By Winona Fajardo

Making the guest list for your wedding day can be quite stressful especially if you’re on a tight budget. When you list down the potential people you know and possibly invite, you may realise that your expected number guests can blow up to twice or thrice as many, and narrowing it down can be quite challenging. Luckily, there are a few ways to solve this problem to make sure you and your partner will be happy with the end result.

Do not announce your wedding on social media

In the generation that we live in, almost everything is broadcasted on social media and you would want to share anything that happens big in your life. But, try to avoid announcing your engagement or wedding in these public networks. This may cause unnecessary invites to people you’re not planning to invite in the first place because believe it or not, there are those who invite themselves to other people’s events by insisting that they should be in your guest list. So, save yourself from the stress of having to deal with them and just post your wedding photos and videos after the actual event.

Don’t feel obligated to invite someone

Just because you asked for your neighbour’s help to change your car tyre or a friend of your friend helped you get into a job, does not mean that you owe them an invite to your wedding day. Remember that it is a special day you celebrate with your partner as a symbol of your love for each other. It should not serve as a form of gratitude for people who have helped you out before.

Rank your guests

Do the A-list, B-list, C-list concept to easily organise your guest list. A-list guests should be those who you share a special connection with like you and your partner’s immediate family and best friends. B-list is for both side’s extended families, other friends, and close colleagues. Only include in this list those who are close to you and speak to on a regular basis. Again, do not feel obligated to invite everyone especially if you have not talked to them for years. If this is the case, move them to the C-list which is the least of the priorities. Once you have finalised your A and B-lists and see that you still have a few spaces available, start to add those in the C-list to your guest list.

Friend or Acquaintance?

Ask yourself this: am I actually friends with them or are they just an acquaintance? If you think that it’s the latter, you should probably take them off your guest list. Weddings are meant to be celebrated with your loved ones and close friends. You will also save them from feeling awkward at the reception because they barely know anyone apart from you.

Mind your partner’s feelings

It is inevitable that your partner does not get along with some of your relatives or friends. Take this into consideration and ask your partner if he/she is comfortable if you invite that person. Also, if you notice that your list is a little bit unbalanced and you have more guests on your side, consult this with your partner just to make sure that it is not unfair to him/her.

Think about what they contribute to your wedding

If you still cannot decide whether you want to invite that person to your wedding, think about what they can contribute. Will they make the party alive or will they just sulk in the corner and not talk to anyone? Are they going to get uncontrollably drunk to the point that they might challenge someone to a fist fight and ruin your reception? Can they say something about you and your partner if they are asked to give a short speech in front? If you think that inviting a person is pointless or will cause more bad than good, contemplate if they are worth the invite.

Now grab your pen and paper and start finalising that guest list! If you follow the suggestions above, it will surely be one task to be ticked off your wedding preparation in no time.