There are a few aspects of wedding planning that can get truly tedious. One of them is to finalize the guest list. Whether you want to invite every person you ever meet, go for an intimate ceremony, or do something in between, figuring out how many people to invite is never an easy task. Here, we’re breaking down the steps to deciding your final guest count for your big day.

Things to Consider

The golden fact of wedding planning is more guests means more cost. The trickle effect of total guest count includes food and beverages, rentals, flowers, linens, stationeries, transportation, etc. So, be aware before adding just an extra 10 people. Next, the difference in vibes between a wedding with nearly 500 people and a 50-person wedding, is huge. It’s totally up to you which vibe you prefer for your big day. If personal touches or dreamy details are your game, then consider scaling down. Also, generally, wedding venues come with their own accommodation capacity limits. Unless you’re getting hitched on private property, with more wiggle room, the capacity factor of your wedding venue is directly determinant in finalizing your guest count.

The Process

This is where things get tough and you’ll either need to stick to your plan or modify it as needed. As stressed earlier, budget is the most critical component in figuring out the size of your wedding guest list. So, have an honest conversation with your partner, family, and the planner, with a clear view of your overall budget range and probable cost per head. Now, great writers always write first and at the earliest! It’s very important to get a pen and paper and start writing the names of the people you want to be there on your big day. It will make prioritizing easier based on your projected cost per head. Lastly, it’s not wise to rely on the typical 80-85% of guests’ return for your wedding invitation. People are generally more enthusiastic about any celebration as a chance to travel and let down their hair. So, only the people you care about should make your final guest list.

The Final Say

Unfortunately, it’s tough to determine who makes the final call in the entire planning and execution. If some family members are contributing financially, they’re obviously entitled to an opinion. The best way to prepare the wedding guest list is to make it a collaborative effort among the involved parties, with the bride and groom having the final say.

A wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime occasion. There are many things for one to plan like venues, seating, catering, the list goes on and on. One crucial element is the toast. A good speech can change the tone of the entire wedding. It can make the guests so emotional that handkerchiefs need to be handed out, or have them laughing until their stomachs hurt. Here’s a list of how to line up your toasts.

The Welcome Toast

The host at the wedding reception initiates the event once the guests are seated. The parents of the bride usually make the toast to the newly married couple. The parents of the groom can follow suit, if interested. This will warm up the guests for action and get them ready for the ensuing celebrations!

The Blessing

This forms an integral part of the wedding reception as it offers a blessing over the food and marks the start of the dinner. It doesn’t happen with every wedding, as it’s more of a personal choice.

The Best Man and Maid of Honor Toasts

The best man and maid of honor speech is an important part of the evening, as it is not only a beloved tradition but also helps pump people up a little and get them ready for the final toast. This toast is done toward the end of dinner as guests can enjoy their meals and also be all-ears. In case there is no sitting arrangement, the waiters can finish their job and make sure the guests have food to chew on.

The Newlyweds Toast

This is a moment of the event where the bride and groom express their love, gratitude, respect, and everything else that they feel for each other. It is also a chance to thank everybody from the parents to the guests for coming to the event.

How to Give a Good Speech

Practice your toast thoroughly before standing up on stage, as winging it doesn’t work for everybody. Secondly, think of those you would love to have speak at your reception and make a list. You can have the toasts done in a non-stop spree or have them interspersed with food courses. To ensure the smooth flow of speeches, you can take a few steps like giving your speakers a time limit beforehand as well as a time allocation so they know when to speak and for how long. If you’re planning a wedding, every little thing you do can go a long way. So raise a toast to planning the perfect wedding!