A wedding is meant to be a beautiful and lasting event that is shared between two people who are in love. However, far too often the wedding can be turned into a much larger ordeal that requires hundreds of invitations and place settings for the reception. In doing this, large weddings open themselves up to a variety of issues, including the possibility that not everybody will get along, which can throw the entire event into dismay. Therefore, many people are opt for smaller weddings that are easier to manage and more dedicated to the love between the two people tying the knot. If you are looking to have a small wedding, but you don’t want to offend anyone by not inviting them, here are some tips to consider.
Choose A Smaller Venue
People that get left off the invitation list can’t say too much, if they understand up front that your venue is smaller and that there simply isn’t enough room for them to come. Sure, you can go with a venue that’s larger, but choosing a smaller venue not only allows you to limit who you invite, but it also makes the weeding a more intimate setting.
Explain The Budget
Weddings can be incredibly expensive. And anyone who has had their own wedding, will be able to attest to the fact that it quickly adds up with each person that is invited. While it may not always be the easiest thing to say, if you admit to their not being a large enough budget to invite everyone, it becomes an issue that people won’t want to harp upon. After all, anyone who wants to give a newlywed couple issues about money probably shouldn’t be at the wedding anyways. And if you really want to take it to another level, you can explain that the budget is out of your hands and that you were told what it is by the people paying for the wedding, which is typically the family of the bride. Talking budget may be a bit uncomfortable at first, but it’s a logical way of getting out of having to invite people without offending them.
Wording The Invitation
No matter what excuse you come up with to avoid inviting people, you want to make sure that your invitation limits the amount of guests that are brought or people who want to be added to the list. In order to do this, you put the exact name of the person or couple invited. You do not put “and guest” or give any indication that guests are allowed. If a response comes back with a higher number than you expected, you then can explain to them that this is a small, intimate wedding and unfortunately you can’t have them bring a guest. Another option is to send out wedding announcements that aren’t invitations. Instead, you use this as a way of letting people know that you are getting married and you can tell them that you want to get together after all the madness of the wedding has settled down.
Avoid The Issue
Having a wedding is difficult, but you might be surprised to find out how difficult it is for people to attend weddings as well. After all, coming up with a gift, finding something to wear and taking time out of a schedule makes for a lot of effort just to attend the wedding. If you want, you can avoid the issue of inviting those “extra” people to the wedding all together. You may be surprised to find out that people are relieved that they don’t have to go. The flow chart is helpful in deciding who makes the cut if both you and your fiancee agree to the same terms.
There are a variety of different ways to keep your wedding small. And while it may not feel entirely comfortable at first, keep in mind the tips on this list when telling people why your wedding is limited in size. Remember- this is your special day, and you have a right to have the kind of wedding you want!
Milena James is an event planner, world traveler, and published writer from Tucson, Arizona. She writes reviews of Arizona resorts, restaurants, and travel destinations around the world.