Every wedding is different; the size of your guest list will depend on your budget, location, personal style, and of course the size of your families and friend groups. All these factors should be considered as you make this very personal decision.
Pros and Cons of Wedding Guest Lists
Of course there are pros and cons to each kind of wedding size; in the end you really just need to think about what is going to suit you and your partner best. After all, this day is about you two! Here are some of the arguments for and against both big and small weddings that may help you to decide which you prefer:
Big Weddings
Pro: Making the guest list is easy; stress over who you might need to cut is minimal, and the resulting arguments it might cause will not be an issue.
Con: It will cost more; this is pretty obvious, but the more people you invite the higher the cost for catering, favors, and décor will be.
Pro: You will receive more gifts; this might sound mercenary, but it’s true! Of course, if you’re doing a charity collection instead of gifts it means more money to your chosen charity.
Con: Planning will take a lot of work; big weddings mean big work, so you may want to hire a wedding planner, if you can, to minimize the stress and workload.
Pro: It creates a lively environment; if you’re a big party lover then a big wedding is definitely for you. Nothing brings a lively dance floor quite like a big wedding.
Con: Big weddings are less personal; with all those guests on the dance floor it can be really, really hard to see and speak to everyone properly. At big weddings you will have little time to spend with your loved ones individually, and even less time to be with your new spouse.
Small Weddings
Pro: Less planning and stress; it’s usually simpler to plan a small scale wedding. Your venue can be intimate, you can pick a small venue, spend less money, and nail down all the details more quickly.
Con: Uninvited people may feel snubbed; if you don’t make it clear upfront that the wedding will be very small those who are uninvited may feel snubbed. Extended family in particular may be annoyed at not receiving an invitation. Likewise, there may be people you would really love to be there to share your day who don’t make the list.
Pro: You may be able to splurge on what matters to you; when you save money with a carefully edited guest list you can splurge on some of the things you really want. That cake you’ve been drooling over, or the stellar local band you wanted, for example.
Con: The party vibe may get lost; if a wild party is what you want you might find that harder to achieve with a smaller guest list. The vibe is often more relaxed with small groups. You need to make sure the music is really on point if you want people to really party at a small wedding.
Pro: It’s more personal; you’ll be able to spend more time with each guests when the wedding is smaller and more intimate. You’ll also remember more of the wedding and reception when you have more time to sit and relax
Con: More to juggle yourself; when people plan small weddings, it tends to also be a matter of cost, and so wedding planners may be an expense that gets cut. This means that the responsibility for making sure that every detail is planned falls to you and your spouse. You could use some of the saved money to hire a wedding coordinator to make sure it all goes smoothly on the day, however!
What do you think is the perfect size for a wedding?
