Size it Up!

One common mistake brides can make at the beginning of the planning process is to choose a ceremony and/or reception venue that doesn't adequately fit the number of guests who will be attending.

Count, count, count! I can't emphasize that enough. I had one wedding where the bride & groom had booked the venue without first stopping to consider how many guests there would be. Once I got the max. capacity of the room, it was evident that they were going to have to scale back on their guest list. That proved to be harder than they thought it would be and I ended up having to troubleshoot to accommodate about 40 more guests than the room could hold. (Thankfully there was an outdoor deck!)

Be smart. For the ceremony, you need to have enough room to seat everyone ... and yet you don't want the venue to be so large that it overwhelms and makes your wedding look miniscule in comparison. Let the venue fit not only the style you envision for your wedding, but also the size of your guest list.

For the reception, have adequate room at each table (don't squish everyone together!) and remember to allow for things like a good-sized dance floor, a place for the DJ or band, buffet tables, drink stations, cake and/or dessert tables, gift table, guest book table, photo booth, etc. And give your guests room to mingle.

If you find that your guest list is too large for your venue, that's okay. That's when it's time to make out two separate lists. On your "A" list, include everyone who simply has to be there, such as close family members and close friends. Send those invitations out first ... and early! On your "B" list, include everyone who you would like to come, but who doesn't necessarily have to be there, such as co-workers, business associates, acquaintances, etc. As you receive a regret from someone on the "A" list, you can then send out an invitation to someone on the "B" list. Just make sure you're not sending out the "B" list invitations at the last minute or it will be obvious that they were "second choice".