Don’t fret – things get awkward, but here’s the breakdown.
Is your wedding guest list getting long? Trimming it down can be a challenge. Many factors come into play when deciding the size of your wedding, like budget, venue capacity, and overall vision. Of course, it’s not always feasible to invite everyone, but the expected conversation with someone expecting an invite can be daunting. That’s why we’ve prepared a few sentences for you on how to tell someone they’re not inviting to your wedding.
Highlighted Various Reasons Why Somone Might Not Get the Invite
#1 Covid Complications
You might be choosing to host a micro wedding or even elope, so inviting extra guests during a pandemic is much safer than a more significant celebration. Be honest when it comes to pandemic complications. Many people will understand your reasonings and will not take it personally.
“We’d love for you to attend, but in light of the pandemic, we are keeping things smaller to keep everyone safe. We hope to celebrate soon!”
“While we can’t host as large of the party as we’d intended, we do plan on hosting an anniversary reception. So be on the lookout for those details.”
#2 Co-worker or Boss
Yes, you see your co-workers or boss fairly consistently, especially leading up to the wedding. You might even spend time at the water cooler discussing plans, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re hinting for an invite, or maybe it does. If so, try these lines:
“As much as we’d love to have everyone come, we’re keeping our celebration intimate. Thank you so much for understanding!”
“We’re financing the wedding ourselves, so due to budget, we can’t invite everyone. We’d love to celebrate another time, though!”
#3 Distant friends (or people you met on vacation)
It’s common for people you’ve met on holiday or distant friends to reach out to you after you’ve “secured a ring.” Naturally, they’re happy about your engagement, especially if you’ve posted it on social media! They mean well, but the conversation may get awkward if it feels like they’re only pining for an invite. So please stick to the truth: tell them you’re happy for them to reach out to you and you’re excited to get caught up, but be honest about your reasoning.
“Thank you so much for reaching out! We’re super excited to receive your good wishes; it means so much. Unfortunately, we’re sticking to a limited guest list due to budget constraints; we hope you’ll understand. We’d love to grab a drink another time to catch up!”
“It’s so great to hear from you! We hope you are well. We’re keeping our guest list to close friends and family, but we’d love to catch up after the wedding is over. What do you think? ” 
#4 You don’t want them there.
Don’t feel bad. Sometimes, you, plain and simple, don’t want someone at your wedding. You don’t need an apparent reason! This conversation can get tricky, but it’s essential to work with your partner to craft a guest list that you’ll be happy with on your best day ever.
“We have a tight budget, so we’re keeping things small. We appreciate your understanding.”
“Our venue has a tight capacity limit, so we can’t invite everyone. Thank you for understanding.”
And just like that, you’re well on your way to trimming up your guest list. Remember, this day is meant to be about you and your love for each other. You don’t need to feel obligated to invite every single person that you’ve ever met. For more advice, be sure to follow along with our blogs. Additionally, if you haven’t booked your wedding officiant, we’d love to chat. Contact us by calling or texting: (402) 965-1060 or sending an email to info@itietheknots.com. We can’t wait to get to know you.
Photos By: Samantha Nieman
