LOOK WHO'S COMING TO YOUR WEDDING! 8 IDEAS FOR CUTTING YOUR GUEST LIST

Deciding who to invite to your wedding is almost of United Nations proportions in the mind of some people, regarding  the need for diplomacy.

Have some perimeters and hopefully make the culling of your guest list a non-brainer instead of sleepless nights and traumatised nerves.

WHO?

• Your wedding is an official announcement of your lifelong commitment to each other.
• Your guests are those people in your lives that you want to share in this momentous decision.
• People who love you, are part of your lives now and your future as a couple.
• People who celebrate you as a couple.
• These should be at the top of your guest list.

WHAT?

• The theme and style of your wedding will influence your attitude to inviting guests.
• Relaxed, family and informal reception in your parents garden or a three course formal table settings at a stately home, gives you a different mind set and factors as to how guests will be catered for and welcomed.

WHERE?

• Location is very inter-related to the theme of your wedding.
• If your wedding is in your local village/home town, it's likely more people will know about it and expect an invitation.
• Getting married in another city or international location immediately reduces the number of people who will be able to afford the time and money to attend.
• Some may only hear about it after the event.

WHEN?

• Getting married on a weekday will exclude some people who cannot get the time off work or a suitable babysitter for their pre-school and school age children.
• Winter weddings could affect travel to your wedding venue if there's heavy snow storms. 
• Also not everyone find tropical heat enjoyable for a wedding in the Caribbean.

WALLET?

• Remember guests cost money.
• In fact there is a price per head formula used by caterers, whatever style of catering and menu you plan to have for your wedding reception.
• An extra person a friend, boyfriend or cousin translate to extra money out of your budget.
• If your cost per head is a modest £50, then just eight extra guests will add £400 to your catering costs. Multiply that by twenty and the point is made.
• This could also extend to providing transportation and hotel accommodation for out of town guests.

WARRING?

• There's no perfect family and if you have family members that are in any type of dispute with each other, don't let your wedding become a battlefield.
• This also applies to "ex's". Ex-spouses of your parents, ex-girlfriends or boyfriends, ex-school friends.
• There's a reason that these individuals are no longer central to your lives.
• Unless you're both confident that past hurts and grievances will not re-surface at your wedding, be careful about inviting such individuals.

WEARY?

• Don't let your guest list stress you out.
• If you have taken on board the above considerations, then you would have cut your list drastically, depending on what factors apply to your situation.
• Make your list and prioritise.
• Beyond those in your inner circle, everyone else has to earn their right to an invite.
• Whoever you think "should be invited because... "(fill in the gap. eg distant cousins, your mum's hairdresser friend, you work in the same department...)... probably don't need to be there.

WISHLIST?
There will be those you wish you could invite or wish they could make it, but can't.

• You could still make them feel included in a number of ways.
• The former could be sent an evening invitation so they're involved in the post ceremony celebrations.
• Have a post wedding party at a later date for those who couldn't travel to your location wedding.
• Sending a special gift commemorating your wedding day, a wedding favour, a table arrangement or slice of wedding cake can be enough to make others feel part of your day.
• You could have a special viewing of your wedding video and invite those who were unable to be with you on the day. Provide drinks, snacks and some wedding cake to make it even more special.

Below is a link to an article regarding Pippa Middleton's wedding list. Even though this is a high profile and wealthy couple, the guest list cull has to be applied and not everyone will be happy about it.

http://www.msn.com/en-gb/lifestyle/wedding/pippa-middletons-relatives-reveal-disappointment-over-not-receiving-an-invitation-to-her-wedding/ar-BBB9ao0?li=BBoPOOm&ocid=HPCDHP