That dreaded guest list. It's every bride's nightmare...at least it was for me. You invite your co-worker Allison so you have to invite Trisha. And then his freshman year roommate Derek means you have to also invite Paul. And you haven't forgotten about your aunts, uncles, cousins, second cousin's, mom's cousins and third cousins, dad's best childhood friend, your step brother and his sister. And your head is spinning and spinning and you just don't know where to go from here!
In the midst of all of this craziness, most couples turn to an A, B, and C list.
A List: the closest family and friends who are 100% absolute must have's
B List: those who you would like there but aren't going to work within your budget if all of your A list replies with a "yes"
C List: the friends of friends, and long lost family who you haven't seen in years, those who didn't invite you to their child's wedding but it would make dad happy if they were there, and you want a big party anyways, so why not?
Well let me tell you now, there is no need for a B, C, D, or E list.
The A List is all that is needed.
If someone isn't 100% absolutely positively a person you just HAVE to have at your wedding, then is it really necessary to invite them if and only if one of your A-listers suddenly can't attend? The answer is NO.
Your wedding is all about the family and friends who are closest to you. And it is just a waste of money to invite someone just to fill the space. Think about how much money you'll save if you invite your A-listers and 10 can't make it! While I would have loved everyone on our invite list to have been there, it sure was a nice surprise when we were able to save $8,000 because only 167 out of the 193 invited were able to attend.
And cooler than that? There was no one to fill their spots so we saved!
It's not all about the money, but:
1) How would you feel if your friend was invited to a wedding and then two weeks before the wedding you finally get an invite? You're not going to think that your invite got lost in the mail. You'll know that you weren't a first priority on the guest list, and that doesn't make anyone feel too great.
2) Managing multiple lists is such a hassle! You've address your invites and mailed them all out and then each time a "no" RSVP comes in the mail, you have to order more invites, address them, buy more stamps, and mail out another invite? That doesn't sound fun and believe me, it is a hassle! If you stick to just an A List, then you're done in one sweep! And that means an item checked off of your to do list!
So I want to hear from you. Do you have B Lists or C Lists or even D Lists? And why is that additional work so necessary to you? Comment below with your opinion!
