how to respond when someone asks....

Tell them your are at your venue's max.

"Thank you so much for your love and support; unfortunately due to venue restrictions we are unable to accommodate a larger guest list."

"Oh how sweet they want to celebrate with us. It's not a matter of paying, however, but that the guest list needed to be contained due to other restrictions." Which are none of your business btw

I really love Tina's response. It's not really anyone's business why someone isn't invited. I never got the whole "budget restrictions" fib either. You don't owe them an explanation above what Tina suggested. That's pretty nice, IMO.

Blame room restrictions say you are at your venue max.

Depends on who is asking. If my nana asked me to invite someone I would do it . If some other random family member asked no

Unfortunately, you should straight up tell them no. your venue is at capacity or your budget is. I think even if my grandma asked me to invite someone I wouldn't... it's a wedding, not a society event.

luckily I haven't had this request. only requests from guests so far has been:

I really don't mean to make anything harder on you when it comes time for the seating chart but can you please not sit me next to "XYZ NAME"; we had a falling out and I'd rather avoid the issue at your wedding?

my response was - "yeah sure, no problem. I'm glad you told me now and now two weeks before the wedding." then I realized XYZ isn't even on our guest list and we laughed about it.... #weddingbrain

EDIT - if they are insistent on you inviting someone, feel free to add up the cost of food, alcohol, tax, tip, potential transportation, desserts, cocktail hour and additional décor needed. I'm sure once they see that number their eyes will bug out and they will back down.

LOL Novak. I totally get the "please dont sit me with" request. Thats to avoid drama at the event and that's actually nice. But really, its just rude. I could honestly say I would NEVER be so presumptuous & ask someone only I knew come to a wedding for whom this couple has never met the bride & groom. Really. Balls...big ones lol

I hate when people ask to be invited to things...like come on if I wanted you there you would have got an invitation! If someone asked me to invite 2 ppl I didn't know to my wedding I wouldn't even bother to try and be nice I'd just say nope.

Yea this is irritating because paying for their plate doesn't cover the other costs of an additional guest. Urgh..just say no. You have no more room

That's what I would say.

I didn't mean everyone should invite who their grandmother says - mine just happens to be the most important person in my family to me, she raised me and has done more for me the I could even list. So i just meant if it's someone extremely important to me just asking to invite a couple then I'd have no problem with it.