Planning for a wedding is not an easy task. A lot of thought and preparation is necessary for you to have the day you’ve always dreamt of. But before you start writing down names on a seating chart, you’ll want to first decide on how many people to invite to your wedding.
This is one of the first questions that many couples ask themselves when they start wedding planning. Some couples invite all of their family and friends while others keep it intimate and only invite close family members. How do you decide how many people to invite?
In this blog post, you will learn how many people to invite to your wedding and more.
How many people should you invite to your wedding?
The number of people that you should invite to your wedding will likely depend on a few variables such as your budget, the location you have chosen to have your wedding, the atmosphere you are going for, and ultimately how many people you have in your family you both have that you want to be there.
It is a good idea to split the total guest list between you and your partner. If you want to invite a total of 80 people to your wedding, then you each would invite up to 40 people. This way, you both get to decide how many people you want at your wedding.
If you are on a smaller budget and not able to invite everyone that might be included in the guest list of some couples, think about inviting close family members. This means including parents or siblings of each person getting married as well as grandparents if they live nearby.
If the two of you share a close bond with each other’s parents and grandparents, then it would be nice to include them on the guest list.
What’s the average wedding size?
The average wedding size is something that can vary based on numerous factors such as where you are from is about 150-200 people. This is made up of friends and families from both the bride and groom’s families.
What is a good number of people to invite to a wedding?
It can be difficult to decide how many people to invite to a wedding. The number of guests is the first and most fundamental decision you must make for your big day. Restaurants, venues, event rental companies, and caterers all have different capacities and budgets, so knowing how many guests they can handle is as important as knowing how much you’re willing to spend.
Plan a guest list of 150-200 people. It’s always better to think about every possible guest that you could have and then weed them out as you go.
Here are some helpful tips to help you plan out your guest list:
- Figure out what the absolute minimum amount of attendants should be (including parents and grandparents). Unless relatives like these live out of town or abroad, this group is usually the easiest to get numbers from.
- Take special note of how many attendants you have and how many guests they’re bringing. If it’s a small number, then that could potentially impact your overall headcount as well.
- Don’t forget how many of your attendants have significant others – if they’re bringing a date, you should factor them in too. It’s important to be fair and treat all your attendants equally so don’t leave out their loved ones!
- Think about how much space is available for guests at the reception or how many people the venue can handle, how much space they have to play with at their disposal, and how you plan on decorating.
- Think about how far in advance of your wedding date are you sending out invitations? The more time guests have to RSVP in advance the better idea you will have of actual attendees.
What percentage of wedding guests actually attend?
The percentage of wedding guests that actually attend is not as high as most people think. It’s estimated that only about 80-85% of those who are invited actually attend the wedding. If you are curious to see roughly how many would attend your wedding, you can check out this neat guest calculator to get an estimate.
How much is a wedding with 100 guests?
Of course, it depends on different criteria such as caterers, venue, entertainment, and many more options or features you choose to have at your wedding but the national average is roughly $34,000 for a wedding that has between 100-150 guests.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some commonly asked questions:
What is Micro wedding?
A micro wedding is a ceremony where only immediate family and friends are invited and the total number of guests is between 40-50. This small gathering is an intimate setting where family and close friends can celebrate with the bride and groom without tons of people there.
Is having a small wedding rude?
No, you choosing to have a small wedding is not rude or inconsiderate. It is your day to celebrate the union with your partner. You can choose to invite as little or as many people as you would like to be there. Once you have selected the ones that you absolutely want to be there whether they are immediate family or friends, anything else is optional. Most people will understand but do not be surprised that someone might feel left out.
Who should you invite to a small wedding?
If you want to keep your ceremony on the small side then you should keep it to family and close friends. This could include your parents, siblings, grandparents, or any other family that you deem essential as well as any friends you want to include.
Do not feel obligated to invite the crazy uncle that you have seen in 25 years or that cousin that is only related to you by a distant marriage. You choose who you want to be there.
How do I tell people I want a small wedding?
This can be a tricky situation when you have a lot of family, friends, coworkers, and more that may want to come to your wedding. The best way is to tell certain people in those circles and simply explain that you are doing a small ceremony for immediate family only.
Is 60 guests a small wedding?
Yes, 60 guests can be considered a small wedding in comparison to the average size of most guest lists for weddings today. Weddings can typically have anywhere from 100-300 guests on average which is considerably larger than 60. However, 60 wedding guests can be a large guest list in certain situations such as very small towns or rural areas.
Is 150 guests a big wedding?
No, 150 guests is not necessarily a big wedding but rather about average for weddings today. Most weddings average between 100-300 guests in normal situations. This can vary based on situation, location, people involved, or even age. It just depends.
In Conclusion
How many people you should invite to your wedding is a very personal decision. There are no right or wrong answers here, but there are some considerations you will want to make as the host of the event.
Just take a deep breath and make the best decisions for you and your day that you will be happy with during and afterward. Ultimately, the most important thing is not how many people were at your wedding but the time that you took planning, the amazing time that you and your partner will have at the wedding and in the years to come.
