THE VOW EXCHANGE VENUE GUIDE : Invite No More Than The Venue Guest Limit
WELCOME TO OUR VENUE GUIDE TO GETTING HITCHED WITHOUT A HITCH.
TODAY WE ARE ADDRESSING THE DANGEROUS DECISION TO:
*** INVITE MORE PEOPLE THAN THE VENUE GUEST LIMIT ***
Having planned over 1500 weddings, the planners at The Vow Exchange have seen a thing or two. And since we are passionate about ensuring our customers leave blissfully happy, we are sharing our top advice ensuring the ONLY thing hitched at the wedding is the couple!
This is a common question that we get, “My guest list has just 5 more than the allowed amount. Can you make that work?” We get it, we really do. It’s tough when you have just a few more that you’d like to squeeze in to your event. I mean what is just 5-10 more people right? Often times couples heed our guest limits and enjoy a flawless event. However, we have hosted groups in the past who decided to follow the “ask for forgiveness instead of permission” approach. Unfortunately it does not work out all that great for these folks.
HOUSTON WE HAVE A PROBLEM:
There are 2 scenarios that happen with out fail for groups inviting more than our limit. The first is running out of time. It’s the law of numbers when dealing with people. The more people you invite, the longer it takes for them to arrive & get settled at the event. Remember, your guests are coming to a venue they have likely not been to before and for out of town guests in a city they don’t know that well. Everyone is to some degree “lost” locating parking first and the venue second. The second scenario is that there is a very limited number of chairs in the venue due to its small size. So if more guests show up with out a seat to take, they will be forced to find standing room.
THE FLAW IN THE PLAN:
In the first scenario, the more people you invite, the longer the arrival process stretches out for. The result is waiting longer to start your event which eats into the already brief 30 minute or 2 hour rental time. Late starts lead to less time enjoying post ceremony activities such as taking photos in the venue. Conversely, if the couple decides to start before the guests have ALL arrived, their wedding will FOR SURE get interrupted in the MIDDLE OF THE CEREMONY. We’ve seen it happen, and it’s not pretty. In the second scenario, there is an assumption there is standing room. While technically there are very narrow side aisles, your photographer will for sure not have access to take photos if someone stands there. This results in limited photo coverage and missed expressions only visible from the side aisles. All in all, too many guests makes it awkward, like REALLY awkward. We cringe every time it has happened for each guest unwittingly interrupting the “I do’s” or looking for a place to sit only to discover there is nowhere to go but outside.
OUR ADVICE:
Heed the guest limit set by the venue & event length. If you simply can not get your list any smaller, consider having a longer event (if you are looking at Mini Ceremony) or a host celebration elsewhere where you can include those extra guests. And if they must all attend the ceremony, then sadly we just might not be the right fit for your event. Trust us, we want to serve as many couples as possible, but not if it means you and your guests will experience this hitch at your wedding.