Planning your wedding involves so many decisions small and large that you’ll be making decisions in a snap by the end. However, there’s one decision that’s never easy—who do you invite? A small wedding venue or budget restrictions often mean you can’t invite everyone you’re friends with. The guide below offers some common-sense ways to limit your wedding size without hurting feelings.

4 Ways to Downsize Your Guest List for a Small Wedding Venue

1. Use a Three-Box System

To organize your guest list more effectively, write down everyone you would like to invite on pieces of paper and sort them into three categories. The first box is reserved for close family members, the must-haves at any wedding. In the second box, put close friends who you see yourself having long-running relationships with. Use the last box for everyone else you want to invite. Once you’ve tallied up boxes one and two, compare that number to the venue size, and you’ll know how many people from box three make the cut.

2. Limit Your Parent’s Invites

If you or your spouse-to-be have parents who are helping to pay for the big day, they’ll expect to invite a few of their friends. However, if they seem to be going overboard inviting many friends and distant family, politely ask them to limit their invitees. Clearly communicating on this issue will prevent unnecessary stress.

3. Leave Kids off the List

If your friend group has a lot of children, you may be inclined to allow kids. However, children not only take up limited space in your small wedding venue, but they also make menu planning more complicated. It may be more efficient to set a blanket rule for no children.

4. Cut Plus-Ones

You want to be surrounded by loved ones, not strangers, especially when the group is small. You can offer plus-ones, but it may be smarter to only give them to people who are in long-term relationships. Offering a plus-one to every unmarried attendee means they might bring a friend or someone they haven’t been dating long. However, give everyone in your wedding party a plus-one—they’re putting in a lot of time to make your day extra special.

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