How many guests to invite?

When deciding how may guests to invite to your wedding, there are a few factors that may affect your decision. Do you want a large wedding or a small intimate gathering? Do you want to have fewer people and have a sit-down dinner with an open bar or would you rather have a larger reception with less food and drinks? Have you chosen the location for the ceremony and reception? The space may dictate how many people you can invite. If space or money is a problem, one solution is to include more guests at either the wedding or the reception. Some brides wish to decide the number of guests after setting their budget. If this plan is chosen, usually the bride and groom's family each get to invite half the guests. This of course depends on the individual's situation. Another suggestion is to divide the list into thirds. The bride's family, the groom's family, and the couple can each provide one-third of the guest list. Usually about twenty to twenty-five percent of the guests invited will be unable to attend. Many weddings that have started out as intimate private ceremonies have ended up including more than two-hundred people, so remember to consider your wedding style, budget, and space before making a final guest list. For more information on guest lists, contact a wedding specialist.