A 3-tier guest list: Tier 1 can't-do-it-without-you, Tier 2 will make the trip, Tier 3 home celebration. Set a budget, a cost per guest and the venue's cap to see the total cost and where the cut line falls.
Costs assume every Tier 1 and Tier 2 guest says yes, the safe way to budget.
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Frequently asked questions
What is a 3-tier guest list?
Tier 1 is can't-do-it-without-you: immediate family and your closest friends, the people whose being there is the whole point. Tier 2 is the people you really want there who will actually make the trip. Tier 3 is people you love who don't fit the trip, celebrated at a party back home.
Where does the cut line fall?
Wherever your budget or your venue runs out first. The builder seats Tier 1 first, then Tier 2, and anyone past the line moves to the home celebration. If Tier 1 alone does not fit, the list is not the problem: the budget or the venue is.
Why does the total cost assume everyone says yes?
Because a budget built on the best case is how you end up over. If fewer guests come, the difference stays in your budget.
Does the home celebration come out of the wedding budget?
Not in this builder. Tier 3 is a separate party, so its cost is not in the wedding total. Give it a budget of its own.