest list typically comes before you get into budget, but you should also discuss this with your fiancé.  Come to a general number.  If you agree that you only have $2,000 for your wedding, inviting 500 people might be out of the question.

Share The Load

In the interest of time, create separate lists for you, your fiancé, your parents, and any other family you want to consult.  Ask them to create their own lists, and combine them into one big list, then remove the duplicates.   It’s common courtesy in many situations to ask your family who they want invited, particularly your parents.

Start Big

Think of everyone, I mean EVERYONE, that you would even consider inviting.  Factor in +1s.  Add everyone to your initial list…you can always remove them later!

Prioritize Your List

Once you’ve compiled your full list, create a rating scale in terms of how likely a guest is to come.  You can use a number scale (1-3, 1-5, or whatever works for you), or simply label each guest as High, Medium, or Low.  This will give you a more realistic feel for how many people will likely be guests at your wedding.  Use your High+Medium likelihood as a conservative guest count going forward.

Categorize Your List

You’ll be revisiting your guest list throughout your wedding planning, so categorizing your list will help going forward.  If you’re using a wedding planning spreadsheet like WedSheet, add a column where you see fit for Relationship (column L on our Guest List tab).  Here are some sample categories you can use on your list:

• Bride’s Family
• Bride’s Friends
• Groom’s Family
• Groom’s Friends
• Bride’s Family Friends
• Groom’s Family Friends
• Bride’s Co-Workers
• Groom’s Co-Workers
• Mutual Friends

Stay Organized

As we mentioned before, you will be consulting your guest list throughout the wedding planning process, so make sure you have a shared document or way for you and your fiancé to keep your guest list organized.  You will continue to build on this list with addresses, special notes, and accommodations.  You can always keep it simple by using WedSheet’s Wedding Guest List template, found in our All-In-One product!