Polite ways to tell your guests not to bring their friends to your wedding

Planning an invite-only wedding is a hassle. You have to deal with guests who are upset about why they don’t appear on the list. Even in an open marriage ceremony, it’s tough to handle uninvited guests in the form of friends of guests who give you an extra budget when it comes to providing them with food and seats.

A wedding is a one-day event. Your friendship needs loyalty after the wedding. Whichever way you use, let your guests understand it’s not in bad faith, but they should respect your decision.

If you don’t want guests to come with their friends, there are several polite ways to inform them of this in advance without sounding offensive. Here is how

State it in the wedding invitation card

You only get to have evidence of a wedding through a wedding invitation. Most brides and bridegrooms use the invitation cards to state the expectations for their wedding.

It’s the best way to let them know the kind of gifts to have to prevent duplication of awards; the venue for the wedding and reception afterward. Use this chance to blatantly tell them that the invitation is for two (couple) or one person.

Politely explain the reason for this. Some could be genuine, while others are just a way of limiting the number of guests to your wedding. What ideas can you give?

Strict wedding budget
A limited number of guests to be accommodated at the venue
Payable seats that you have reserved
It’s a small wedding among others

Let them understand you are dealing with a strict budget. Inform them know you have left other guests, and a friend will interfere with the plan.

If not, put them off by allowing them to come with their friends but cater for the extra expenses? Who wants to attend a wedding and spend on their food, including the seats? Is that not a polite way of keeping their friends away from your wedding?

Use the invitation card as the entry ticket.

As you deliver the invitation card, let your guests know that this is their ticket to the wedding. Moreover, let them understand that it’s only valid for one person. In short, you have warned them no other person should accompany you, including the kids. Carrying kids to a wedding is tricky.

It’s important to let them know in case the kids are part or not part of the deal. It can ruin your day. Moreover, kids are messy and distractive. It is your day, and you have control over what happens there.

You can also opt to label the invitation card with a unique numbering system. It’s a smart way of making your guests come alone to your wedding.

Label the seats so that everyone has a place to her number. Where will the friend sit? They will have no option but to leave the wedding venue and catch up with your guest later or stick around, hoping someone never turns up for the wedding? Who wants to go through that embarrassment?

Request them to inform you of additional guests

At times you have to be wise in dealing with wedding guests. Yes, leave the door open to their friends but put a caption. “Kindly inform me in advance in case you want a friend or spouse to accompany you to the wedding.”

In your mind, automatically, you have no room for them. In case you have guests with the guts to inform you of their intended friends coming over with them. Use the chance to give reasons why they should not.

Alternatively, just let them know your service providers have already planned for the number, and there is no room for any changes. In most cases, you will not find guests who insist on their friends, accompanying them to the wedding venue.

Use technology to reserve a seat.

There are numerous technological tools ideal for ticketing service. Some are payable, while others are free versions. Why not use this to your advantage? Make online wedding invitation cards and let people secure their seats using the platform.

Make it as simple as possible such that your guests don’t think you never wanted them to grace your occasion.

Use the service providers.

Despite all the options you give your guests, some guests may still defy the rules and come with their friends. Let them carry the burden and face the consequences. It will be a lesson for them.

In case you clearly state they will foot their bills, talk to the service providers on who to serve. In any case, they opt to give uninvited guests food, let it not be part of your bargain, but a loss on their part. With that, they will notify the guests and charge them for all the services offered to them while attending the wedding.

The fun of a wedding is in the people who come to grace your occasion; funny enough, the more the number, the higher the wedding budget. If you are working on a strict budget, the number of people is insignificant.

Moreover, some of them just come to fill the spaces and add no value to your occasion. Few dare to drop a wedding gift, but the majority always leave since they have no attachment. Use these polite tips to ensure you only have the guests to see you exchange your nuptials and not gate crushers.