What To Do About Uninvited Guests

As your RSVP cards come back, you discover that you have more guests than you’ve invited. What do you do about uninvited guests?

Custom holds that the name(s) on the wedding invitation dictate whether the invitee(s) may include a guest or children on the RSVP card. Unfortunately, some guests do not observe this rule, and may include a companion (or their children) on their reply card. If a limited number of guests over-extend their invitation, you may choose to overlook this. If a large number of guests make this same error, your reception costs could increase substantially, or you may find that you do not have enough seating to accommodate your invited guests.

If you are hosting your own wedding, you’ll need to decide whether your wedding and reception venues can accommodate extra guests. If so, and you can afford the added expense, you may choose to overlook the additions and welcome them graciously to your event.

If you are hosting your own wedding, and you determine that you cannot accommodate the extra guests, you will need to inform your invitees that you cannot accommodate extra guests. Do not feel obligated to explain, but if you are comfortable doing so, you may tell your invitees why you cannot accommodate their guests. Some people will not want to attend a wedding alone, and some parents will not want to attend if they cannot also bring their children, so be prepared to lose a few guests in this process.

If your wedding is being hosted by one or both sets of parents, it will be up to them to decide whether their budget can accommodate the additional guests. In most cases, a percentage of the invited guests will be unable to attend, so a few uninvited guests will not break the bank.

If uninvited guests show up at the reception, without having RSVP’d at all, most caterers can make up a few extra plates. Ask the caterer when you submit your guest count how they will accommodate extra guests, should any show up. If you plan to have a buffet dinner, most caterers add a “margin” to accommodate guests who want extra portions, so a few extra guests will not make a noticeable impact on the bottom line.

If your budget is strained, keep a close eye on your reply cards and let your invitees know as soon as possible that you cannot accommodate uninvited guests. With those who show up at the wedding or reception unannounced, you may have to ask your caterer to help you out of a bind.

Keywords: Wedding Invitations, Weddingblog, Wedding

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