What to Do When Your Guest Count Is Higher Than Your Budget

Estimating your final guest count can be a tricky task - the internet would have you believe that, on average, only 75-85% of wedding guests list will actually be able to attend your wedding, but it’s wise to take those figures with a pinch of salt. Creating a wedding budget based on average figures from the internet is always a risky business, so what on earth do you do if you’ve had an unprecedented 98% of your invitees respond with a big fat yes when you budgeted for a 15-25% rejection rate?! Fear not - we’re here with some advice on exactly what to do when your guest count is higher than your overall budget allows.

We’ve invited too many people to our wedding, what do we do?!

If you’ve just made the rather stressful discovery that you’ve invited too many people to your wedding, don’t panic, you're not alone - many couples face this hitch in the wedding planning process! Underestimating the guest count is an age-old problem that isn’t going away anytime soon, but fortunately, all isn't lost. There are a few things you can do immediately to mitigate the situation.

It can be tempting to immediately jump in and start uninviting people, or even to consider cancelling the event altogether, but that’s just the panic talking! Before you start sending out awkward messages, take a deep breath and approach the situation as the calm and methodical person you are!

Double-check your wedding guest count

The first thing to do is review your guest list and double-check the numbers. Review the attendance list to identify any attendees who may have been a bit vague, and then create a list of guests with plus ones and children who are accompanying them. If you’re really in a pinch, then this list might come in handy later, but don’t worry, we’re not there yet!

Once you’ve got a clear idea of how many people are attending, it’s time to speak to your wedding venue to check that they can have space for that number of guests. If they can, then great; it's time to move on to the next step. However, if they’re strictly limited, you’re facing some tricky decisions and might need to skip forward to the part where we discuss uninviting guests.

Speak to your wedding vendors

After your wedding venue, probably the most important wedding vendor to have a conversation with is your caterer - not only will they need to know about the increase in numbers, but it’s also worth being honest about your budget constraints and asking whether there’s any way to reduce your overall food and drink spend. Some obvious options are to ditch the waiting staff and opt for a buffet instead, to forego the posh canapés in favour of self-serve finger food, or to scrap dessert and serve your wedding cake instead.

It’s worth speaking to all of your vendors to determine whether there are any savings to be made, particularly with your florist, cake maker, and wedding photographer or videographer. It might be that they’re not open to a change of plans at such a late stage, but if you’re honest about your situation and appeal to their better nature, then there’s no harm in asking.

Cut the non-essential wedding expenses

There are a whole host of wedding day "essentials" that are anything but, and these hidden costs can be one of the biggest factors in going over budget on your big day. Yes, bespoke bridesmaids' gifts and fancy ring boxes are lovely, but there are many more important details to spend your money on, like the wedding dress of your dreams!

Here are five things you could easily cut from your wedding without affecting your guest experience: Wedding favours/goodie bags. Did you actually ever plant those wildflower seeds you got at your cousin’s wedding? Does it really matter if your guests don't go home with an extra fridge magnet? Let’s be honest, we’ve all got enough stuff! Matching dressing gowns. Yes, it’s nice to match with your bridal party, but it’s really not necessary. Letting everyone wear whatever they want could save you a few bucks. Printed programmes. Forget the printed stationery - between your wedding website and a large sign displaying the order of the day, your guests should have all the information they need. Champagne. Switch out the champagne for something less expensive, like Prosecco, or better still, forgo the champagne toast altogether and make the most of your table wine by having your speeches between courses. Chair decoration. Unless your venue chairs are really, truly ugly, then you probably don’t need to pay to dress them up for the occasion - save some money by cutting the floral chair decorations or flouncy chair covers.

Deciding to reduce your wedding guest list

If you’ve gone through all the steps and you’re still faced with the impossible situation of having more guests than you can afford, then the only thing you can do is take steps to reduce your wedding guest count. We must stress that this is an absolute last resort and will likely involve some very uncomfortable conversations and hurt feelings. However, if you handle it with tact and honesty, hopefully your friends and family will understand.

Though it’s inconvenient for your guests, the easiest place to start when it comes to uninviting guests is probably children - you’ll have the opportunity to stress just how much you want the parents to attend your wedding day, but that you are between a rock and a hard place with some very difficult decisions to be made. It’s easier to do this if you’re consistent across the board - allowing some guests to bring kids and others not is going to make you pretty unpopular!

If you still need to narrow down your guest list, it’s time to review the list of guests with plus ones. You’ll probably want to keep your wedding party and closest friends sweet by allowing their plus ones to attend, but speaking to your work colleagues and acquaintances to explain your predicament could help reduce your overall guest count.

There’s no denying that having more guests than you can afford presents a bit of a sticky situation, but if you’re calm, kind, and honest with your friends and family, then you should be able to navigate this like the pro wedding planner that you are!