How Many People Should You Invite To Your Wedding?

No one needs to confirm it. Planning a wedding can be emotionally, financially, and mentally exhausting. You have to figure out where to hold the ceremony, find the perfect attire, hire the photographer, and choose the caterers. And of course, you have to plan the reception and a honeymoon. And if that weren’t enough to think about, you still have to work out a very crucial element. How many people should you invite to your wedding?

What is your wedding vision?

First and foremost, what wedding size do you desire? You and your partner must consider this even before you start drafting your guest list.

The answer to the size of the wedding guest list has a lot to do with the spouses’ backgrounds and the vibe they’re looking for on their big day. Will it be a giant Indian wedding with literally thousands of revelers? Would you prefer a small handfasting-style ceremony with only three people present? Or do you want a medium-sized audience to witness your vows? You could even host the ceremony online and have an almost unlimited guest list if that’s what you want.

Average wedding party size

The website Brides considers 75-150 guests a medium-sized wedding, whereas large weddings have more than 150 guests. But it gets more even more intricate, according to the experts at Brides. Three sizes of weddings come in with under 75 attendees:

• The intimate wedding, with 50-75 guests
• The small wedding, with fewer than 50 guests
• And the tiny microwedding, or so-called “minimony,” with 15 or fewer folks in attendance

Budget is a big deal (and dealbreaker)

In a dream world, you could tailor your wedding guest list to your actual whims and invite every single person you want to be there with you. But in reality, perhaps more than any other lifetime event, the primary factor determining the maximum number of people you should invite to your wedding is going to boil down to one thing. That’s right, money.

In 2019, before the global pandemic, the average cost of a wedding in the United States was nearly $30,000, according to a Business Insider feature. Even though that figure includes the reception, at least part of that cool 30 grand could go as a down payment on a house or a long trip around the world.

Ultimately, how many people you should invite to your wedding is a personal decision. To help you weigh the merits of a big or micro wedding or something in between, here are just a few things to consider for your ceremony guest list.

Book your ceremony venue on Peerspace

Although post-pandemic weddings are trending more petite, the venue tends to be the most expensive part of the ceremony. But it doesn’t have to be overly so. Today there are innumerable ways around spending what feels like zillions on a predictable place to say “I do.” Head over to Peerspace, the internet’s largest marketplace for ceremony sites to book. There are, in fact, thousands of venues from which to select, in hundreds of cities in countries including the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and Germany – with more coming.

The capacity of the venue will determine who you can invite to the ceremony and vice versa. Lots of couples are opting to have an intimate ceremony and a larger reception party afterward. If small is your style, check out this pretty Boston Colonial home, with a large backyard and a fireplace if you want to move the ceremony indoors.

The neighborhood home can accommodate 12 guests, and it has a kitchen, some parking, and other household amenities. You’d have to move to another venue if you decide to host a big reception after the ceremony, but it would be a perfect option for a lovely, quiet backyard vow exchange.

However, if you want a large wedding ceremony, consider a space like this high rise with 360º views of Downtown Vancouver, British Colombia. The venue is nothing shy of jaw-dropping. In fact, you might want to specify to your guests that a fear of heights could come into play. It can accommodate up to 200 people, and it comes complete with tables and chairs. It’s accessible, has elevators and even large windows.

Since renters have to lease the space for a minimum of three hours, you could go ahead and hold the reception there as well. The total for renting this venue, including its extensive amenities, will add up to much less than what Lending Tree cites as the average $9300.

Make use of Peerspace’s Concierge service

Even if you’re hosting a microwedding ceremony, you’ll need a few essential items which you’ll probably have to rent – especially if yours is a destination wedding in an unfamiliar city. Peerspace’s Concierge service connects you with local vendors that deliver those necessities straight to your venue and remove them afterward.

While the Concierge might or might not be able to source an officiant and witnesses, it can match you with vendors who can provide furniture, equipment, and catering. It is a simple solution to solve unexpected issues. Plus, renting these items will help you determine how many people you should invite to your wedding.

So, how many people should you invite to your wedding?

Anyone planning their ceremony would likely love to invite the whole world to witness their vow exchange, and if that’s your highest priority, then that’s exactly what you should aim to do. But for most couples, the financial reality prohibits that dream. So how many people should you invite to your wedding? Ultimately that’s up to you, but don’t forget to consider the price of the venue and the necessities of hosting. Peerspace venues run the gamut from beautiful and intimate to vast and unforgettable, and Peerspace Concierge services can bring the most needed items straight to the ceremony site.

The reception? That’s another story.