The Golden Rule of Guest Lists
Your venue capacity and budget determine your guest count — not obligation. Every guest costs $150–$250 on average.
The A-List / B-List Strategy
This isn't rude — it's practical: - A-List: Must-invites (immediate family, close friends, wedding party) - B-List: People you'd love to invite if space allows
Send A-List invitations 8 weeks before the wedding. As declines come in, send B-List invitations 6 weeks out. No one needs to know which list they were on.
Common Dilemmas (Solved)
"Do I have to invite my parents' friends?" If your parents are contributing financially, discuss a fair split. A common approach: parents get 20% of the guest count to fill as they wish.
"Plus-ones for everyone?" - Married/engaged couples: Always invited together - Dating 1+ year: Should get a plus-one - Single friends: Plus-ones are nice but not required, especially at smaller weddings
"What about kids?" State your policy clearly on the invitation. "Adult reception" is perfectly acceptable. Use our [Guest Manager](/guests) to track children counts separately.
"Do I have to invite coworkers?" Only if you socialize outside of work. You don't need to invite your entire department if you invite one person — offices understand.
"How do I handle divorced parents who don't get along?" Seat them at separate tables. Assign a trusted friend to each parent as a "buddy" for the day. Use our [Seating Chart](/seating) to plan strategically.
RSVP Management Made Easy
- •Set your RSVP deadline 3–4 weeks before the wedding
- •Follow up with non-responders at 2 weeks out (a simple text works)
- •Track everything in our Guest Manager — filter by RSVP status, meal choice, and dietary needs in one view
- •Export your final guest list to PDF for your caterer and venue coordinator
Organize by Side
Our Guest Manager lets you tag guests as Partner 1, Partner 2, or Mutual — making it easy to balance the invite list and plan seating by familiarity.
guest list
wedding etiquette
RSVP
wedding guests
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