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Soon2Bemarried
Devoted September 2022

How Early Is too Early To Dramatically Scale Back Original Guest Count?

Soon2Bemarried, on November 23, 2020 at 8:04 AM Posted in Planning 0 7
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I should preface this by saying I have yet to book a venue for the wedding or reception to occur. No invitations or save the dates have been sent out yet.


A couple of months ago, I had hope that I could still have close to everyone I wanted at our wedding there, but currently I’m convinced that’s just not feasible. Granted, I don’t know what’s going to happen the year we intend to get married, but I’m willing to start our count of small and potentially (but reasonably) work our way up the more restrictions are eased.
So, did you book your venue based on your guest count max or did you use your guest count max to book your venue? If your guest count decreased because of COVID, how did you come up with your final count? How did you explain this to the people you might have wanted there but didn’t make it in the count?

7 Comments

Latest activity by W-K, on November 23, 2020 at 10:17 AM
  • Mrs. Spring
    Master April 2021
    Mrs. Spring ·
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    I came up with the final count by only inviting the absolute closest people to my Fh and I; which would be our parents. And to decrease the risk of COVID.
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  • Mrs. Spring
    Master April 2021
    Mrs. Spring ·
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    I just told others that we were only inviting our parents due to the risk of COVID.
    It was perfect for us because I'm a very private person. I also did not want our siblings there because they tend to cause conflict a lot.
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  • S
    Dedicated March 2022
    Slrhoshi ·
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    I'm planning for 2022 but even then I didn't want the craziness that comes with huge weddings. I'm older (35) and the last of my close friends to get married and will be fiancée second marriage. We both on the same page of small. However venues were only narrowed down for price as at less than 100 guests probably less than 75 we could go anywhere in our area.


    I know in time there will come "why wasn't I invited" conversations and simply put the answer is "we wanted to keep things small" and that's the end. No guilt. No extensive explanation. Unless someone who is hurt about not being invited is offering to pay their actual cost for their dinner they have zero say. Don't let it bother you.
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  • Yasmine
    Master October 2020
    Yasmine ·
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    We came up with our guest count before we decided our venue. For our minimony we only had 35guests but we had it in a hotel ballroom that holds way more. But again, our minimony was planned last minute (6 weeks). For our big wedding we came up with an initial guest count and visited venue that could hold it comfortably.

    Obviously we don't know what will happen with COVID and restrictions come March, but we did come up with a "COVID guestlist" in case we have to limit the guest count. It wasn't hard for us, it would be the people who we are closest with that will get an invitation. We agreed that if it's less than 50 then we will just postpone

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  • T
    Super April 2021
    Tiger Bride ·
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    Since you're getting married in late 2022, I would plan the wedding you want, big or small. If you want 50 people, no sense inviting 100. If you want 100, plan for 100.

    As for us, we knew the venue we wanted, but in finding that venue we had in the back of our minds that "able to hold 150 people" was a prerequisite for "oh this would be a nice place to have a wedding". We do a lot of hiking but would not be able to get married somewhere small or secluded or difficult to get to for that reason.

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  • Lisa
    Rockstar July 2022
    Lisa ·
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    We came up with our guest list first. We wanted to keep our wedding smaller (as compared to other weddings in my family), so once we figured out our budget, and made a list of people who we wanted to invite, we then found a venue with a max capacity that could hold our guest count + 30 people. That way, our guest list couldn't get too far out of control, since we can't go over our max capacity.
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  • W-K
    Super October 2019
    W-K ·
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    I got married last year so our guest count decrease was due to a family emergency not due to COVID but I booked the same venue I would have regardless of guest count. Just used one of their smaller packages. We originally wanted about 120people and scaled it down to 30.

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