Ready or Knot Tip: How to handle uninvited guests

Ready or Knot Tip: How to handle uninvited guests

—

The guest list – often times the most difficult (and most dreaded) part of the wedding planning process.   When you are close to the maximum number your church & venue can hold, here are some tips to help you navigate the tricky minefield of uninvited guests that come about as the RSVP’s trickle in.

—

Tips

—

1. Make sure your invitations are worded clearly.  Are you allowing a plus one?  Children of invited guests?
2. Try & pre-empt unexpected additions to your guest list by talking to your friends & wedding party (are they allow to bring a date if they aren’t dating anybody?) and your family (can your high school cousin bring his girlfriend?) BEFORE the invitations go out.
3. Be thankful that they want to come and appreciate their love for you and your fiancé.  If you are stretched thin on your guest list – let them know ahead of time so you can reiterate it when the time comes to make the phone call.

Helpful Suggestions

– You want to allow guests to bring someone to enjoy this celebration with you but you want to make sure they understand venue size, cost, and the many other factors involved.

– Example of how to word the RSVP: “____ of 1 guests will attend.” (You fill in the blank with the amount you have accounted for) (**This is my favorite tip from Méldeen!)

—

Don’t avoid your uninvited guests

– The fact that an uninvited guest RSVP’d is strange but you need to remember it is most likely a misunderstanding (or the fact that they have done this in the past for a wedding and nobody has mentioned it)

– Most uninvited guests hear something from someone else, like a family member, and just assume that they can come.

– Main thing to remember, don’t avoid the situation. It isn’t going to be fun telling your great aunt Mary that she isn’t invited but someone has to do it and it’s better coming from you and not through the grapevine.

—

Stand your ground

– Stay firm but polite.

– Explain to the uninvited guest that due to certain catering restrictions, venue size, etc. you can’t budge on the number of guests.

– Example of what to say: “I’m so sorry for the miscommunication! We would love to be able to invite everyone but because of venue size/catering/etc. we just simply can’t fit everyone on the guest list. This miscommunication is awkward and embarrassing and I’m so sorry. We hope you can understand.”  You can always offer to have them over for supper after the wedding & honeymoon to catch up and have one-on-one time.—

– They love you, so remember be gracious and thank them for the love and support but still stand your ground.

__

We’d love to hear your tips and suggestions on how you have dealt with this issue.

—