Credit: Ideal Imaging by Alistair Jones
How to choose the guest list for your micro wedding & involve those not on the list
by Liz GathererWith the ever changing rules surrounding weddings during the Covid pandemic, one thing you can be sure of, if you are tying the knot in the near future then the mighty micro wedding will be your only option. At time of writing, weddings were off the table all together unless under exceptional circumstances. More recently weddings of 30 have been allowed, but before long the number was reduced down to 15.
One thing we can be sure of though, when weddings are back on, couples will be asked to limit the size of their guest list. But just how do you do that? It won’t be easy, but we have come up with a few ideas on how to help you choose your guest list.
Involving guests who are not on the list at your micro wedding
Providing your guests with Wedition, a personalised wedding magazine, is an incredible way to ensure everyone is a big part of your day, even those who are unable to attend. Pre-covid, Wedition was typically giving to guests on the day of the wedding sharing the couple’s love story, how they met and the proposal. An introduction to the wedding party and venue history were popular inclusions too. But now, Wedition truly is the missing piece to your micro wedding that will unite all guests together wherever they are. Along with the couple’s love story and trials and tribulations of planning a wedding during a covid pandemic, you can include photos and messages from every single guest. You can include all the need to know information for the live streaming of the event - the log in details, tech help and FAQs as well as the timings of the day. For those loved ones who have departed, include an in memory of page with a poem, a heartfelt message or a prayer.
It truly is the perfect way to celebrate even when you are apart.
Choose micro wedding guest list no brainers
Who are the people you can’t get married without? Start by making a list of all the people you cannot get married without, this could be parents, siblings and your closest friends. Find out if they are available on your wedding date and then you can work out how many more guests you have left to invite.
Photo credit: Ideal Imaging by Alistair Jones. Venue: Farnham Castle.
Choosing not to have a plus one on your micro wedding guest list
It's important to hold back on the plus ones. In normal circumstances most couples are delighted to be able to add ‘plus one’ to a wedding invitation but this will be a surefire way to go over on the guest numbers. As we’re coming up to nearly 12 months of living in a pandemic, people will not be offended that you are not offering a plus one, they will feel honoured that they are on the guest list in the first place as they'll know numbers are extremely limited.
Supplier credits: Ether Events. Venue: Warbrook House.
Reduce your micro wedding guest listing by choosing to exclude co-workers
Co-workers can celebrate with you another time. Your colleagues at work are people that you see every day, and more recently the people you’ve probably had the most amount of video calls with! They will understand though that you will not be able to invite them to your micro wedding, why don’t you set up an after work drinks date so you can celebrate with them online? If you want to make it extra special, you could organise a cocktail master class or a cheese and wine making evening.
Wedition Hot Tip: There are lots of ideas we listed in our date night at home article which would also work for a larger of people.
Supplier credits: Ether Events. Venue: The Talbot at Ripley
Keep your micro wedding guest list choices to adults only
Inviting each guests' children will immediately bump up the numbers. Do not extend your wedding invitation to children. You can plan a large get together in the future where everyone can come, children, co-workers and plus ones.
Photo credit: Ideal Imaging by Alistair Jones. Venue: Farnham Castle.
Choosing a secondary guest list for your micro wedding
It’s important to have a back up guest list for if someone has to pull out last minute. With such small guest numbers, it will be really noticeable if a guest can’t attend due to having to start a period of self isolation or falling ill. Have a list of people who you would love to be able to invite in case someone pulls out.
Supplier credits: Ether Events, Flowers by Elaine, Wedding Cakes by Lisa Broughton. Venue:Wotton House.
Choose to have a virtual guest list at your micro wedding
Many videographers, photographers and event planners have created live streaming packages especially for micro weddings. These are high quality live TV style productions where the footage is often edited live and multiple 4k cameras are used with the key people who talk during the ceremony will be wearing microphones. This is a fantastic way to ensure that everyone whom you would have invited can still be a part of your day.
Wedition Hot Tip: In the Jewish community, it’s popular to deliver a kiddish box to guests so they have them on the day of the celebration. The box includes everything they need from food to favours and clothes. You too could do something similar, deliver boxes filled with goodies so your guests can celebrate at home, you could include an afternoon tea, a personalised wedding magazine, a wedding favour, how about a personalised candle with your wedding logo or initials on? All the guests could light it at the same time.
Supplier credit: Hayley Wild Harpist
Have a humongous celebration later on in the year after your micro wedding
Send out an alternative save-the-date, one that promises your guests that the moment you can, you will have a party to celebrate with them in person. You can use this to explain that you have opted for a micro wedding which means you have limited guest numbers, tell them that marriage is important to you both and you don’t want to wait, but equally you want to celebrate with them, just not now, but the moment restrictions are lifted, you’ll get your planning cap back on and organise an epic get together to celebrate in person and in style!
Photo credit: Victoria Rosen Events
Unite your guest list at your micro wedding
If you would like to deliver a personalised wedding magazine to all of your guests, whether attending in person or online, then get in touch with liz@wedition.co.uk to get this unique keepsake designed for you. We now offer a digital service which is ideal for micro weddings.
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