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mrswinteriscoming
VIP December 2021

covid number restrictions - do we cut guest list or uninvite guests?

mrswinteriscoming, on July 19, 2021 at 7:54 PM Posted in Etiquette and Advice 1 12

Due to a wave of COVID outbreaks our government has put our city into lockdown, and unfortunately, though our wedding is still 5 months away, our government is quite slow to lift the restrictions it imposes, and we anticipate that our wedding will be subject to a restriction on numbers come December.

We have 153 people on our guest list, and based on what we saw last year, we are estimating that we will either be allowed 80 people (if the vendors and staff are included in final counts) or up to 115 people (if the vendors and staff are not included in our final counts).

I am due to send invitations out next month and am wondering, what is the best approach to take here:

(a) invite all 153 people and 'uninvite' some later if need be depending on restrictions; or

(b) invite a reduced guest list.

I don't want to bite the bullet and act too hastily but I don't know which is the better of the two options, though, ultimately, there is no way we could get our guest list down to 80 (115 is difficult but manageable) and if it came to that, we would cancel in lieu of a very small family only wedding.

12 Comments

Latest activity by Rebecca, on August 13, 2021 at 12:58 PM
  • M
    VIP January 2019
    Maggie ·
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    Is it common where you live to send invitations so early? I would delay sending them if possible. If you can't delay then I would definitely send them to a reduced list and add people later if the restrictions are lifted. Learn from ALL of the other brides and grooms here who went through this headache last year. Do whatever you have to do to avoid uninviting people you have already invited. You have some warning and some cautionary tales to go by, take advantage of those.

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  • I
    Expert August 2021
    Ingrid ·
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    I don't think "uninviting" is the way to go. I would send your must haves first and either as you get No's send an invite for someone who couldn't make the first list. . .not really a B list, but kinda only bc of COVID restrictions. And have the others ready to send as soon as the restriction is lifted. I hope you are able to invite your full guest list all at the same time.

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  • mrswinteriscoming
    VIP December 2021
    mrswinteriscoming ·
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    We didn't send save the dates and RSVPs will be back by 1 November 2021 (6 weeks out) so realistically I think we need to have invitations back by at least mid-September.

    We would be cutting my grandmother's friends from the list so in theory, if we were to B-list them, they wouldn't know about it, though that wouldn't be the case for the other people cut. I know how horrible it is to B list people so I'm just trying to figure out which is the lesser of the two evils.

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  • M
    VIP January 2019
    Maggie ·
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    I'm not a fan of B listing in general. But "B Listing" because COVID restrictions will be put in place and you don't want to have to uninvite people later, is a completely different scenario. Holding back some invitations to rescinding invitations is definitely the lesser of two evils during a pandemic.

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  • Michelle
    Rockstar December 2022
    Michelle ·
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    Invites should not go out before 6 weeks, because the information will be lost and forgotten if sent earlier. If you don’t send save the date postcards, you let them know via phone call as the older generations did. Wait until much closer to send invites but make a list of your must have guests regardless of who they are and cut out people invited out of obligation. Sometimes friends are more supportive than family. Focus on that list and wait to see what the restrictions are in your area.



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  • Ashlee
    Super September 2022
    Ashlee ·
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    I think if I were in your situation, as unpleasant as it is, I would start working on cutting my guest list now, just to be prepared in case there are restrictions in place when it is time to send invites.

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  • Jacks
    Rockstar November 2054
    Jacks ·
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    I would do anything you can to avoid uninviting people. Good luck, it's tough.

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  • Rosie
    Master February 2022
    Rosie ·
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    I really like this idea!

    I think in these times having an A list and a B list is a necessary evil.

    Certainly, there can't be any harm in sitting down and deciding who you want to prioritise based on possible restriction levels.

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  • Hanna
    VIP June 2019
    Hanna ·
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    I completely agree with this advice.
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  • mrswinteriscoming
    VIP December 2021
    mrswinteriscoming ·
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    Unfortunately a record of who has been vaccinated won't help the restrictions, and in any case, where we live, the preferred vaccine is only available for people 40+ so we ourselves can't even get tested yet.

    The app looks neat though! Congratulations to you for developing such a nifty app.

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  • Vale
    Dedicated October 2021
    Vale ·
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    Definitely shave down the guest list instead of uninviting people, then just explain that you have to have a smaller, more intimate gathering due to Covid restrictions. People will understand! I had to go through a Similar guest list overhaul; my first draft was 248 people, once Covid came into the picture, I had to shave it down to 100 total people, INCLUDING me and my fiance! People totally understand and not one person has complained or felt offended, especially with a clear, apologetic explanation.
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  • Rebecca
    Beginner October 2021
    Rebecca ·
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    I added a note to our website right off the bat that says the guest list may be limited due to Covid restrictions; hoping that no matter what happened people would feel informed. I like the idea of an A and B list in this situation, though. It's so hard to be a bride right now!

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