Creating your wedding guest list can be really stressful. But it doesn’t have to be. It’s so important to pull one together early on in the planning process. In fact, it’s one of the first things I ask couples planning their wedding to do. This is the only way to get a handle on your wedding budget. During the early stages of wedding planning, a list of names will do, you don’t need to go crazy getting addresses…yet. But you will sooner than later. Especially if you are (or someone else) is planning an engagement party.

Photo by Susan Elizabeth Photography; Invitation by Kelmade Goods

The Easy Way to Create a Wedding Guest List & Manage Your RSVPs

There’s an easy way to do this and there’s a hard way. Of course we all want easy. That’s a no brainer. But there is no denying that you are going to have to make cuts to your guest list, and it can be stressful. There are a number of ways to go about writing your wedding guest list. But, I like to suggest that couples sit down, together, to write out a list of their mutual friends, then add their own friends to the list. Then add their respective family members. Once you have this list (I refer to it as a the core list) you can begin adding friends that are not mutual, and your respective work colleagues. It sounds tactless, but you have to prioritize your guest list in some way.

The Core Wedding Guest List

1. Immediate family
2. Life-long friends
3. Mutual friends

The Rest of the Wedding Guest List

1. Distant family
2. Friends that the couple does not have in common
3. Colleagues of the couple
4. Friends and colleagues of the couple’s parents

How To Manage Your Guest List Once You Have Created It

If you are a BWE client, we utilize an online guest list management system within our wedding planning software. Clients are given an account to be able to add their guests. Couples can add guests individually or they can send us a spread sheet with all the guest information in it. Once guests are entered, they are assigned an RSVP number (this is written, very small, on the back of the RSVP card just incase your guest forgets to write their name on the RSVP card before sending it back to you. Either way, the spread sheet helps our couples collect the following information all in one place:

• Last name/first name
• Title
• Suffix
• Formal addressing
• A List, B List, etc.
• Role
• Street Address
• Apartment number
• State
• Zip Code
• Country

Once Your Guest Responds, Track the Following Information

• RSVP response
• Meal Choice
• Wheel chair/high chair needs
• Notes on food requirements (allergies and preferences)

Having this list all in one spot will help you to be able to track meal choices and allows you to export your list for calligraphers and caterers. And will help preserve your sanity. Even if you do not end up workin g with a planner, you will want to use an online system like a google spread sheet so that you do not have to worry about losing it, and you can share the file with others who will also be able to add information.

Wedding Invitations and Your Guest List

Once you have your guest list complete, you will want to start thinking about your invitations and invitation timing. If you want to read more about how to get your invites out in time for the big day, check out this blog on wedding invitation timing.