Cut by rule, never by name
Cutting a guest list name by name is unbearable and produces a list you cannot defend. Cutting by rule is fast, consistent, and gives you an answer when someone asks.
| Rule | Typically removes | How defensible |
|---|---|---|
| No colleagues unless you socialise outside work | 10–20% of a list | Very — and the easiest to explain |
| Nobody you have not spoken to in two years | 5–15% | Very |
| Partners only if married, engaged or cohabiting | 5–15% | High, provided it is applied to everyone |
| No children over a stated age, or none at all | 5–20% | High, if stated early and applied without exception |
| Immediate family only for extended relatives | 10–25% | Moderate — cousins notice |
| No reciprocal invitations from weddings over five years ago | 5–10% | High, and rarely noticed |
| Evening-only for the outer circle | Converts rather than cuts, at roughly a third of the cost | High — and the most useful tool on this list |
Use the evening invitation properly
An evening guest costs roughly a third of a day guest: no meal, no place setting, less stationery, no seat at the table. Converting twenty day guests to evening guests saves most of what cutting them entirely would, and nobody is uninvited.
Send evening invitations at the same time as the main ones. Sending them later is what makes them feel like a consolation.
What cutting actually saves
| Change | Guests removed | Rough saving on a £30,000 budget |
|---|---|---|
| Cut 10 day guests | 10 | About £1,050 |
| Cut 20 day guests | 20 | About £2,100 |
| Convert 20 day guests to evening | 0 | About £1,400 |
| Cut 30 day guests | 30 | About £3,200, and possibly a table |
Worth having, and slower than most other levers. If the budget is the problem rather than the room size, moving off a Saturday saves more than cutting thirty guests and costs nobody an invitation.
Hold a reserve list
Whoever you cut last should go on a B-list rather than off the list entirely. Declines start arriving within two weeks of the invitations, and anything posted more than six weeks before the wedding reads as a normal invitation.
Do the cutting in the tracker
Tier every household first, then cut a tier at a time.
Common questions
How do you cut a wedding guest list?
By rule, never by name. Common rules: no colleagues unless you socialise outside work, nobody you have not spoken to in two years, partners only if they live together, and no reciprocal invitations from weddings over five years ago.
How much does cutting wedding guests save?
Roughly £105 per day guest at a £30,000 budget — about £2,100 for twenty. Less than people expect, because photography, music, attire and the celebrant do not move at all.
Is it cheaper to invite guests to the evening only?
Yes, at roughly a third of the cost of a day guest. Converting twenty day guests to evening saves about £1,400 on a £30,000 budget and uninvites nobody.
When should evening invitations be sent?
At the same time as the day invitations. Sending them later is what makes an evening invitation feel like a consolation prize.