Chapter five of my book, Donnie Brown Weddings from the couture to the cake, is purely devoted to discussing the guest list. In it I state, “For every person invited there is food, a chair, a percentage of a tablecloth and centerpiece, lighting, and so forth”. You laugh now but, I warn you, it is no laughing matter once you realize that you’ve far exceeded your budget. If there was ever a time to be stylishly stern, (if there is such a thing), it would be with your guest list. You don’t have to include every person you have ever met in your life. Your family doesn’t have to invite everyone they have ever lived next to or worked with in their lives. I realize that weddings are one of the few major social hosting experiences in most peoples lives, but when it comes to watering your budget down because you are bombarded by too many wedding guests, perhaps you should take a firm stand. After all, you should have the wedding you want even if it is on a smaller scale than many of your family and friends might prefer.
Image from: Wedding Magazine
When it comes to the invitations I should underline that one invitation could translate to two or more guests. I hear you asking, “Donnie, how do I overcome this possible dilemma”? As I note on page 64 of my book, “Start dropping hints about a finite number of guests and speak often about how hard it will be to make selections”. Doing the latter will lift your stress levels and in turn, allow you to focus your energy on other important aspects of your wedding day. As a wedding/event planner, I recognize the desire to want to please everyone however, you must be pragmatic and know that your budget is steered quite a bit by the number of people attending.
I’m going to venture into uncharted waters now….here it goes. Must children be black listed from weddings? I know this sounds harsh but, as we all know, children have a mind of their own especially when in public settings. Little ones are excitable and don’t understand that the grown-ups are intoxicated and aren’t paying as much attention to them as they do normally. I have seen little girls and boys kick off their shoes and roll around on the dance floor under adults who are non-plussed by the activity at their feet. Additionally, if a glass gets broken, you could have injuries to deal with. Your wedding day belongs to you and I am not trying to suggest that you eliminate the kiddoes from your wedding, but it is definitely something to consider! Competing with crying children should not be the order of your wedding day, but should you choose to include the little tykes as guests, my humble suggestion would be to arrange for a playroom at the reception. Also, having a small team of certified nannies to assist with entertaining and caring for your these guys would be advisable. Overall, your guests should include those that are near and dear to your heart and, if that includes little people, then ensure that they too are taken care of just as well as their adult counterparts.
Image from: Better Photography
To read this chapter in its entirety, better yet, entire book-visit: Donnie Brown Weddings from the couture to the cake