7 Things To Consider When Inviting Wedding Guests

Your wedding guests play a crucial part in your special day. On top of remembering to invite all the right people, there are a few other guest-related tasks you need to remember. Here are 7 of the most important things to consider when inviting wedding guests. 

Ceremony or reception?
Once you’ve decided who you want at your wedding, you then need to decide who will be coming for the whole day and who will be just coming to the reception. Some ceremony venues will have restrictions as to how many people can fit in them. As a result you may not be able to invite everyone to the ceremony and reception. Prioritise your close family members and friends.
​

Sending out invitations
Once you have a list of everyone who is attending and you’ve decided whether they’re coming for the whole day or just the reception, you can start sending out invites. Some couples find it easier to send out digital invites. Others use custom printing services to produce physical invitations to hand out or send in the post. Make sure to send the right invites to the right people. When planning a wedding well in advance, it’s customary to send out two separate invites: an initial ‘save the day’ invite 12 to 8 months before, and then a full invite with all the details 6 to 4 months beforehand. 


Guest accommodation
If guests are going to be travelling from far away, they will need accommodation to stay in. It is not your duty to supply accommodation, however if the wedding venue contains accommodation, you may want to reserve a few rooms. Alternatively, it could be useful to list a few local hotels in your invitation. 


Dietary requirements
If guests are eating food, your caterer will likely need you to provide an accurate number of guests, as well as specifying if anyone has any dietary requirements. This includes allergies, religious dietary requirements or simply being vegetarian/vegan. You may already know the dietary requirements of close friends and family members, however there could be guests you don’t know as well (such as partners or children of guests) who you may need to enquire about. 


Seating plan
Some couples like to decide a seating plan for guests. This could include a ceremony seating plan and a meal seating plan. When deciding a seating plan, think carefully who to seat together. If there are conflicts between certain family members or friends, it’s a good idea not to put these guests together.


Disabled access
Some guests may have disabilities. While most wedding venues nowadays have features like ramps, lifts and disabled toilets installed, some venues may not. Consider whether there is anything you can do to accommodate this. If certain entrances or disabled-friendly, consider whether there are alternative entrances that can be used. 


Kids’ entertainment
If you’re inviting kids along, it could be worth considering some features to keep kids occupied. This could include supplying some games, hiring a kid’s entertainer, putting toys/sweets on tables or providing a chocolate fountain. Also talk to your DJ about providing some kid-friendly songs near the beginning of the night.