Pre COVID-19, many couples had the choice to invite all of their loved ones to their wedding. Sure, they’d have the usual wedding guest list considerations we’re all accustomed to: logistics, budget and venue size. But now, many couples may find themselves in the unpleasant situation of making cuts to their wedding guest list.

How Do I Make A Wedding Guest List?

To assist you with this sensitive part of your wedding planning process, I’ll be sharing my top tips for building your wedding guest list.

So what’s the secret formula to determine who’s going to be on your guest list? And how do you reduce the risk of offending loved ones that won’t make the cut? If you don’t have a London wedding planner on board, starting your list can be a very tricky task. Essentially you’ll need to put your emotions aside and bring out the project manager in you! Here goes…

How Do You Organise A Wedding Guest List?

Drafting and cutting your guest list might not be quite as fun as wedding dress shopping. As an East London wedding planner, I recommend following these essential tips to track everyone on your list including RSVPs and menu preferences. You could always invest in the Mollineau Weddings & Events London wedding coordination service if you’d like to free up your time and focus on another area of wedding planning. 

1. Divvy Up The List—Before Accepting Financial Help

Drafting your wedding guest list is often emotionally charged, so the probability of it getting messy is high! Especially if you have your parents or family members involved in wedding planning or contributing financially. 

Even if you’re paying for your wedding yourselves, it’s a good idea to get the families together and set out your expectations.

As a professional wedding planner, I often mediate situations between families regarding themes, décor, guest lists, menu choices, and more. I usually recommend that my couple gets half the guest list, and each set of parents gets a quarter of the guest list. 

So if you’re planning to invite 100 people, you’d get 50 guests. Your parents would get 25 your fiancé’s parents would also get 25. That usually seems to be the most drama-free approach. Oh yes, and aunties and uncles come out of the parents quarter. I’ve got your back on this one.

2. Define Your Wedding Purpose!

First things first! Before you continue tackling your guest list, you must first discover your wedding purpose. This process will involve you and your partner uncovering why you decided to have a wedding in the first place. And why you would invite each of your guests. The outcome of this task will no doubt influence your decisions as you advance your wedding planning. And is an excellent way to refocus.

Once you’re clear on what your wedding is really about and what it truly means to you both, you’ll be in a stronger position to plan a celebration of a lifetime that embodies that. You’ll have the confidence to manoeuvre around the external factors you have little or no control over when planning a wedding regardless of size, scope or restrictions.

3. Managing Your Wedding Guest List In A Collaborative Spreadsheet 

If you’re wondering how to organise a wedding guest list, there are many ways. But it’s best to use a collaborative system! That way, anyone with input can make edits in real-time and see the most up-to-date version. Our wedding administration service lets you easily export your guest list to help create a seating plan and track RSVP and meal choices. Thus saving you ample time and headache in the weeks leading up to your big day.

It’s also helpful to have everyone’s contact info in one place. Many of our clients have us use the same list for thank you cards and other special announcements. We East London planners love planning celebrations.

4. Put A System In Place To Stick To Your Wedding Guest List Numbers

Once you’ve listed the names of all of your family and friends (your wedding guest wish list), you can divvy your potential friends into A, B, C tiers: Definites. Probables. Maybes. Alternatively, divvy your guest list into tiers of 15 if planning during the pandemic and rank each tier via priority & risk. Give me a call if you need further advice in this area.

Before the pandemic, a good rule of thumb is if the person is not on your holiday card list, or you’ve had no contact with them in 3 years, you should not feel guilty about omitting them from your guest list.

5. How To Deal With Fewer Guests Attending Your Wedding 

Would you please avoid deleting anyone’s names from the list that declines your invitation? And please still invite anyone you assume cannot attend.

I recommend you have a separate document for the names you are unsure about. You may find that you can still welcome them to attend remotely or at your future watch party. Besides, it’s a lovely gesture to send a thank you card, as your absentees may still want to forward you their congrats.

6. Ensure Your Wedding Budget And Venue Works With Your Guest List

In some cases, your wedding budget and venue may determine the maximum number of guests you can invite to your wedding. If you’re already concerned about your wedding budget, one of the most straightforward solutions to stay on track is to reduce the number of wedding guests you are considering inviting. I know this task may seem exasperating, but you’ll soon see the benefits of trimming your guest list. 

7. How To Decide Who’s On Your Wedding Guest List 

Avoid focusing on whom you need to cut from your guest list. Instead, focus on whom you want to see when you walk down the aisle. 

The reason being, regardless of your wedding size, whether it’s a micro wedding in London or a large intimate wedding in London, you’ll be limited as to how much time you can spend with each of your wedding guests. Think, whom would you miss? 

8. Don’t Be Afraid To Ask For Help

Need help costing your wedding guest list? I have a few wedding planning hours available; access my diary here, and I’ll help you allocate your wedding budget in no time. 

You May Also Find The Following Blogs Helpful

• 10 Things To Do As Soon As You Are Engaged
• How To Announce Your Engagement In Style
• 6 Hidden Wedding Budget Costs Every Couple Should Consider
• How To Set Your Wedding Budget Successfully In 8 Simple Steps
• How To Get Excited About Planning Your Wedding Again
• Choosing Wedding Colours Made Easy
• How Long Does It Take To Plan A Wedding?

Hang Out With Us On These Social Media Sites

• Connect with Marsha Mollineau-Griffiths on LinkedIn
• Follow Mollineau weddings and Events company page on LinkedIn
• Take a sneak peak behind the scenes via our Instagram page

Written By Marsha Mollineau-Griffiths | Award-Winning East London Wedding Planner

The post 8 Essential Wedding Guest List Tips – Professional Wedding Planner appeared first on Mollineau Weddings & Events.

1. Engagement Ring Care

Many of you were presented with a beautiful sparkly engagement ring. However, overtime you may find that your little beauty may loose a little bit of her shine. Don’t panic! This is entirely normal. The use of hand sanitiser, soaps, makeup & cosmetics, plus a little wear and tear, can cause your engagement ring to look a little dull. Which is why you should have your engagement ring professionally cleaned once in a while.

If you’re wondering how often you should have your engagement ring cleaned and the costs associated, look no further. Here, I outline a few hidden wedding costs of ensuring your engagement ring is in tip-top shape for all of your pre-wedding appearances. 

I personally allocated 10% of my engagement ring value for a professional clean. And I wasn’t disappointed at all! My family jeweller had my engagement ring looking it’s best in no time. Within 24 hours, me and my engagement ring were ready to strut our stuff – cue Beyoncé ‘single ladies’ (put a ring on it).

2. Jewellery Care Kit

My ring made a star appearance at our professional engagement shoot, our engagement party and last but not least our wedding day. This should be obvious, right? If I was given a £1, each time a bride forgot to include the cost of cleaning her engagement ring in her wedding budget – I’d be the richest wedding planner in London! 

Please don’t stress if you’re unable to get your engagement ring professionally cleaned. For instance, you could always ask your jeweller for advice. They’ll be best placed to recommend an at home cleaning kit, which usually costs between £25 – £50. Just make sure that all of your wedding jewellery is glistening in time for your big day. The last thing I want, is for you to look back at your wedding photos with any regret. 

3. The Hidden Costs Of A Wedding Website

Is a wedding website, one of your hidden wedding costs? I hope not. Opting for a personalised wedding website was one of the best decisions my husband and I made. We were lucky enough to get married in 2019. During this time there was a lot of uncertainty due to Brexit. We found our wedding website was the best platform to bring all of our 300 guests together in once place – virtually. Plus it served as an excellent reference point for us all – guests, bridal party and suppliers included. 

With virtual weddings becoming more popular these days, in addition to traditional wedding stationary, a wedding website is a fantastic way to set the tone for your big day and give your guests a glimpse of what to expect. Just think, your guests will be given an incredible opportunity to gain an insight into your relationship and get to know your bridal party at their own pace. You can even set-up alerts to notify your guests of any last minute changes. 

Depending on the functionality, aesthetic and length of time you’d like your wedding website ‘live’. You should allocate £100 – £250 for the design and hosting of your wedding website. £250 – £500 if planning your wedding during COVID-19. You may find my wedding planning power hours handy if you need help writing your content.

While the main purpose of a wedding website is to assist ‘all’ in the lead up to your wedding day. For me, it served as a beautiful memento. A beautiful keepsakes for me and my family to reflect on many years after my wedding day.

4. The Costs Associated With Storing Your Wedding Dress

Whether you’re considering an elopement or need to store your wedding dress before or after your wedding day. I’d highly recommend you purchase a luxury wedding dress storage box with acid free tissue paper. This will protect your dress from any damage. I remember having to purchase several boxes: 1 for my wedding dress, 1 for my veil and a few for my flower girls and bridesmaids. Depending on the size of your dress, layers and veil length, a good quality dress storage box can cost anywhere between £75 – £200.

5. Wedding Dress Alterations

When searching for my own wedding dress, I quickly learnt that wedding dresses are not made to measure! Most brides will need some kind of alteration to ensure their dress fits them perfectly. Whether that’s adding 25 bustles as I did or raising the hem, each alteration will soon add-up. So I’d recommend you set aside 15% – 20% of your entire wedding dress budget for alterations. 

6. The Hidden Wedding Costs For COVID-19 Safety Measures

As if planning a wedding budget isn’t tough enough, you now have to factor in a global pandemic! During COVID-19, all couples should include a wedding budget line for COVID-19 safety measures. For instance, to keep your guests safe, its likely you’ll need to foot the bill for hand sanitiser, face coverings and possibly testing.

If you’re struggling to put together a wedding budget, or need help with anything else don’t be afraid to ask. For instance, you may want to consider my wedding planning services. Alternatively my wedding planning power hours have been very popular during the pandemic.

I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Marsha Mollineau-Griffiths, Laid-back Luxury Wedding Planner

The post Planning Your Wedding Budget – 6 Hidden Wedding Costs Every Couple Should Consider appeared first on Mollineau Weddings & Events.

Don’t Announce Your Engagement On Social Media Too Soon

If you were fortunate enough to have someone around to snap a photo of the big moment, hold off sharing on social media for now. There will be plenty of opportunities to share. You are no way obliged to share your news straight away. To avoid drama, give your engagement announcement a little bit of thought before you share a cute ‘ I sad yes’ selfie on Instagram. 

Do Tell Your Family Your Engagement News First

As a laid back luxury wedding planner, I’m in favour of the traditional engagement announcement etiquette – with a modern twist! I think it’s a really nice touch if both sets of parents are the first to be informed. If you possibly can, do so in person: face-to-face or remotely. If your parents don’t yet know each other, I suggest you make plans for them to meet. Perhaps, loosen them up with a glass of Champagne followed by a celebratory meal. 

Don’t Discuss Wedding Planning During Your Engagement Announcement To Family

If the topic of wedding guest lists or financial contributions pops up in conversation – avoid it like the plague. Instead, respond by explaining that you’re focusing the next few weeks on announcing your engagement to friends & family. And welcome the opportunity to discuss wedding planning once things have sunk in. 

If there are any children involved from prior relationships (or ex-spouses) think about how they’d feel if they heard the news from someone other than yourselves. Put yourself in their shoes and consider telling them sooner rather than later.

Do Announce Your Engagement To Your Inner Circle AKA ‘Your Besties!’

Now that you’re done with all the formalities, you’ll probably want to announce your engagement from the rooftops!. So if you can, round up your inner circle as soon as you possibly can. Pop the bubbly and share your good news. Use the time to share a sneak peak of your proposal pics (on your phone only), as your friends may accidentally leak your photos.

If you can’t meet in person, arrange a virtual catch-up or call them to announce your engagement. From here the celebration will build momentum very quickly, so get your news out to the most important people ASAP to avoid hurt feelings! Don’ feel pressured into to choosing your bridal party at this stage – there’s plenty time for that. 

Don’t Miss Anyone Off Your List

Before you announce your engagement on social media, tell your siblings, other close family members and anyone else who may not be au fait with social media. People get really funny about engagements, so I’d recommend doing a quick check through your phone contacts list to ensure you haven’t missed anyone else who will be easily offended if they’re left out! 

Do Announce Your Engagement On Social Media

Ok, now it’s time to share the #shesaidyes hashtag! Be ready for your phone to ring, social media ‘likes’ to clock up and engagement gifts to start pouring in! Perhaps you’ll be lucky enough to receive one of our Wedding Planning ‘Power Hours Gift Cards. Be sure to keep track of your engagement cards & gifts with our handy gift list tracker which includes a handy ‘thank you’ card wording advice. 

Wishing you all the best with your wedding planning journey!

Marsha Mollineau-Griffiths | Laid-back Luxury Wedding Planner

The post Wedding Etiquette & Advice – How To Announce Your Engagement In Style appeared first on Mollineau Weddings & Events.