Well, it’s not a party without guests, is it? However, your wedding guestlist depends on several different factors, and not all of them revolve around budget. It’s a little bit more complicated than putting a simple list together of people you’d like to celebrate with. More often than not, there are probably a few people you’d like to skip altogether! And with each person costing an average of £100 per head, it’s worth putting some thought into the final list.

So how do you decide who does, and who doesn’t receive an invitation to your wedding?

There’s no hard rule when it comes to your wedding guestlist. Like everything, it’s down to personal choice and circumstance – but we’ve pulled out some classic guestlist sticking points and our views for you.

The wedding guestlist: first things first

Before diving headfirst into the list, you and your partner should come up with a number, which will be an estimate of the final number of guests you’ll invite. This will largely be set around your budget and venue limits. This will matter even more if you’re planning on a destination wedding – so be realistic.

A family affair

Extended family invitations are a tough one! The general rule of thumb is that, if one aunty or uncle gets an invitation, all of your aunts and uncles get an invitation too.  This isn’t much of an issue for small families, but with a large extended family, this can take up the bulk of your wedding guestlist. Start with your closest relatives first, then work your way out until you reach a level you’re comfortable with, one that (hopefully!) leaves room for a few friends, too!

Office politics

If you work in a small office (10 or less), it’s probably much nicer and inclusive to invite everyone instead of singling out a couple of your closest colleagues. However, if you work in a much larger environment, it’s much easier to skip the invites altogether – or get away with inviting a couple of your best work pals.

Going child-free

It’s entirely up to the bride and groom as to whether children are invited. It’s totally up to you if you want an adult-only celebration, but you must put your foot down. Don’t make it one rule for one and one rule for another!

Plus ones

You’re absolutely not obligated to offer plus one options to your single guests. Pippa Middleton made news waves when she instated a ‘no ring – no bring’ rule for her wedding to James Matthews. This meant poor Vogue Williams, girlfriend to James’ brother was left out in the cold! However, some people allow serious partners – for example, long-term dating, cohabiting, engaged, which works quite nicely.

Remember, it’s your day. If you’re dithering over someone – simply trust your instincts. That’s how to make sure you have who you really want at your wedding.