Question:
Hi Stacy. My fiance’s family wants to invite more people than we have allotted in our budget. What’s your suggestion for keeping the peace and staying on budget?
Answer:
Compiling a guest list is one of the most challenging tasks that often kicks off the wedding planning process. At this point, everything is fresh and exciting – but it’s important to establish clear communication from the very beginning. In other words, if you’re going the traditional route in terms of the bride’s family paying for (the majority) of the fees surrounding the actual wedding day, you need to be clear about your maximum budget. If your fiance’s family wants to invite more guests, you should ask them to pay the additional fees associated with increasing the head count. In doing so, they ultimately make the decision as to whether or not the additional guests are added. We have seen a lot of misinterpretation when it comes to this step: it’s easy for your fiance and his family to feel that you are limiting the number of people they invite, whereas you’re really doing everything in your power to keep the budget in line. As long as everyone is clear about his or her boundaries and desires surrounding the wedding, you should be in good shape from the get go!
photo by Mel Barlow
Click here to read our last helpful Questions for Stacy blog entry!
Stacy McCain Event Planning 