How To Create A Wedding Guest List That Works For You

By Fikayo Giwa,

We’ve all heard about the nightmare a friend or family member has had with their wedding guest list. Be it the hours spent formulating the list or the drama finding guests’ seats at the reception. We’ve all heard these scary stories; so here are a few things to consider in order to make sure they don’t happen to you.


Will you be having kids at your wedding? If the answer is no then it is important to let guests with kids know quite quickly so they can make alternative arrangements for them on that day. There’s no need to worry or panic over this. The concept of a ‘no kids wedding’ is not all that new anymore and as long as sufficient notice (and an explanation if you feel it necessary) is given then most guests will understand.

Are there any family feuds you need to be aware of? Are there any disagreements that will require some ‘creativity’ when designing your seating plan? Speak with your fiancé and both sets of parents to make sure you have as much information as possible.

Note down the key people that you want to have there on the day and whose presence you would actually miss.

You don’t want to offend anyone but at the same time you don’t want to go over budget simply inviting people that you feel obliged to invite. Try and find a balance. Remember more guests means more money spent.

When designing your seating plan consider that people who know each other would like to sit together. This may not always be possible but having one other person on a table that you know is always nice.

Remain open to last minute changes; those people you’ve been counting on telling you they can no longer make it, well it gives you the chance to invite some other people that you were not previously able to.

If you have designed a seating plan and your wedding is by invitation only, do make sure you have a spare table or two for uninvited guests at the back. This is ultimately easier than the awkward situation of an invited guest bringing an uninvited guest and them having nowhere to sit. On your day you won’t want this kind of scenario so a few extra seats won’t hurt.

Finally, the key thing to remember is that this is your day; it should be a joyful occasion and when you look around you want to see genuinely happy faces of loved ones and well-wishers. Bear this in mind when creating your guest list. We hope these tips prevent you from having any guest list disasters and more importantly have a beautiful day with those you love.

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Fikayo Giwa is the founder and Creative Director of the Simply Kayo brand, a boutique special events company specialising in creating luxury events for the discerning client. Fikayo is passionate about planning weddings, events and bringing together quality suppliers to pull off a seamless event. She loves making her clients’ dream events come true.