It’s that time. As you imagine celebrating the beauty of your wedding day with people you love and cherish in your life, you’re ready to start your list.
There are the family and friends who leap to mind and grab the top of the list. Then there are the rest: the people you feel you… eh… probably should invite. Unless you have a limitless budget, you’ll eventually need to make choices.
Here’s a quick and handy way to trim your list that won’t cause pain to others, allowing you to celebrate your magical day with the ones you love while hitting your budget.
The Gang from Work
You may spend most of your day with them, but this doesn’t mean they should be invited to everything – and they don’t expect to.
There is still a separation between work and home that any coworker understands. They only get a window into your life and you don’t have an obligation to show them your most personal moments.
Weddings are precious and valuable, and unless your coworker is a close friend you shouldn’t feel obligated. They will never feel bad or criticize you and will only wish you best.
Distant Relatives
There are big families and then there are BIG families. The bigger they are, the more distant they become.
There are entire branches of family trees that you and your spouse may not have communicated with for years. Much like with your coworkers, families understand that there is a limit to wedding sizes.
You aren’t required to make sure the whole tree is present. Just get as close to your brand of the tree as comfortable, since picking and choosing from various branches can make things a bit awkward at the next reunion.
Neighbours
They may live right next door or down the road, but it doesn’t make them close. Much like any other private situation in your life such as birthday parties and anniversaries, neighbors don’t need to be a part of every part of our lives.
Unless they have become good friends, neighbors are really just the people who own the property next door and you most likely wouldn’t know them otherwise.
Even if your wedding in is your own backyard, you and they know there is a limit to interactions between members and weddings don’t have to be shared. But you won’t be able to stop them from peaking over the fence.
Exes
“Should the ex come?” This is a question that comes up often but is also wrapped up in uncomfortable characteristics that should be avoided. It can dampen the fun for you or your partner and make the wedding crowd uncomfortable as well as the ex.
Nothing brings unwanted awkwardness in the air as when a couple is celebrating a love for each other in front of the previous people who tried. Marriage is the most powerful expression of love, and celebrating this achievement should be celebrated by you, your family, and your closest fans.
An ex may not be one of them even if they say otherwise. Avoiding unnecessarily awkward issues will make this day more pleasant for everyone involved, especially yourself. Exes present unwanted comparisons that you and your partner don’t deserve on your special day. And they thank you for it.
Lost Touch
If you lose touch with a friend, it’s most likely for a good reason. If there isn’t one, you can choose whether to use a wedding as the way of bringing you back together. If the relationship doesn’t hinge on it, which in most cases it doesn’t, there’s no need to feel obligated to include them on the list. They most likely have done the same with you in various other areas of their lives such as birthdays and special events. There will always be other ways to renew the relationship.
People with Bad Behavior
Weddings are pictured in our minds as flawlessly beautiful, heart-filled events. They don’t include visions of your partner’s drunk friend Biff. You know Biff – the guy who tells off-color stories and is voted most likely collide into relatives on the dance floor and throw up on the cake. Weddings are classier than Biff, so never feel bad crossing his name off the list.
Final thoughts
Hopefully that has helped you answer some of the most burning question that come to mind when creating your wedding guest list.
After reading this you may even be considering contacting us for additional advice on who else you can leave off your guest list!
Although we are more than happy to help you with this (and are yet to receive a request of this sort), you may find us better suited to helping with your wedding videography needs, so check out our homepage for more information on our services!