How Do you Solve a Problem Like a B-List? | Wedding Planning Survival | Boston Wedding Photography
Getting your guest list right is a big challenge for Massachusetts couples planning their weddings, a b list could help. - Invitation design by Slow Loris Designs (https://www.slowlorisdesign.com) image by Ryan Richardson Photography
One of the most stressful parts of wedding planning, according to couples planning their Boston weddings, is putting together the guest list. Writing your guest list is like getting pulled in a thousand directions at the same time - you’re trying to create the vent you want, but at the same time you have to deal with the pressures of family and the realities of your venue and budget. Some couples want a tiny wedding with just their friends but feel like they have to invite their big families first; other couples want a big wedding but can’t find a venue or the cash to accommodate 400 people.
B-lists are one way to deal with navigating your guest list, especially if you have a lot of obligatory invitations that will probably be declined for one reason or another. There are hazards to a b-list, since it can create the perception that you’re not excited to have someone at your wedding, you just need a warm body to fill a chair (or give a gift). So how do you successfully navigate using a b-list?
Lay the groundwork early: If you think you might need to create a B-list, you’ll want to make that decision as soon as possible. Often, it’s easier to approach your B-list if you have clear and understandable rules for how you sorted people (and you might not want people comparing notes about their invites)
Know your priorities: Common advice is that you’ll see between 10-20% of your guests decline an invitation, but you won’t know the exact number until the RSVPs are returned. Prioritize your B-list in the interim so you know who to invite if you’ve got four spots or forty.
Send invitations out earlier - If you have a significant B-List and are expecting a lot of declines, send your RSVP’s out a little earlier and move up the deadline so you have time to invite your B-list more formally. Send the B-list invitations out as a group with a deadline far enough out to accommodate getting the count to your venue and caterer.
Don’t Try to Hide It - It isn’t a great feeling to not be in the first wave of invitations, but some guests will understand that you’re not always in control of the guest list. You don’t have to point it out, but be honest with the B-listers about the situation.
Do you have a B-list for your New England wedding? What are you planning to do to have the wedding guest list you want?
Don’t settle for a b-list photographer, book Ryan Richardson Photography today!
Ryan Richardson is a wedding and engagement photographer serving Boston and beyond; including Cape Cod Weddings, New England Weddings, Massachusetts Weddings and Rhode Island Weddings.