How many people should you invite to your wedding?
You probably won’t find it very helpful to know that weddings come in as many shapes and sizes as there are couples who get married.
What you might find more helpful is that, to the people who know something about this subject, weddings actually come in a generally recognised range of sizes, starting with what’s known as an elopement wedding of just 3-5 guests, all the way up to a large wedding running to 150+ guests.
These terms are useful for wedding planners and wedding venues; they’ll also be useful for you when it comes to working out the vital matter of what your budget will cover, and the likely number of guests you can invite.
The Elopement Wedding – 3-5 guests.
The elopement wedding is for couples who want to keep things very simple, cheap and stress-free, and aren’t hung up on tradition. This kind of wedding might even be the result of a spontaneous visit to the registry office.
And of course, the less you spend on the wedding itself, the more you can splash out on the honeymoon. Nor are you restricted to a specific venue or country, or by the expectations of family or friends.
The Micro Wedding – 10-20 guests.
The main difference between a micro and an elopement is that with a micro, you still have all the usual ingredients of a ‘proper’ wedding – someone to officiate, two witnesses, a venue to accommodate and cater for your guests, and so on – but on a smaller scale.
For many couples this can represent the perfect option because it means you can find a venue that’s cosy, intimate, with just you and a few specially selected guests. And of course, the micro also suits couples with a smaller budget.
The Small Wedding – 20-60 guests
A small wedding, sometimes called a ‘friends and family’ wedding, is usually around 20-60 people and could well be the next step up from a micro wedding if that wouldn’t quite accommodate all the friends and immediate family you really wanted to invite.
There’s no reason why the so-called small wedding shouldn’t be just as fancy as a much larger affair, with one advantage being that you can keep your guest numbers down to a genuinely more exclusive ‘friends and family’ gathering.
Then again, plan to get your venue size right and you can have the space for your guests to circulate, but in a more intimate atmosphere than there’d be when planning for a wedding party on a grander scale.
The Medium Wedding – 60-150 guests
With around 60-150 guests, this is the typical size for a UK wedding, and the one that most planners, venues and caterers will usually work to as it fits into the most traditional classic ballpark size that guest numbers and budgets fall into. Simply put, it’s the size that feels just right for most people.
With a venue for this number of guests, you should have room for immediate and extended family, as well as a few more distant relatives and old friends.On the downside, if your guest list is towards the 150 end of the scale, spending time with all of them could be a problem. With too few guests to fit comfortably in a large venue, you could find yourselves rattling around.
The Large Wedding – 150+ guests
The large wedding can weigh in anywhere between 150 guests and counting, so you’ll need to find a venue with experience with such numbers that’s proved itself capable of doing full justice to the occasion.
With a wedding of this size and a venue to match, you shouldn’t need to worry about fitting all your guests in. Family, friends, plus ones, old school pals, the folks next door.
For a large wedding, your venue will need not just somewhere with the space to comfortably accommodate everyone, but also have a suitably large dancefloor, additional areas for circulating, and able to organise catering on this scale.
The Cooper Associates County Ground in is one of the most stunning venues in Somerset and the South West, and has capacity for up to 280 day guests and up to 350 for the evening – ideal for those with a larger guest list. With four venue options, you’re sure to find the perfect space for your big day and our expert team are on hand to make sure it goes off without a hitch.
So how do you decide what size wedding is right for you?
Deciding on the size of your wedding is a personal decision that depends on various factors such as your budget, personal preferences, cultural or family traditions, and the logistics of the event.
Ultimately, the size of your wedding should be based on what feels right for you and your partner. Take the time to discuss your options and consider what will make your wedding day special and meaningful for you both.
