So you’re sitting down with your partner with a bottle of wine for an evening of wedding planning and then you hit the difficult subject of guest lists and invitations. Your guest list is paramount to a lot of areas of the wedding and play a vital part in your budget, seating plans, venue, location and general organisation. I’ve popped down a few pointers you may want to consider before sending out your invites, this may prove crucial to the success of your wedding day- and your bank balance! |
"Who do I invite?"
Working out who to include on your guest list is always tricky and there are lots of factors to consider. Firstly think about your numbers. If your dream wedding venue is £100 per head for the wedding breakfast then fit this into your budget - come up with an acceptable and affordable number and this should make whittling down the list easier.

Consider and family members or close family friends that your parents would intend to include in the wedding day - this could come as an unexpected surprise and bump the number up otherwise.
Generally the number of invites is split between a couple to keep it all fair but take into account family size as it may be weighted on one side!
If you have lost contact with people then don’t feel compelled to invite them to the wedding, even if you did go to theirs!
Generally the number of invites is split between a couple to keep it all fair but take into account family size as it may be weighted on one side!
If you have lost contact with people then don’t feel compelled to invite them to the wedding, even if you did go to theirs!
“Should I include a plus one?”
It is generally expected that anyone who has been in a long term relationship should be invited with their significant other. Other than that, think about scrapping the “and guest” off the invite.
"What about co-workers?"
If you work in an environment with 10 or so people it is more than likely that they all know everything there is to know about the wedding! If this is the case, it is probably etiquette to invite them all (to the evening at least!). And in regards to the boss, that entirely depends on your relationship, if it a formal establishment the invitation is not necessary.
"When should I send my invitations?"

Traditionally invitations are sent out 2-3 months before the wedding day. However prior to this you may want to send your guests a "Save-the-Date" so they know when your big day is. These are often sent 6 months before your wedding and are especially useful for any guests who may be travelling from afar and may need to book accommodation in advance or even book time off work! this will give your guests plenty of time to make the necessary arrangements in relation to travel and accommodation.
If you are planning a destination wedding you will want to get the invites out a couple of months before as booking a last minute holiday from work could prove tricky.
Also consider the date of your wedding - if you are getting married in the summer holidays you may want to give your guest more advanced notice to ensure they do not make other plans.
If you are planning a destination wedding you will want to get the invites out a couple of months before as booking a last minute holiday from work could prove tricky.
Also consider the date of your wedding - if you are getting married in the summer holidays you may want to give your guest more advanced notice to ensure they do not make other plans.
"Should we have an RSVP cut off date?"
Definitely. You may find that your wedding venue will give you a final date for numbers and then you will not be able to get your money back. 2-3 weeks before the wedding may be ok for you and give your guests plenty of time to reply but check with your venue before finalising your cut off.
"What if we don’t want children at the wedding!?"
Remember, this is completely fine! This is your day so don’t feel pressured to invite a load of kids if this isn’t your wish as it can prove very costly with some venues charging as much for a child’s menu as they do for an adult. If this is your wish you will want to put it on the invitation itself, saying something like
“In order to allow all guests, including parents, a day of relaxation we have chosen for our wedding day to be an adult only occasion. We hope this advance notice means you are still able to share our big day and will enjoy having the day off!”
“In order to allow all guests, including parents, a day of relaxation we have chosen for our wedding day to be an adult only occasion. We hope this advance notice means you are still able to share our big day and will enjoy having the day off!”
So there you go, much to ponder over that glass of wine! We at inviteinabottle are happy to provide a bespoke invitation that stands out from the conventional wedding invite. Be sure to check out our full range of our Save The Date Bottles and our Message In A Bottle Invitations Until later…. Pete Inviteinabottle. |