It can be tempting to simply invite everyone to your wedding. You are so excited about sharing this joyous occasion that you just can’t bear to leave anyone off the list. However, like it or not, you will not be able to invite everyone due to space or budget constraints.

One way of preventing the guest list from growing is letting those you’ve invited know that you have limited seating and that you’d appreciate it if they didn’t spread the news of your wedding dinner.

But, if your guest list is simply too long and your venue is unable to accommodate or your budget doesn’t allow, you will need to trim it down. Here are 12 types of guests that you can consider eliminating from your guest list. While respecting your own wishes, always try to be sensitive and considerate.

1. The Obligation

Don’t feel obligated to invite someone simply because that person has invited you to his/her wedding before.

2. The Unaware

If they don’t even know your fiancé exists or that you are engaged, chances are they won’t be offended if they aren’t invited.

3. The Ex-Classmate

If you have not spoken to them or seen them in the last year and you are never going to speak to them or see them after your wedding, you can take them off your list.

4. The Contingency Guest

This means: ‘If I invite Amy, I’ll have to invite the whole KTV gang.’ If so, you can forget everyone.

5. The Plus One

Although you want to please everybody, it will be useful to set some parameters if you have space constraints. Consider only allocating a ‘plus one’ for people who are seriously dating, living together, engaged or married. For single friends – if lots of their friends are also invited, they’ll be happy to come solo.

6. The Below 12

This is always a dilemma – whether or not to invite children to your wedding day. But if you can skip the kids, you can reduce your guest list further. The risk of having children ruining the romantic and refined ambience and turning the reception into a children’s party versus your friends and relatives missing out on your special day because they have to stay home to take care of the kids. Weigh the options and decide for yourself.

One way to get the hint across to your uncle and aunty who have five kids is to list down the names of the guests who are invited. Be specific. Some simply assume that one invitation card = one family of 10.

7. The Ex

No matter how friendly the breakup was, it is best not to invite your ex to your wedding. You would not want to take risks on your special day! At any rate, you can let him or her know about the wedding after you are married.


8. The Co-Worker

You may feel compelled to invite all your colleagues from the office even though you are not on the same terms with everyone. Perhaps consider only inviting those who you hang out with outside of working hours. If you are afraid of the politics that may arise, ask those that you are inviting to not spread the word about your wedding. If they are close enough, they will be more than happy to do that for you.

9. The Business Associate

Consider announcing your marriage during a lunch meeting instead – with you footing the bill, of course.

10. The Distant Relative

In Chinese culture, parents will probably want to invite all your relatives, including some whom you never even heard of or met before. Unless your parents are paying the bill, let them know nicely and explain to them that they can’t invite everyone.

11. The Migrated Friend Or Relative

If your guests live out of town and need to travel by plane to attend your wedding, consider leaving them out unless they play an important role in your life. Especially if you have to pay for their air ticket!

12. The Troublemaker

Last but not least, if someone is known to cause trouble and dampen the happy mood after a couple of drinks or is known for always having something to complain about, you can consider leaving him/her out.

Visit La Belle Couture page to find out more about Peiru's work.

_{This post was first published on La Belle Couture blog and has been reposted on Executive Lifestyle with the permission of the author. Image from La Belle Couture
Edited by Nedda Chaplin}

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