How big should your wedding be? If you're engaged and thinking about getting married, you've surely asked yourselves “how big should it be?”. The age-old question of who to invite and who not to is, as we know, never an easy one, and reaching 500 guests happens in a flash. So where do you start? There are many kinds of wedding, from intimate weddings with 10–12 guests at most to huge celebrations with 400 guests. In times of COVID, if you're in a hurry, a smaller wedding might be the better option.
4 choices you can make
The first step once you're engaged and thinking about the wedding is the guest list. There are many ways to get married, and each one reflects the couple's personality. You can choose to elope with just two witnesses or have a wedding with more than 300 guests. It's especially important to understand which type of wedding appeals to you most, so you can select ideas and themes suited to the size of your wedding.
Here are the main types
First of all, let's identify the different types of wedding. Browsing the web or Pinterest, it isn't always easy to tell what kind of wedding you're looking at.
Elopement
Just like in the old days, a secret escape to get married without anyone knowing. If you love travelling, you can choose from many locations just for the two of you or for a small number of guests (usually 8–10). You can celebrate when you get back.
Recommended locations for a romantic elopement: a cosy cottage, a lovely summer house, a ceremony on a beach or by a lake, or a charming registry office.
Intimate
Intimate weddings are events with fewer than 20 guests. Because of COVID, many couples have chosen this option. For couples who choose to share their day with a small circle of people, this is the right approach.
Out of necessity, many couples hold an intimate wedding at one location and then a sequel wedding with more guests somewhere else.
Medium
If an intimate wedding doesn't seem to match your ideal number of guests, you can opt for a medium-sized wedding. These usually have between 40 and 120–150 guests, mostly a close circle of the couple's relatives and a larger share of friends. In short, a lively wedding with your friends is just the boost you need to have a great time on your wedding day.
Mega wedding
Oh yes! It happened: cutting back as much as you could, and still worried you'd forgotten someone, you've reached 450 guests. OK! Keep calm and take it one step at a time. If you think you can handle such a big step, start trimming the list; otherwise, if this is really what you want, the first step is to find a venue that can host such a large number of guests. Don't be fooled by appearances: many venues have a modular layout that lets them move walls and enlarge rooms to welcome more diners. Events with so many guests give the couple a warmth that is hard to forget. Just think of leaving the church under a shower of rice, or the welcome you'll receive when you arrive at the restaurant.
Frequently asked questions
How many guests does the average wedding have?
There's no right number: it ranges from an intimate wedding with 10–12 people to a big party with hundreds of guests. What matters is the kind of day you want to live.
How do you decide how many guests to invite to your wedding?
Start from your budget and venue, then draw up the list in order of priority: close family, dearest friends, relatives and colleagues.
Does a small wedding cost less?
Generally yes, because many costs depend on the number of people, but it also lets you invest more in quality: venue, food and photography.
