Guest list OUT OF CONTROL!!!

danielleb Posted: Feb 28, 2005 04:21 PM

Guest list OUT OF CONTROL!!!

My guest list is getting out of control! Originally I had wanted no more than 150 guests. Then I changed and said, no more than 200. After talking to this person and that person, my list was increaesd once again to 240. -And we still have not even received my parents' list or FH parents list!! I'm looking at almost 300 guests now!! We were quoted $150 per person at the Roslyn CC. I'm all about spending a little money for a wedding, but 300 people at $150 a head is ridiculous! What can I do to cut this list down?

mcaula Posted: Feb 28, 2005 04:29 PM

Re: Guest list OUT OF CONTROL!!!

You must learn to say NO I am sure some of these people you added were requesting an invite you have to let them know when they do that.

I told poeple that my guestlist was already made and it is already at capcity with 00 guests. My Family is huge my Father has 13 brothers and sisters so you can just imagine my guestlist

Sweetness Posted: Feb 28, 2005 04:30 PM

Re: Guest list OUT OF CONTROL!!!

About making an A, B & C list? Send the A listers out first see who responds until you get 150 people. If you never get the b&c list, you don't...Or go through the list and really start slashing people you haven't seen in a year, acquaintences, work friends, friends of friends, maybe even invite singles who don't have serious relationships alone without a guest.

divabride Posted: Feb 28, 2005 04:39 PM

Re: Guest list OUT OF CONTROL!!!

Posted by Sweetness

About making an A, B & C list? Send the A listers out first see who responds until you get 150 people. If you never get the b&c list, you don't...Or go through the list and really start slashing people you haven't seen in a year, acquaintences, work friends, friends of friends, maybe even invite singles who don't have serious relationships alone without a guest.

Perfectly said!! If you dont see yourself talking to this person a year from now, get them off the list. Cut coworkers or place them on the 'B' list.

lrs2005 Posted: Feb 28, 2005 04:52 PM

Re: Guest list OUT OF CONTROL!!!

I so hear you! I too wanted 150 people but the guest list is 323 people. There are about 10 that I know cannot come, but need an invite. As for the rest, we have had people ask when are we sending them their invite. It is so bad. I realized early on that we would have a huge guest list so I negotiated like crazy to get the place I wanted at a price that my parents could afford.

Originally I wanted Carlyle on the Green but when they quoted me $180 pp without all the incidentals I knew it would not work. So I revised my plan found the temple of my dreams and negotiated down to a price that was affordable with over 250 guests.

I am sorry for not giving a better suggestion since you already have your place. Perhaps you can call them and ask if they are will to renegotiate your price since you will be way over your minimum (and that will let them buy in bulk).

Lisa

danielleb Posted: Feb 28, 2005 05:11 PM

Re: Guest list OUT OF CONTROL!!!

Posted by lrs2005

I so hear you! I too wanted 150 people but the guest list is 323 people. There are about 10 that I know cannot come, but need an invite. As for the rest, we have had people ask when are we sending them their invite. It is so bad. I realized early on that we would have a huge guest list so I negotiated like crazy to get the place I wanted at a price that my parents could afford.

Originally I wanted Carlyle on the Green but when they quoted me $180 pp without all the incidentals I knew it would not work. So I revised my plan found the temple of my dreams and negotiated down to a price that was affordable with over 250 guests.

I am sorry for not giving a better suggestion since you already have your place. Perhaps you can call them and ask if they are will to renegotiate your price since you will be way over your minimum (and that will let them buy in bulk).

Lisa

I just want to scream: 'Throw your own party! And invite whomever you want! This is my party!'

leighdvm Posted: Feb 28, 2005 05:55 PM

Re: Guest list OUT OF CONTROL!!!

I was thinking about doing the B list also. My question is, do you send out the the 'A' list invites earlier? How soon after do you send the 'B' list invites??

gina&ken Posted: Feb 28, 2005 06:09 PM

Re: Guest list OUT OF CONTROL!!!

you could send out the A list 12 weeks prior, and as you get 'no's' send out the B list - but a lot of people who rsvp 'no' tend to wait longer to send in their rsvp.

Anniegrl Posted: Feb 28, 2005 06:15 PM

Re: Guest list OUT OF CONTROL!!!

I went through the same thing - my FIL had said originally that they were going to invite around 40 people but only about half would show (because they all live in Alabama), so we went and booked the hall based on that number. But then when I asked him to give me his final guest list, I almost had a fit when I saw it; he went and invited everyone under the sun - family friends that they hadn't seen in years, whole families (kids included), neighbors even!
The guest list got up to around 230 and the hall only held 140!!!!!
I thought I was going to die. I couldn't believe he did that! My parents were too nice to say anything to him too

Everything turned out ok in the end because not that many people wanted to travel from Alabama. We wound up with 113 guests total that day. Whew!

jsb1ot Posted: Feb 28, 2005 06:18 PM

Re: Guest list OUT OF CONTROL!!!

I just don't like Guest List (aarrgghh!).

Goldi1021 Posted: Feb 28, 2005 07:03 PM

Re: Guest list OUT OF CONTROL!!!

I understand how you feel. I asked FH and his mother to come up with lists of who they wanted to invite. My parents will be paying for the majority of the wedding. that being said, I kept my list to a minimum. I only listed single friends (and even single cousins) without dates - unless of course they were either 1)living with someone 2) were in a significant relationship or 3) were engaged. This is standard wedding ettiquette if you need to keep your numbers down.

HOWEVER. FH and FMIL decided that any single person should be invited with a date. We have not yet chosen a location but with so many caterers asking for a minimum or maximum number, I'd like to have an idea as to how many people we are going to have (as many people do). I told him that he has to cut out the dates. OK his two sisters can bring dates because they are immediate family, but his second cousin's 20 yr old does not need a date.

I laid it on the line for him. Either he has to cut down his list (mine was already cut to a minimum) or his parents were going to have to pay for the 'dates'. I hate to 'pull rank' but my parents are elderly and cannot afford a wedding for the Eastern Seaboard.