The biggest contributor to any wedding is the amount of guests attending your big day. You wont’t know until guests respond to your wedding RSVP card.
When getting names of who to invite, adding one person might not seem like a lot. However, adding 10 people not only increases your food and beverage budget, but that’s an additional linen, centerpiece, and many other things.
Weddings as you know can fluctuate in price. Knowing what’s the average costs of weddings near you can better determine how much your overall wedding may cost. It can also save you from being in denial.
But to understand your overall costs you have to gauge who is coming to your wedding. Sending out wedding invitations is exciting. You anticipate all of your close family and friends replying back in excitement. Some couples opt to have guests reply on their wedding website which can save money on invitations.
For one couple, they opted to have guests reply on their wedding RSVP cards. When they read the response they were outraged at what was written. The invited guests replied “10” and wrote a note that reads “Six adults, four kids.” They added, “I’m not including XXXXXXX I can if you want to (it’s 1 adult, 2 kids).”
RSVP Card
This wedding RSVP card was shared in the Canadian made Facebook Group called thats it, I’m wedding shaming (non ban-happy edition). The description states it was sent to the groom’s stepdad’s family.
As you can imagine a ton of comments were provided. Some ranged from calling the guests rude and should be uninvited. Others blamed the couple because they didn’t have enough information.
WATCH: 5 Guests To Not Invite To Your Wedding
What Should Be Placed On Wedding Invitations?
Wedding invitation wording can be tricky, but it is up to the couple and their top wedding planner to ensure it makes sense. When working with Fingers In Ink, Nicole makes sure all of the key details about your wedding: location, time, dress code and most importantly who you are inviting is on the invites. When you have the right details this helps to prevent the above from happening.
Here’s a Wedding Invitation Checklist To Follow:
- Wedding RSVP Response Date
- If they can respond online via couple’s website
- Wedding Dress Code
- Wedding Date
- Wedding Times
- Who is being Invited
- How many guests, if any, they can bring
- Wedding Ceremony Location
- Wedding Reception Location (if different from ceremony)
- Triple check the proof
Stationery By Fingers In Ink
What Should I do With Guests Not Invited to My Wedding?
If you have uninvited guests who plan to attend your wedding, the first thing is to contact them via phone call and explain the situation. I say phone call because you want to be clear and concise and not misinterpreted via email or text.
You do not have to go into long details as to why they are not invited. Stand firm and move forward with wedding planning. In this case, I would have asked the groom to contact his stepdad and explain that the invitation was meant for either 1 or 2 people not 13 people.
Some guests have never been invited to a wedding before and do not understand wedding invitation etiquette.
If you are a guest please understand that every person invited to a wedding comes with a price tag. The average catering cost per wedding guest in Washington, DC is $175. Adding 13 people to a RSVP card means you are asking the couple to pay $2,275 more. This doesn’t include the cost of the additional wedding décor needed for an extra table, a larger cake, printed menus, and other things.
This can come off as rude and taking advantage of someone’s special day. Remember a wedding is not about you as the guest. You are taken into consideration, as you should, but the entire point is to celebrate the couple.
Does Every Wedding Invitation Have to Have a Plus One?
Short answer is No, you do not have to. If the person you are inviting to your wedding is not married or in a long-term relationship, they do not have to have a plus one. I want to highlight long-term relationship for a second.
Anyone who is inviting a person they just met to your wedding should be questioned. Remember what I just stated above about the cost per person. You’re spending at least $150 on a person you do not know. They also do not know you.
Some might say if your invitation doesn’t say “And Guest” that means it’s only you being invited. As you can see from the above image, that isn’t always the case. Be as specific as possible when inviting people who do not have a plus one.
HOWEVER, If you see that there is only a handful of singles attending your wedding, I would consider allowing them to bring a plus one. No one wants to be a third wheel at a wedding or forced to hang at the single’s table. That’s god awfully depressing.
JUICY WEDDING TIP: It’s totally OK for you to name exactly who is invited to your wedding on your wedding invitations.
In Conclusion
I don’t believe guests have any ill intentions when they reply to your wedding RSVP card. Weddings are forever changing and each has its own dynamics. As long as you keep a cool head about each situation and are willing to talk things out, you’ll be fine.
The purpose of a wedding is to bring close friends and family together to celebrate you. Don’t let a simple invitation issue get in the way of your happiness.
Are you wedding planning and need a wedding planner near Washington, DC? Contact us to learn more about our services.